Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-10
American Il-Breeding.

The Pail Mall Gazette, a paper friendly to the
can manners, drawn out by Mr.. BANCROFT's
sneerS at England and France, in the presence
of the ministers of the two countries invited to
hear his grafton, that are not fattering to
American pride. These criticisms bear Sc
verely upon a most sensitive point-the low
grade of civilization and social refinement in
America as compared with France and Eng
land. All familiar with society know with
what disdain old established families look
down upon new families which, by means OF
wealth, are endeavOring TO work their way up
among the leading aristocratic classes how the
latter ridicule their pretensions and retire be-
fore their vulgar advances. Such is the esti-
mate placed upon Americans by the Pail Mall
Gazette. Until within the last few years it was
the habit OF all English writer's and tourists to
ridicule American manners, habits and preten-
sions. We were painted as a nation ofupstarts
and parUsRuS, given Boosting, and rude to boOr-
ishneSs. For several years past English criti-
ciSm has been animated by a more friendly and
liberal spirit. American barbarisms we're
gently referred to as American peculiarities,
and, finally, the habit of ridiculing them was
abandoned. 1t was felt as great point gained
not to be held up before the world by old, es-
tablished people like the English as a nation OF
snobS and pretenders. But, unluckily for
shoddy and petroleum, Mr.. BANCROFT was
drawn from his retirement in an evil hour to
pronounce funeral Grafton over Mr.. LINCOLN ;
instead Of doing which he seized the occasion,
in the presence of the sympathizing foreign
ministers, to pronounce aphillipic against Eng
land and France. The moment the news
reached England the writers, and Great Britain
swarms with them, seized their pens, dipped
them in gall and made poor JoHNArHAN pay the
penalty of Mr.. BANCROFT's iudiscretion. lie
has literally been overwhelmingly sarcasm and
ridcule. The following, from the Pail NAL
Gazette, a friendly paper, shows how the most
whitening sarcasm may be yelled under pol
ished phrases. Says that journal:
"One chief cause of the profound alienation be
| s"seh England and America is the dinerng stand
No. Tu oI proPuety and taste in the two countries
L Van hardly be friendship between individuals
Saso are not regulated by the same laws
y. anu mutual consideration. Iden SentT
e,;e 80. may be bond Of union for temporary
49,. .L tI sympathy and lasting accord, the
il they need not be identical-must a
easL Ie IN sne same plane. And the same is true
nalgus. rance ana Great Britain, despite the
position in some respects, Of riyai- srs csnsbie d
close liking Tor they are Contemporary In riviIizs
ton they are on the same level in mannars nj 70
inement They have the same devras 81 ~
ness; are wounded at the same pitch os IN
and touched to the same point by courtssv TI
not the case between Us and the Unitea S,a.au ' L
That freemasOnry, as Of people living in the san,
class of society, which lubricates intercourse |;
wanting in our international relations. Formoli,,
and reserve are unavoidable where the least abaHdo
is liable to be requited with insult The conse
quence is that notwithstanding the high civilization
in certain respects Of America, our national bust
ness with her is conducted amid embarrassment
The inequality Of taste is barrier 10 friendly under
standing greater perhaps, than some interPosed b,
difference of political principles, or OF material inter
est Mr. BancrOffs late GRAFTON, and the scenic ar