PREFACE

FIRST BRITISH REVISED EDITION.

Ir is said that wine improves under the influence of an ocean voyage. This particular consignment has had several such trips; long ago it first came to us from the mother country, and it has been to and fro several times since then. We now wholly release it from "bond," and send it back for general use, for it has at last arrived at the stage when even connoisseurs may be counselled to "buy the truth and sell it not." It has been thoroughly tested here, and found to be good, so we trust its original consignees will recognize the value of its voyages in the ships of Tarshish, and that, in addition to its gain of age, it has lost nothing of its fine bouquet by its somewhat long storage between trips in Manasseh's vaults.

It was shipped to us as the pure juice of the grape, and we have found the bill of lading true; so it is now shipped back without any artificial rectification whatsoever, albeit we have no little of the very same vintage here, since the ancient vine "ran over the wall," and we, too, are of Arcadia. It is indeed fit for a "feast of fat things," this wonderful wine of latter day truth,

"a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined." It is in fact for just such a feast that it has been prepared of old (Isa. xxv.-xxvii.), and as it were prepared "without hands," seeing that the truth, after all, needeth no redemption.

In reality vintage decides value in such premises; and as this wine is of Lebanon, and of the slopes of Hermon, there is of course none better, for the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel. It is only the bottling, the seal, and the label that are ours. One cannot supply even the flavor of truth to that which lacks it, and conversely if the flavor be there, there can be little danger in quaffing it to quench thirst.

We are in fact concerned that this wine be more than merely tasted, for it is harmless though drunk in good old Anglo-Saxon draughts, and as it cannot but invigorate, in a sense the very opposite of intoxication, the sooner it is sampled the sooner will England and America recognize their mutual part in the drama of the future.

To drop parable and speak plainly, the time has now fully arrived when the federation of the Englishspeaking peoples of the world around, is a thing greatly to be desired, and one that is sure to work for good to all concerned. The prophecy of its realization is clearly written against the unturned tablets of to-morrow, and the growing warmth between the two great halves of Anglo-Saxondom will inevitably bring its sympathetic characters into speedy and universal recognition, and insure their prompt fulfilment.

Albeit, then, we of the American Manasseh have, as it were, "run over the wall," our roots are nevertheless twined with those of Ephraim-Britain, and the twain are

as one in Joseph and Asenath. May God speed the day when as the nations typified by the Cherubim, our wings may touch above the earthly mercy seat, and the presence of the God of our Fathers return to its wonted place. Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God shall bless us!

The establishment of the Fifth and Final universal monarchy is now due, for the "times of the Gentiles" certainly run out with "this generation," and the century now wanes! It is the Stone or Saxon Kingdom that now looms mountain-like in the foreground, but its Capstone cometh from above! When fitly joined together it will last forever, and its earthly phase must fall into the keeping of some Race now upon the earth. It is within Anglo-Saxon reach, but it may not be had by them without right of inheritance, and a repentance meet for the exercise of a responsibility so great.

The aim of the following pages, and of the succeeding Studies, is to show that the right is positively ours, and that the reward is worth special preparation and selfdenial on our part. Whether or not we know the rock whence we are hewn, we cannot but contemplate a new crusade as one of the growing possibilities before Our Race. "The object is now Palestine restored, - and Israel Redivivus is the means towards this end. Already Britain's protectorate is fully guaranteed over the Holy Places, and if Judah looks to her, the edict will speedily go forth to rebuild the walls of Zion, and every Saxon flag on earth will crusade with the Tribes, and stand about them till the work be done! Amen!"

Thus we wrote many years ago, and, when this wine first came to us across the sea, went up and down * See page 230,

Manasseh's land of Forgetfulness in vain, to find a publisher willing to lend his imprint to our labels. So coming home we at last began the task ourselves in 1890. Since then the theme has taken root in many quarters, and no longer begs for opportunity to voice itself from the high mountains of the press on both sides of the Atlantic, and the echo resounds from the coasts and colonies that belt the empire. May God save it!

For instance, we quote the following from Sir G. S. Clark, in the North American Review, 1894: "In the forefront of civilization are two nations but only one Race. Splendid possibilities of progress and of benefit to mankind are lost or impaired by the want of a union of means to a common purpose. The race fails, by a separation of its members, to exert the paramount influence for good which lies within its easy grasp. Putting aside all interference with established institutions, I firmly believe that a real federation, in the higher sense, may be attained. Then as the twin stars brought hope to the mariner of old, so will the glorious flags of America and Great Britain promise abiding peace throughout the oceans and seas of the world."

Now what is all this but the enforcement of the very same sentiment expressed years ago in this opening number of Our Race, to wit: "If we of America, who as before stated buckle this girdle of Anglo-Saxon Peoples together, reunite fraternally-in all, offensively and defensively, that this implies!-with Great Britain, the Great Ocean Empire would be strong indeed. The Race could then lie down in peace, and who would dare to rouse it up? It could dictate disarmament around the earth, and fearlessly set the grand example,

and its ancient Royal Scottish motto, Nemo me impune lacessit,' would be sufficient to the peaceful end in view."*

In the face of the thousands of Manasseh and the ten thousands of Ephraim, reunited under bonds of positive and avowed fraternity, whatsoever that implies, what place will the outside enemies of human peace then have in the international councils of earth, save to accede to whatsoever "all Israel" shall arbitrate as best for all concerned?

Sir George Grey, the "Father of Maories," in a recent communication practically urges the very same conclusion; he says:

"The English-speaking race numbers to-day about 125,000,000, or one-twelfth of the human race, and of these nearly three-fifths are in North America and the adjacent islands. It can be said without disrespect to the Germans or French that in proportion to numbers there are to-day no people in the world so cultured, rich, enterprising and warlike, as those that speak our language.

"Now if we could forget all the old family quarrels and unite in the interest of peace and the establishment of international arbitration-first made possible by Americans and at the expense of England--we could force the disarmament of every warlike nation, and change Europe from an armed camp into a land of prosperous soil tillers, and happy mechanics.

"Such a condition would make obsolete the profession of arms; it would lift the awful burden of taxes from the shoulders of the workers, who in the last analysis

* See pages 165-166,