The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-07-21

'put &c PeOpic We WSIc EVt SVVV ~ f~o~
We cannot get up public show with seIat. We
have no Duker, Esrls and Counts, no golden rods
rcr gentlemen ushe,s, bedeoked and bedizened
with gold lace crosses stars and garters; no mob
of gentry to take their place in the solemn num-
me,y, and play their parts with gravity that
could only attend the great business of the
wearer's life. The rough and busy people have
no pomp in them and so we fail whenever we
undertake to get up procession
But if as people we fail in pageant, as
people we excel in huubug We Like it; we
run after 1t; we rejoice AID take part in it; we
reproduce it in city after city, as long as the
novelty lasts, and no longer. But during this
time we are perfectly sincere in our worship of
the bumbug and in proof of our sincerity we
lavish our time our money and our public men
ON it. Where was there ever greater
bumbug than the reception we gave to Kossuth,
and before him, to Dickens! We were perfectly
sincere in it, however, for time but these keen
witted fellows soon saw through our national
bent and, returning to Europe, abused us roundly
for it, 1t was this national characteristic that
formed the success of Bsrnum and Jenny Lind
We were sincere in that too F; and we stuck to
Barpum just as long as he had any new and
striking phase of humbug to present to us. though
we had found out and stamped him in his true
character long before.
And it is not in exotic humbug that we excel
we have our domestic humbugs, and nothing is
done without it. In politics we must have
bleeding Kansas" or discovered Union y in
philanthropy, an "Uncle Tom or 8 White
Slave; in religion, Beecher or Brigham
Young. Our public men are full of humbug, for
if it is not innate to them, they assume it, in Or
der to succeed. No better evidence is wanted OF
this fact than the late proceedings Of Harvard
College, in Cambridge. There was Mr.. Winthrop,
with his humbug about the alma mater know
ing full well that OF the thinking and doing
men of this country not Que III
thousand ever saw even the outside of col
lege while of those that have seen the inside not
one in a thousand has ever done anything There
was President King, of Columbia College, with
his humbug of "the blood of the Kings" the
great progeDitor of which almost heard the
sound of the battle of Bunker Hill-and that is
all. Then there was Mr.. Everett, too-a brilliant
statesman brilliant orator and brilliant hum
bug. who skips over the country with one Grafton
in his brooches pocket, aud fifty invitations to
deliver it. Some of our public humbugs, like
Tom Benton, undertake to save the Union, and
take out copyright for it.
We had too, there, as we had had on former oc-
casions, little diplomatic humbug. Some years
ago Sir Henry Bulwer, who was sort of dandy
10 literature and Pelham in diplomacy thought
he had discovered our national weakness; and he
did, but he did not find out that it only runs upon
the surface. So he went over the coun.
Try delivering fowery speeches, full Of hum
bug; but as soon as the novelty wore off he
was played out, and he could never understand
why. Lord Napier has hit us in our national
vein, and treated us to little hnmbug on his
part, and very dexterously ratified bis ancestors
Napier bones" at Harvard. In his late speech
as in his previous one, there is blended vein of
his own national trait strong. practical, Scotch
common sense, that takes very well with u.s. too
and is more lasting than the humbug in the public
appreciation; for as soon as the former has lost
its novelty it is thrown aside. 1t would perhaps
be well for him to reflect on this, and whether the
practical common sense of our people requires
much more Of this sort Of thing. His fret speech
was an excellent0ne, and his second is in good
taste and place. They will do him service in the
silent craft" Of diplomacy, il be does not re-
peat them too often.
The philosophy of all this love of humbug on
our part is, that we are eminently practical
people and desire to bring at once into practice
every new idea that strikes us. Does man pro-
mise to do something great for his race or his
country, does he bring forward a new idea,
new invention, or q new amusement, we take
him at his word, and praise him, and parade him.
and then 60 home to see II IL will pay. II we
find that it will pay, it is Immediately put at
work and becomes part of that silent economy
that is working out our national progress, while
we are again intent upon another novelty Such
Is our round, and in II the humbug of alma mater
or the patriotic blood Of patriotic sire goes for
nothing beyo nd sort of family pride with those
who wear them.
NEw YORK AND PHILADELPHIA NEWSPAPER
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