The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-12-25

vorce without delay
Then Frank clapped his hands and laugh
ed out right at his ludicrous admission, and
thus the impression Letta would have made,
all passed off by evaporation, just like ali
other arguments brought to bear upon that
subject.
AMERICAN REPUTATION ABROAD.
Samuel Williams, the editor -correspon.
dent of the Utica Herald, in letter from
Heiderburg, Germany, writes thus:
lie who comes to Europe with the belief
that all the world is agap with wonder at
| the greatness Of the American Republic ::
who hugs the sweet unction to his soul that
the masses of the Old World have nothing
to do but sing hosannas to the American
Eagle; who thinks that whenever an Amer
lean citizen makes his appearance, all Eu.
ropedom must needs take off his hat-will
wake up to find himself the victim of cruel
delusion. The fact is, we are not half so
much thought Of by these willy barbarians
as we imagine. Our country, of which ,re
are so ostentiously proud is not rated at
such tremendous pumpkins by tho world at
large, as our vanity leads us to think. In
the far East, more especially, our fame is ms
sounding brass and tnklipg cymbal. We
are regarded as IN some way sort Of ap-
pendix to England-as a sort of political
fungus clinging to the skirts of the Brit
ish Isles. Beyon that they know little
except that we come to tie East to get civil
lied have money aud spend it ike fools.
In Europe we are better known, if not more
cordially despised. With few exceptions
we are supposed to live in New York city,
(Which is a town bordering on the Rocky
Mountains) to own niggers 0d Hbitun,, and
to settle all our disputes with the bowie knife
and revolver.
But this increased knowledge of what we
nre, what sort of institutions govern US, and
what sort of a country. We live in, SO far
from bringing the world to our feet, only
makes US the more unpopular. We do not
stand anywhere near SO high in the estima-
ton of Europe as we did fifteen years ago.
Various causes hava contributed to this
decline Of our popularity in the Old World.
For some Of these we are responsible and
for some we are not. Since the revolution
Of '4S and'49, especially, the organs of the
different tyrannical governments Of Europe
have been studiously and preserveringly
traducing us. The worst possible construc-
ton is put upon what we say and do. Eve
ry incident rejecting injuriousiy upon US
every brawl and petty rot-every scrape of
scandle against our good namc-is eagerly
caught up and paraded with all the addenda
Of startling capitals and ominous reflections
before the eyes of the astonished million
Does justice get inpeached in New Or
leans; does negro get burnt in Alabama
does a watchman get knocked down in Chi
caSo; does Il murderer get lvnched at St.
Louis: does mob clamor for bread in New
York, ''behold the rottcnncss of society in
America - cry out these ours Of the press,
one an all. The only American news they
publish, is news of.rapes, and riots, and
robbery and assassinations. Every petty
sheet i'll every petty State of Germany and
Italy must garnish it's blurred columns, as
sure rs the week comes round, with chap
ter of American horrors. Hence we are
held up to a scandalized world as a country
whore anarchy prevails; where every body
owns. and sells niggers where scductions
are rife, where mob law rampant; where
Mormonism and every other social horror
has full swing and where the gentlemen
with the cloYen foot is "monarch of all he
surveys"
1t is amusing to listen to some Of these
people when they mean to be particularly
kind and sympathizing. Said a very esti-
mable and somewhat eminent German di-
vine to me one day last winter. 81 am very
sorry to hear such bad account of the state
Of religion IN your country. | once had
great hope for America but she is quite
lost" sin what respect" asked. ''Why,
rs people. YOU arc completely given up to
inhdeltv. Your ministers are driven out of
their pulpits your churches are converted
into theatres. Nobody reads the Bible
among you.' And this from poor materi-
allied Germany, which believes in nothing
but ghosts and beer drinking. And vet this
is sample of what one hears almost every
day from the lips of good men, who honest
~ believe we are past hope and redemption,
either in this world or in the next.
The popular textbook of the day with
those who hate md revile US is Uncle Toms
Cabin. All Europe knows the story by
heart. Thousands who never heard the
name Of Washington are familiar with the
name Of L"grec. Thousands who never
read the New Testament have read Uncle
Tom. In the widest recesses Of the noun
tains of Wales. in the rcmotest corners of
half barbaric Bohemia. in the most benight-
ed sections of Germany and Italy. in the
snowy realms Of Northern Europe, Sam"
and "Little Eva" are household names.-
the clod- hoppers o! England, the Doors of
Germany, the garlic eating peasants Of Italy,
the san cul"ttes of France, know there is
such a country as AIncrica-that it is inhab-
tied hy monsters of which Lcgrce is the type.
Eastern Princesscs have heard the dircful
story from the lips of shudderns attendants,
and wept over the fate of the sable hero. |
found prints of Uncle Tom in the shops of
Carlo and Bcirout : and have been asked bv
inqustlTc Arabs whether knew any of the
parties to the tragedy.
The book must confess, has done US in
finite in jury abroad. Its revelations are
constantly thrown into my teeth wherever
cndeavor to combat the pre- iudices of for
eigners against US. They cannot and will
not discriminate between North and South
between championship Of slavery and its
liberation as an unav odable calamity. Nor
will they look at the redeeming features of
the system, as bad as it is. They will see
in shareholders only monsters thirstins for
the blood of their victms-in slaves only
scourged and tortured wretches. have a
hundred times, since being abroad, wished
the book at the bottom of the sea, for the
injury it had inocently done US with those
who only know US to distrust and hate.-I
say 'innocently" done us; for the writer
had noble end to achieve. 1t was not her
fault-is was not the fault of the work
that it has brought SO great reproach upon
US.
But perhaps the greatest and certainly
the most humiliating cause of our growing
unpopularity abroad, is the demoroh-ation
Of oar politics. Will it be news to any of
our readers, when say that our national
councils are becoming the reproach and
dersion of the nations? And will it be
news to any intelligent American to learn
that all Europeis ast stonlshed a: the rapidity
of the downfall of our Congress from a
Conclave Of statesmen to College of dem.
agogues
NOBLE SENTIMENT.
The Governor of Georgia embodies the
following in his Annual Message: