Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/618

 602 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

all these warring elements? There is no country in the world where patriotism is higher than in England, and it is shared alike by Saxon and Celt, by Scot and Briton. Who now are the Nor- mans that constituted the last conquering race? And do the Saxons, when they can be distinguished, any longer feel the chains that once manacled them ? The equilibration is complete, and all class distinctions, at least those arising out of the race question, have totally disappeared. On the other hand, consider the achieve- ments of England. Contemplate the wonderful social efficiency of that many times amalgamated people. The sociologist cannot shut his eyes to the fact that the social efficiency is mainly due to the repeated amalgamations and to the intensity of the result- ant social struggles, developing, molding, and strengthening social structures.

France or Germany would show the same general truth, and those who are equally familiar with their history will find no difficulty in paralleling every step in the process of national development in all these countries. Austria seems to present an exception, but the only difference is that Austria is now in the midst of a new social assimilation. The equilibration is not yet complete. The Magyar and the Slav are still in the stage of resistance. It is said that, on account of the differences of language, they can never be assimilated. But in England there was the same diversity of language, and the languages of the Romans, of the Normans, of the Saxons, and of the Welsh and Scots had all to undergo a process of mutual concession, of giving and taking, and of ultimate blending, to form the new resultant language. It is not probable that just such a result will be attained in Austria, and no one is probably wise enough to fore- see the end; but it seems probable that the time will come at last when all these race-elements will be fully conciliated and a great new race, people, and nation will emerge. The world regards the struggle sympathetically and unanimously echoes the sentiment: Tu felix Austria nube.

We know less of the great Asiatic peoples, and still less of the African ; but, so far as their history is known it is shown to have been one of perpetual war. This means the repeated conquest