The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-09-30

Foreign Opinions OF the United States
We see, from the journals Of England, France
and Germany, that the people of Europe are
giving good deal Of attention to the affairs Of
this country and entering more into the spirit Of
American progress than heretofore. But we do
not see that this is done in spirit Of admiration
or even sympathy. No American can read the
English, French or German papers without
having his pride wounded and his feelings hurt
by the manner in which men and things in the
United States are handled. Nor is this confined
to the press. The best Of Europeans have begun
to think and write disparagingly of us. M. de
Tocqueville, than whom no man living better APP
precates the institutions of the United States, or
wishes better to democracy writes to friend in
this country that the respect and kindly feeling
once inspired by the American republic among
the French have now well nigh disappeared.
These things are the more worthy of reflection
as the claims Of the United States to the respect
full consideration of the rest of the world were
never SO great as they now are. Thirty-fve
years ago was a period at which, according to the
present census of the United States, this was
country well entitled to the admiration of the
world, for lis men were then men indeed, and its
Leaders true heroes. Yet this was the period of
which Sidney Smith wrote, when he denied
that the United States had ever done
anything for letters, or for art or for
science, or for industry. Now, on the other
hand, the claims of this country to eminence in
each and all of these departments of human
progress are indisputable and considerable.
Nearly one-third Of the leading literature Of the
day will soon be American. American artists
are figuring worthily at home and abroad.
American industry is competing successfully
with that of England in several of the largest
judged by the Dudley Observatory, the work Of
Agassiz, the Coast Survey, the several exploring
expeditions, and the studies Of such men as Henry,
Bache, Pearce, Guyot, Alexander, Mitchell, Hall
and Fremont, can compare with the matured
fruits Of science in England, France or Germany.
To whichever side we look, we find the same
proofs of progress and eminence. How, then,
comes it that, while the leading minds Of Europe
admired and respected us, when we had SO little
to show for ourselves, they turn from us in aver
sion and occasionally in contempt, now that
really we can present substantial grounds for
respectful consideration?
The reason is simply that the world yet judges
nations by their political leaders, and that we are
judged of by our politicians They are, heaven
knows, an Insignificant enough portion of this
community; but in Europe, it is the fashion to
consider politicians superior race Of beings
who typify national excellencies. Our politi-
clans, therefore, are viewed as the highest ex-
preston of the American mind, the rpest fruit of
American culture, the best samples of American
growth. And seeing them disorderly, violent,
reckless, unprincipled and degraded, the Euro
peans naturally conclude that the whole nation
must be marked by those same defects in still
higher degree.
Our neighbors across the water will come to
knowledge Of their mistake quite as soon as it is
of any consequence that they should. But is it
not Of some consequence to us that we should in
qure whether the palpable inferiority of our poll
ticians, as class, to every other class in the
community, is or is not necessary consequence
of democratic institutions? The fact stares us in
the face. In the days Of Clay, Webster, Calhoun,
and their compeers, the statesmen Of America
were such as any nation might have been proud
Of At an earlier date, round Jefferson aud Ma
Olson were grouped band Of statesmen who
have rarely been excelled in history for judg
ment wisdom or character. Now, we can hardly
point to a single politician Of whom one can bear
to speak with anything like patience They are
all-with few rare exceptions-unprincipled
reckless, brutal, corrupt, and many of them i'm
beetle and ignorant besides. Why need this be
Are there no decent men in the country to choose
for political Office? Can we not in some way
bring about revolution to sweep away these
loathsome politicians who are disgacing the
American name, and destroying the character of
the United States abroadf