INTERMINGLING OF RACES 253 



theless, there is little likelihood of an individual return to 

 the pure type of either race. The difficulties involved are 

 those described in Chapter VII. The races differ by so 

 many transmissible factors, factors which are probably 

 linked in varied ways, that there is, practically speaking, 

 no reasonable chance of such breaks in linkage occurring 

 as would bring together only the most desirable features, 

 even supposing conscious selection could be made. And 

 selection is not conscious. Breeding for the most part is 

 at random. The real result of such a wide racial cross, 

 therefore, is to break apart those compatible physical and 

 mental qualities which have established a smoothly oper- 

 ating whole in each race by hundreds of generations of 

 natural selection. 



If the two races possessed equivalent physical char- 

 acteristics and mental capacities, there would still be 

 this valid genetical objection to crossing, as one may 

 readily see. But in reality the negro is inferior to the 

 white. 181 This is not hypothesis or supposition; it is a 

 crude statement of actual fact. The negro has given the 

 world no original contribution of high merit. By his own 

 initiative in his original habitat, he has never risen. 

 Transplanted to a new environment, as in the case of 

 Haiti, he has done no better. In competition with the 

 white race, he has failed to approach its standard. But 

 because he has failed to equal the white man's ability, his 

 natural increase is low in comparison. The native popu- 

 lation of Africa is increasing very slowly, if at all. In 

 the best environment to which he has been subjected, the 

 United States, his ratio in the general population is 

 decreasing. His only chance for an extended survival 

 is amalgamation. 



