The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-09-27
The Reasons WHY gpreigners cannot under
stand tRibs Country.


which cannot belong 70 most declarations, that
few books have yer been written about the people
d of America that aIe, just-few which give the
stranger conee. itesof the manners the spirit,
or even the institutions Of the country. If proof
were necessary 80 support so bold and yet so self
evident charge, quite enough could be found in
the admissions Of those authors themselves.
Amongst them ali--.id they are now numbered
by thousands--i would be hard to find half
dozen, IL we EXCEPT thc earliest, whose names have
& descended with their works to oblivion who have
Il not been careful 10 tell us how much pains they
took TO read ever ;hiug that had been written on
q America and ts reop5, before sailing for the coun-
try and they have almost invariably followed up
this important ango4nce ment, by saying that sub
seouent observation oouvnced them they knew
little more of the state Of society from all their read
ines. Some have even declared that they knew
less That certainly ieust be esteemed valueless
for all useful purposes rom which they who ap-
ply il with the creates, receive the least ad-
advantage; and yet, Alter making some abatement
for the partial hunor wi,h which successive rivals
have regarded each olSer's performances, we are
NOT quite certain that they are not all right. What
each one has thoushtproper TO say of every other,
we think il just az rr5fer to say Of all; and We
doubt not that n, European reader who
sits in his library afd reads carefully and
impartialy every book that has yet appeared,
on this now tbrcy1rar- subject, will really
knew very little n,.t ahout the Americans, and
n some instaucce actually less, than when he
unless indeed h. sGdly in want of nfor began,
nation on the siar, on fled with the discerning
spirit Of philosophicll nlnd In the one case any
notion of an unknown country may be better than
none; in the other, would be but another illus
the trnfi raalIv admitted that ANNA
men are so constituted nat they can evolve truth
with considerabls success from of absurdity;
as the aslute JUDGE ee;netimes more sure of ar
irving at the truyh az -. when all his witnesses
have told nothing bit li-s. And yet, we would not
have ventured 30 ootd AID sweeping an assertion
against EuropeaR ;GaU.,s had we not held in re-
serve some pretty cograt reasons for our conduct.
We think we e',.siu for the prevailing charac-
ter Of these woiks end their inutliry, in such
manner thaLa csrdc der will perceive it to be
no easy matter - write good book or a just one,
about the Americabs. There are two classes Of
difficulties TO ovcrco1s efecting this, either of
which is quite iafnrdtN'- enough. The one exists
in the country, rusututions, and people; the
other, in the charGcf' % the writers themselves.
F1st-The couugo 10 institutions and people.
We believe theroi. COUNTRY where the traveller
from Europe meet: e,tn the same difficulties in
giving true snd ilt liable account of what he
sees in society. 10 thi- ountry there is no metro
politan society lr urope the capital is the king
dom. Thus it hes pss--i INTO an every day saying
that Paris is Ftlpcc u. iln is Prussia, Vienna is
Austria, Rome b. ifiy, and London is England.
In these crowded bige- It richand poor men, every
grade of socieiy 10 presented. Barriers, which
no one dreams ~ pressing. divide rank from rank.
Every mans r-icu.lrns are weighed, and his
IL
gance and ta.e. WIN these decisions he has
nothing 10 do tow ta obey them The ira
weller abroad b. e,nI-c'ed TO little none Of
this universal s,si,ti az ostracism. He always
assumes the h,dg o ito higher class, and his pre-
tensions ere seidcr t.ry strictly canvassed. As
he crosses the irVahe ur iron barriers Of polite
society, he gi,r- ,he sount-rsign, which is easily
learned, and n early wh-re the same, and is ad-
mitted. II his manner asaay him, some uniortu
nate suspicion u. srere ris Whispered, the impostor
unlessthere r. q, M thing very peculiar and fragrant
the case, il r-id 'ru 81 aided for he is bird o
passage, and r sooa DO ke himself away. Through
out Europe tn sr..4.ra II rank, taste, and ele
Qsnce has becanie .tefy'yhere pretty nearly the
same; and before lht sir. niger enters certain
circle, be know of 1'l .i will be composed, and
what will BE- ssie fr# done He knows when he
gets there, III sr -s-rs will be Characteristic OF
the upper cla.s-- be ley ore all congregated
there, or at NJ fuf resented III il shocked
with any disp'1v Of wits sny-always excepting, of
course, that gfeH,est ot al yulgariues, aestaton-
he may be sur ih. 90, a.'r is stranger, who has
no right there THt l- ideal perfection Of the
a lady patrona--ss ''-'cr these important person
ages are not coaho,d la ne haIlowei precincts OF
Almack's-is auahrd The cold civility Of taste
has excluded Jl ibat tautl offend, and fashion has
been called h. ~ gailI hat could neither be re-
fined nor exclude 91 me Continent we expect
euch society .f f4. ei. Nth none. A thousand
well-bred Enl Sinner usy describe il, and their
descriptions viii, &, ,H main points, agree. Their
readers, ten 70 rur t7r~ luite as much about the
casinos OF Italy aud the spas Of Germany as the
writers thems, bee. .li Idle room is left for mis-
take or deceIlira Th. r-,ders Of tours and ira
vels-snd th'y arc $50 'ne vorld-know nearly as
much Of conunrr,a. s1-ry, when they are EN-
barking in or. of hr ,aiarnous steamers at Folke-
stone OF Dove -a.'i SOW when they return TO
the same sloi tet aerwards and, indeed.
one az the mo- t-.r-a'. tphic, and readable Of
Engl. h tour. l..t. -...srd the channel in his
life.
Such is society oa l Continent, and suchis the
race Il its Hnrrsa Vic conceive that, in the
main, tho rrored ur- have taken will not be dis
puied II wolId .- leg.Fstry, however, drawing
the ricture .-r -'.r.t.il.y. 20 make some spe-
fceAceptiot 5H asts. cunts. where the Engish
nation is con,sfr.. ta rule. the rank OF Eng
hshms n al hr,u. . .rs.. " far. TO do with their
reception ou th. ..rHrar. than other nations. IL
IL ptoyrIbsl .r by In France, Italy and
Germany. tn .tr ...sb send great deal Of
mou,y ane t h|a .l supposed, of course,
wh,n,reo f .h..r H.t'r Hsh,-haircd, red.faced,
closs.csTped. H. h. hunting-jackei, buff