New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-08
.Iem-1)ork Uaitr Qri hume.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
SHOWN UP BY GERMAN CRITICS
CaIfrn6setions I'm the erican Character The
Prrss-Thc .ormous.


Germ an literature il still very deficient 10 works, which
desc ibe life 10 the United with power and truthful
ness This want scarcely begins n be ,rpp led although
you easily up whole library OF ternan books
on America To b. ,ure good deal Of Information has
been given in regard the wide extended territory Of tie
Tn"D leaving man - he actually lives and Drerhes
have pleuiy Of instruction .bou; geology, h-he- IN
al kinds # animals and numerous points OF naarai
Ltorv the heads Of all the American races hsve
been invest gated butit aer the brain had gone TO de-
cav But oil human manifestations, have been
obliged PIT up with very accounts, which vold
seem 70 mock The Increasing cssuess OF the rean' rs
between tie two cOuu're. Tie American spirit has,
indeed been made the subject Of inquiry bat his been
explains according to the outlines 81 Institutions
With reertrce 10 Their sppncaron, ana the Nsres oi
cay intercourse Often -ha0w phrases sell govern
rtrf freedom of the people" and the Ike have served
toiusy The Hid, reaching conclusions ard should this
not be sufrieIi appeal j. made, rather ioohy 10 tue
great Future # America Bat eIsmn' more closely
fese staemer IS 90 aside the glazing contradiction
Of -ter asm md superstition compared with Truly pure
ard noble culture.
H. Fgrope the American Republic still too much regard
cd accord The mag which was had IN view by t'un
ers hut with the lapse elements have been al
ded. or hsve become more predominant which were
scarcely suspected by those clear sighted men or on eho-e
disappearance they might have reasonably calculated
The numerical increase, the progr.s and improvements
various d. psrimen have concealed the decrease Of moral
enthusiasm and Of the Republican tone well the im
moderate preponderaDce Of the shop keeping spirit stu
there many who when forced To- acknowledge the cor
rupton Of the cities endeayOr 20 maintain the moral power
Of America the forests and prares and the rural DIS
,rics in general Til. Is absurd than would
be for traveller when falling Of satisfaction with Vienna
and Berlin seek the true character Of German life IN the
mounsins Of the 1yroL
similar Toi.ake is made in regard 20 the y1m OF the
American people There certainly some features IN the
national character which may be designated by the Woi
your but the idea Of youtlulness cannot beJu;y p
Gated OF the nation At fret SIGHT eyen tins = not ayphcA
HE 10 courtrv where the women rapidly fade, where
~ Ill, i,on n iiil,.d ufT themselves with medicine
and where they attempt vie with the eoru tons ct the Ola
world The Americans essentiy unorginal -they are
imiator Of the EurOpeans-snd in spite of their pouu'
indeperdence-tley mentally dependent on Europe
The ugh this they do not believe In point 81 culture Anrr
ic. sti holds The rank If c0ony-i every where SHOWS
tie and effect 81 the manner in which the COLONIES Oh
Christian Europe founded. and must necessarily nave
hon deye ned OF our higher culture but very litte IS
in oY,ed-o perverois much-snd these pushed TO
carcstures A. general rule the rays Of Eur pean cum
walton only IN sroubl.d reflection on ms de inc
water and through English spectioles .
