Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-11-29
4 GERMAN's OPINION OF US,

Gustave Strive, q learned German, has written
II pamphlet upon the United States, in which he
says some severe and some sensible things. Mr..
Struye. a. we learn from tho Christian Inquirer, is
"a gentleman Of large requirements, the author OF
a History ofthe World, which has been well Ie-
ceiyed in Germany and in this country, and who,
after playing Il leading part in Europe as Il reyolu-
tjonary leader, has become a resident OF this coun-
try"
The following is an extract from his pamphlet,
translated by the Inquirer:
at would be,uniust to the American people to
make no distinction between them and the politi-
clans who are almost always mere oihce'seekers,
and who are their leaders. The people are sulii-
cleutly sharl-sighted tn see the corruption prevail
ing in their government, but they are always
aware who its chief iomenters are. They have
sufficient moral perception to feel indignant at the
spectacle which is every day presented of bnseness
on the part Of public officials, representatives, sen,
ators, and others but the difficulty is, that true
PARROTS and enlightened lovers of freedom are nc
where united-they are scattered among the differ
ent parties, and in none Of them have they q ma
jority.
1.-The American people are thinly scattered over
half the globe, and a great part Of them are SO oc-
.cupied with their private affairs that they have no
time for political duties, and they are not directly
responsible for all that their leaders may do. In
the crowded cities the number of those who are
politicians by profession is SO great that il is hard,
NH'N N'1 h'h''S w 'iI"E''S "'''N' NV
way. On the other hand, in the country, habita-
tons are SO sparae, and life so unsocial. that the
absence of all intellectual excitement has there as
bad an effect as tho altogether too impetuous. and
brisk life Of the city. America is indeed the land
of uncouth extremes, which badly wanta friendly
and peaceful mediator. Just such contrasts NJ
slavery and freedom you find every where. What
one side thinks is the very summit of wickednoss
and deserving Of she most Opprobrious ex expressions,
is Landed by the other party as an institution the
most needful for human progress, and approved by
God.
1.-THE great cities of EurOpe-London, Paris,
Vienna, Berlin, Naples, Hamburg-are not so
cramped for space as are New York, Baltimore,
New Orleans, and other largo American cities;
while, out of Russia and Turkey. there are no ru.
raj districts which are so thinly inhabited as those
of the United States. In the greatest part of Gu-
rope, in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the
country people live in villages or hamlets, and have
considerable social intercourse with one another.
"In the vast tracts of land which are found
every where in America, there are scarcely any vii
lagos, but only a few isolated farm-houses, whose
inhabitants, Notwithstanding canals and railroads,
have but few opportunities for intellectual con-
verse.
"PubIic opinion in America, therefore, can not
develop itsef in small social circles. quietly and
silently, but firmly and decisively as in Europe.
1t is manufactured elsewhere, partly by the press,
partly in assemblages and unions of people, all
of which are ruled in their turn by a small number
of individuals, chiefly ministers, rich capitalists.
p~rofessed politicians. There is not more indi-
freedom among the masses of America than
there is in Middle Europe. The Old World, with
the execution of Switzerland, does not enjoy the
free constitution of America, but does not toler-
the incubus of slavery; only upon Turkey
rests the stain of that accused institution. In
vain the Southern shareholders refer to the example
of Russia. Russian serfage couples a middle po-
sition between American slavery and American
citizenship.