254 THE COMPOSITE OP RACES AND EELIGIONS IN AMERICA. 



the population of the same province, as described to us by tradition, 

 long before Strongbow landed in Ireland. As to the second law, he 

 doubted whether the present immigrants were all of the same high 

 type as the earliest. Most of those who went to America in the 

 last half century or so went in search of material advantages, 

 because they hoped to make a living there more easily than they 

 could at home. There was no such thought before the Pilgrim 

 Fathers : they gave up all their material advantages for their 

 religious principles. The fundamental question for any nation was 

 not its physical or mental abilities, but its spiritual character : its 

 attitude towards God. For this reason he had not felt quite 

 satisfied with the lecturer's closing words ; it did not lie within the 

 province of man to alter religion to suit his convenience : a man- 

 made religion was worthless. If they read the prophets of old, 

 they would see that they always spoke as being directly commissioned 

 from God ; it was always " Thus saith the Lord." 



The Lecturer in replying, thanked the meeting for the very 

 kind reception they had given to him. He was not hurt by any 

 criticism that had been passed on his paper ; he had expected it, 

 and indeed much more. Talking to a theological professor of 

 Harvard College before he left home, he had told him of this paper, 

 and the professor had diflfered from him entirely. Nevertheless 

 there need be no fear of the future. He fully agreed with the 

 closing words of the Secretary, Mr. Maunder. But the fact 

 remained that, though the bulk of the immigrants at the present time 

 might be of an inferior stock, their children were educated and 

 became filled at once with the genuine American spirit. The whole 

 of the country had been settled by genuine Americans, of the 

 Anglo-Saxon stock, and he believed they would assimilate all the 

 new material, though the Anglo-Saxon was apt not to be too 

 considerate of those whom he considered his inferiors. He, the 

 Lecturer, still maintained both his propositions ; he believed in God's 

 over-ruling providence, and that He was not conducting any failure 

 either in England or America. Even in the questions of Mexico and 

 Ulster he remained an optimist. 



The Meeting adjourned at 6.5 p.m. 



