The Colored Race 159 



opinion is that this instability is largely the direct inher- 

 itance of a weakness and degeneracy of one or both par- 

 ents, as naturally follows the laws of reproduction and 

 inheritance. Still there seems to be a factor outside of 

 this, a factor dependent upon miscegenation itself. The mix- 

 ing of different nationalities of the white race often ap- 

 pears to strengthen the new products, but the ethnic chasm 

 which separates the Caucasian from the African is too wide 

 for nature to bridge successfully. The bridge is but tempor- 

 ary and gives way to the strain it must eventually bear. 

 Whatever the true explanation may be, the fact remains that 

 this mixed-element is an unstable one with a high rate of 

 mortality. 



In the six years which have gone by since I wrote the above 

 I am still more convinced of the poor vital equation of this 

 mixed element. Their susceptibility to tuberculosis is cer- 

 tainly verj' great, and I have attempted to show what a large 

 factor this is in the general mortality. We see it in their children , 

 in the lowered prolificness among the women, in the greater 

 tendency to dystocia, in the frequency of diseases of the 

 uterus and adnexa. And in spite of the fact that it represents 

 a better class socially, who lead better lives and live altogether 

 more hygienically. I have noticed this in their churches, and 

 social and political organizations. The congregations of their 

 episcopal churches are largely of the lighter color ; they have 

 more social pride, and represent altogether a better living 

 class, and yet withal their vitality is poor. 



This element, I firmly believe, is greatly on the increase. 

 Attempts by the census to show the proportion of pure blacks 

 to all the shades of admixture with white blood have signally 

 failed, and we must wait another decade before we can have 

 any reliable figures on this point. For some time I have 

 looked upon this miscegenation as a reducing agent, chemi- 

 cally speaking ; it withdraws vitality from the pure negro and 

 produces a new compound which is even less stable. 



Though not bearing directly upon the question of vitality it 

 may be interesting to compare the deaths of the two races 

 from accidents and violence. Here are the figures for 

 Savannah at least : 