The tendency 81 the Americans to reality, compared with
TIE moral wretchedness of Europe j. certainly an element
of strength but conclusions an be thence drawn . 20
superiority Of power in general The strenuous feeling Of
Independence is conradcted By depressing con
iciou,pes Of the want Of mental freedom Not only the
crosses. deception hut also the most vulgar prestc aud
hraz.n faced spiritual impostures, find their victims Win
lt'le trouble in American oreduty We often .e- here
people putting air II they proudly looked down on
European cultivation but the fret ku 'dyenturer Will be
sure o find audience among the higher classes
and make money besides, If he gives himself out Tor a
preThet Elias ard promises 10 carry the people alive 70
Heaven Graded in superficial phrases of liberty and IN
dependeDce the American oten yields implicitly to the so
called politicians al elections and on other occasions and
infriI z, meIt Of ptrsonaliretdom
is in vain to look the Press protection against bar
barm for the Press either equally ignorant A. the public
too dependent on MS favor; or II n struggles against le
current pejudicos and Interests i voice M the W"
dtncss The idea that opinions speeches and writings are
not rer.ecuied the United States will bear essential
modification They only ecuted ia different nan
nor Let any undertake 10 speak agains, slavery 10
Charles.n and he will fare 40 better than if he should
spepk in Warsaw of a Polish Revolution II they have
martial law in Eur, Pc they have Lynch law in America
there they have military courts here they have Vigilance
Committees who kliuy administer law and execute
their decisions speedily than court martials
We thus find contradiction Of the error which so often
prevails Europe that il would not be difficult To educate
the people If there only place an opportunity 20
pek 10 write and 10 teach everything without restraint
The persons who cherish this belief may live to see that
here the people will not follow them, but the clergyman
and if hey wish 20 impart instruction they will nod thn
audiences perhaps will be driven from the sand. or
stoned while the most cunning and narrow minded priest
will wsnt crowded churches-and new meeting houses
spring ke mushrooms out Of the ground
lin America much can be said and written and pro
posed heb prohibited in Europe tits chiefly that which
Ieains Whom pract cal effect and dies away the noisy
wbr Of oiti.s or in the boundless wilderness. Comnun
ts ard Socialists If every description organize IN
places and extend their branches into the c- Their
establishments may proper for While t,pscl y Il hey
yield The despo'c influence Of some OF their prophets
But all societies Of this Kind have been either destroyed 10y
the mercantile competition IN America, or converted into
il the damage Of their fundamental prncipe-sO that
they have exerfed DO influence tie general progress Of
development The rushing stream of business carries
everything in 20 the gulf Of msteriasm
N
mons are rapidly and widely extending They coincide in
many Trait. with the AngloAmercan character supply
many defects aid institutions break oil the sharp
points of guilty alton and disguise the grosses maeraIsn
with consummae hypocrisy Their origin in reve ton and
prophets ponds the Old Testament disposition Of the
Americans The old Bible they finish of with rew one
Their divine revelations correspond 10 the American faith
in churces aud spirits thus they cannot abandon the pre-
vsilug adherence to superhumsn authority and Ike VIA
homet asonay use this for Their ends Poygamy
il is directly counter to American prudery hut
by their social organization they only have sensual AZ
fractions on their side but present contrast IN their social
intercourse 10 the narrow and domestic life Of
the American To The political weakness OF the American
decentralization which charms the spirit Of individuality,
tempting depe the center Of the STATE they oppose
stioI civ marked Capitalization Internally social and unit
ed. externally powerful they already form State within
State a sect If baTharsm constantly increasing Otcn
driven away by popular excitement they have always
emerged with strength IN distant corner They
understand how % bng their settlement. under the
rsId culture fer they always act in concert and with
uar organization and Ike other settler, each for him
self without regard the whole We must wait for the
result the trial when they INTO closer collision with
the prevailing civilization Of America Meantime with the
growing influence theJesuits and the Catholic Hierarchy
they 20 increase the G.cT, pancy Win Tie original
/ character Of The American Republic.
With the prevailing imitation Of European, there are
certainly points Of dvarcaion in America but these
cannot be regarded proofs Of progress. Hence the
opinion entirely uutenabe that Of the decline
European culture il would be continued in America with
,sh life ard Intelligence To say nothing OF other
the climate which can bear Do comparison with that OF Ia
rope coniradcfs this conclusion In America there
be great deal which differs from Europe bat hardly in
the ways which many Europeans imagine. Especially the
political nd social questions Of the present day far from
being settled IN this country. Is their solution marked
cut sccordng 10 the principles which might be supposed
if our newspapers often crowded with accounts Of
murders fatal assaults and other bloody OF
ions destruction Of human life large scale, and scan
osous crimes these b rrble pictures cannot be avoided
without esroyiUg many Oh rctristic traits Of AmeucAu
action Meantime let IN regard b. this
which " = have often heard stated in Germany With us
these accidents and disorders often ascrbed TO are2a5