Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1846-05-11
MONDAY. NAY II, 1876.
The ENGLISH PRESS AND oER COUNTRY

The ENGLISH PRESS AND OUR COUNTRY
We invite attention To article which we transfer Ia
our columns fr,m the N. Y Courier, containing brief
vndcaon Of The character Of our cunntry Il appeat
ed IN the Lond1n Times. as q communication from mn
American. We have for several years closely watched
the course Of the London Journals of all shades Of opo.
IONS IN regard to every thing pertaining to the Unii.J
States, and We ned believe that il is nm.
Of systematic, perlinacious injustice and de,rac,jn
We have observed much which might be ascribed sim
ply to the gross ignorance about u.s. heretofre alluded
10, which prevails even aiming the most ntelgen, pe.
pie IN Ensand-btt far more, which could be referred
only to spirit Of deliberate misrepresentation Ibe
vihca'Ion Of American manners. morals institutions
and policy is as We have sald systematic IL is carried
on win malignant satisfaction, increasingly
and with tremendous effect. par, of the plan is 10
Keep the public IN ignorance Of all that is tea,ly mp,r
'an' whrh occurs in this country. Ia ordinary times
The English journals give lue or no American news.
Notwithstanding the frequency Of Intercourse between
The Two countries. We have seen The London Times,
Tor ten consecutive days. contain not the sphes, res
renee, In any way whatever, 10 American affairs It's
The rares Thing 10 in that paper an extract from the
political specnaIins Of any Of respectable ourns
his omission to give American news may be said 10
PROOF only OF The little interest felt by the public in ours
iHuugh mol cff0llable 10 the
OF coec feeling Of The mother country, may be The ease
bnl the journals moi the less to blame for suffering
such indifference 10 prevail If there be country in
Tie world which il behovrs England fully 10 understand
and appreciate, surely lis We pass over the rit,
cunsances Of identity of language, religion, manners
and literature. We present Ourselves To her consid,,,.
lion only in commercial and POLITICAL point Of yiev-,
The best customer she hasa the nation indeed which
mn nj l.r
togeler-as the owner OF Commercial marine scarce,
~, II now at ALL inferior her own-and IS The o,lv
producer Of asurrly nd,9 uaie to her wants, of ,,
great sare, nl,n NE lac;ure of wllrh her r,os
peri'y SO depends. We claim her notice as a nation
yonrg and vigorous; with territory yasi and varied in
soil ard rroduc'n; With population already t,usu
that Of Great Braln and in less than sinol. c.ner,
lion, to be greater Than that Of any county in Europe
POPULATION, dusiri.us, ,nerprsinp inrllisen, sn
jyn! greater amount of physical mural and political
blessings than before vouchsaf.d ,o a n,onls
Such without any Of that exaggerated national yanv
of which we accused may say is the position #
me L. States, al The pfsen, moment, ards England
hat, under these circumstances there should he nob
ing In the details Of the workings Of our ns ulious and
Of the extraordinary development of the sources of our
national greatness. w"rhy The notice of an ENGLISH
journalist, Is one OF the cnrioas Of the moral ,hs
nonena of the day The presumed want of inte,es, =
American affairs IN the pau Of the Enpl,sh nuhlic-ad
uniting the iacidots not afd any JUS carion far The
cunfnp'uous silence Of the London journallsIs As in
'egeni men, they should the necessity of nspirin.
an interest and lWparng the fullest amount If correct in
| formation, about this country.
We have said that in ordinary times the Fnu6sb
papers take l'ie roiice of country The only *.
tracts made from our papers the details of some sa
age murder. some f,grant instance of Lynch law |
some case of swndlng defalcalion These are con.
Spcuonsiy displayed. and made the text of an edoa
homly upon the barbarly of American manners and The
iepravny of American morals The semi savage life Of !
me pioneer OF The forest is held up specimen Of til.
c'vza'lon OF the whole country and our republican in.
s'itntions made 10 bear all the blame This is dome ppr
aps in paper, in the columns of which there are simu
aneonsy given the Details disgus'ingly minute Of in.
digenous crime far more revIing and Of practice. com
pared with which the modes Of life in Arkansas or
Texas decent and refined
II, departing from this system Of studied or contemp.
luous silence, the English journalism, pretend. 10 DIV.
news from the United States, he dies not permi, on,
papers to speak fn them Selves and tell their tale
state their views in their way. hurried abstract
is made indicating frequently, the mos, lauphabe pno.
rance not only OF the state Of parties among u.s. and
all mat concerns our public and measures but eyen
Of the geography of The country This ahs,rac, i. .s
ded to in editorial article, displaying equal ignorance
and aboundng in the bii'eres and most n,agnan, fee
ing. All we have said could be abundany substantial
ted, had we e Of any Of the Lnndon paper. he
IRE us. The English even more than our people deI
pend upon newspapers for know ledge of foreign coun
tries, and after what have said the amoun, of cor
rect Inflammation about US which they possess my b
reasonably conJeciured. Our newspapers extract col
pousy from the leading articles of The London journals,
give the debates in Parliament and all the main items ~
English news We need not say that throup hout thsI
niied States each steamer is anxiousy expected andI
that foreign news fills large space in the columns II
every one Of our thousand journals and is The portion
the Paper most eagerly pernsed English reviews and
magaz hes al! Of which, less touch on politics.
ARE circulated very widely this side the AanicI
English history is part of liberal education; and En-
9llsh books form the staple Of The reading of all classes
From these circumstances results that we know mos
Of England-ils history its genus, its politics, past
and present. lis literature, Its scenery. the lights and
shadows OF It's domestic e-than ever did nation
another; whilst, the other hand the English
people are, asa whole profoundly gnoan, Of this cOu
Try.
This Ignorance, on the part of f, gland of peOp'X
with which her relations must every day become nor
and more intimate and which is destined To psy great