Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/818

 804 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

Conquest changes not only the conquered, but also the conquerors [says Woodrow Wilson]. Insensibly, it may be, but deeply, they are affected by the character of the subdued or absorbed races. Norman does not merge with Saxon without getting Saxon blood into his own veins and Saxon thoughts into his head ; neither had Saxon overcome Celt without being himself more or less taken captive by Celtic superstition. And these are but historical instances of what must have been more or less characteristic of similar events in "prehistoric" times. 1

That interaction is bound to follow contact, be the inter- course never so little, is instanced by frontier life. When civilized man on the borders of civilization comes in contact with bar- barous or semi-civilized races, there is modification on both sides. Though the civilized man is more able to resist than the rude man, he is influenced by his surroundings, and becomes callous and superstitious and lax in morals. But a glance at the Americans managing mines in Mexico substantiates this state- ment only too often and too well.

Whether the one or the other element involved shall pre- dominate, and to what degree this predominance shall extend, or whether the process shall partake of the nature of an exchange, is determined largely by three factors: (i) the relative culture stage of the elements involved ; (2) the relative mass of the two elements; and (3) the relative intensity of race-con- sciousness. 2

When the planes of culture differ, the higher element tends to predominate over the lower. Professor Sayce lays down the general rule that when a small body of invaders bring with them a high civilization their language will prevail. Visigothic was soon extirpated in Spain ; Dutch flourishes at the Cape. 3 What is true of the language is more than likely to be the case with the rest of the culture of the invaders. When the dominant people are decidedly superior to the rest in civilization, they are able to impose their culture easily upon the conquered. Indeed, if the

1 The State, pp. 26, 27.

3 Gumplowicz declares that the result of race-collision is rigidly determined by law, the kind of people arising after the contact being wholly dependent upon the relative volume, weight, constitution, cohesion, and structure of the groups involved. (Soziologische Essays, p. 16.)

3 Principles of Comparative Philology, pp. 177, 178.