The Goodhue volunteer., 1862-07-02
T.tOLLOPE ON AMERT-
CA.

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book on America. Her son, the nov
elist. Mr.. Anthony Trollope, had long
thought of writing work about the
United States. Last year he visited
us for the purpose, and extended his
travels to Minnesota, where he spent
considerable time principally in the
country. The New York Eceniny
E0st makes many extracts from the
proof sheets Of his book, but we have
only room from the following. Here
is Mr.. Trollope's sketch Of the
WESTERN PIONEER FARMER
But Jet this man has his romance,
his high poetic feeling, and above ali
his manly dignity. Visit him and you
will find him without coat or waist
coat, unshorn, i'll ragged blue trousers
and old flannel shirt, too often bearing Q
on his lantern jaws the signs Of ague,
and sickness but he will stand up-
right before you and speak to you
with all the ease Of a lettcred gentle.
man in his own library. All the odiuy
!nclvllty Of the republican servant
has ben banishcd. lie is his own mas
ter, Standing on his own threshold, and
finds no need to assert his equality by
rudencss. Hc is delighted to see YOU
and bids you sit down on his battered
bench without dreaming OF any such
apology as an English cotter offers tc
~ Lady Bountiful when she calls.
lie has worked out his independence
and shows it in every easy movcmcn,
Of his body. lie tells you of it unron
scIously in every ton: Of his VOICE.
You Will always find in his cabin some
newspapers, some books, some tokens
OF advance in education. " hen ht
questions you about the oil coun,r,
ne astonlShes you by the extent of his
knowledge. | defy you not to fee
that he is superior to the race from
whence he has sprung in England OF
in Ireland. TO me, | confess that the
manliness Of such a man is very charm
!ng. lle is dirty and perhaps squalid.
HIS children are sick and he is with
out comforts. Ills wife is pale, and
you think you see Shortness of life
written in the faces of all the family
But over and above it there is an in
dependence which sits gracefully OF,
their shoulders, and teaches You at
the first glance that The man has a
right to assume himself to be youl
equal.
1t is quite noticeable that whencve,
MIR. Trollope makes 4 direct compari
son between the Englishman and the
American, in nine cases out OF ten it
Is in favor of the latter. He in
deed assumes that the EnGlishmaf
or Englishwoman, with a compe
tent income and an assured place ii
society, is better and better off thar
anybody else in the world. But whcr
it comes to the great masses, the case
is quite the reverse. Here are few
passages, taken almost at random from
quite different parts of his work:
The one thing in which, as far a!
my judgement goes, the people Of the
United States excell us Englishmen
so rs to justify them in taking to them
selves praise which we cannot take t
ourselves, or refuse to them, is the
matter of education,
and unrivalled population, wealth
and intelligence have been the results
and with these, looking at the who'll
mass of the people, think I am jus
Titled in saying-unrivslled comfor
and happiness. 1t is not that you m,
reader, to whom in this matter of edu
cation fortune aud yonr parents hav
Iprobably been boun.ituI, would hav'
been more happy in New York thar
London. 1t is not that |, who, at leas
can read and write, have caused +
wish myself an American. But iti
this: if you and / can count up in
; day all those ON whom our eyes ma
rest, and learn the circumstances Q
their lives, we shall be driven to con
|clude that nine tenths of that numbe
would have had better life as Amer
cans than they can have in thei
spheres as Englishmen.
If man can forget bis own miserie
IN his journeyiugs. and think Of sh
speopie he comes to see rather than {
himself, I think he will End himse
Idr'vea to admit that education ha
made life for the million in The north
{ ern States better than life for the mil
ion is with us. $780,. ..s-., ~
/ mus, confess sb,. :, .>.;r g.,