The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-09-20
English Ignorance OF American
Affairs.

England have little knowledge of
American Affairs. Nor is this to be
wondered at when we consider that
they obtain pretty much all their in
formation from English newspapers
which, as a general thing, do not give
fair statement concerning our public
affairs. The American press quote
literally from the English press, and
hence it is that our people are so much
more conversant with English affairs,
than Englishmen arc with those OF
this country. One would naturally
suppose that the sympathies Of England
= would have been entirely with the
North, while putting down the most
formidable rebellion the world ever
witnessed But not So Never were
people more shamefully abused than
those Of the North. The London
Times and other leading papers seem
ed to vie with each other in giving
their readers the worst side Of the
picture We will not deny that dur
ing our great struggle we had some
able friends in England to advocate
our cause, but they were comparative
ly few.
Our attention is more particularly
called to this subject at this time from
reading n letter from Carleton" the
able and very accurate foreign CORES
pondent of the Boston journal, who
writes intelligently concerning this
matter. He says: "Now and1hen you
see an item.-some accident or start
ling event copied from the American
press, but no articles setting forth
public affairs from the American stand
point. The meagre telegraphic dis
patches sent through Reuters Agency
are often one-sided and so incomplete
that no correct opinion can be formed
ms to what is taking place in America.
All of the leading London newspapers
have correspondents in the United
States, nearly all of which give opin-
ions instead of definite statement OF
facts. eve quote further from Gear
leton's" letter:
The Standard, which has a circula-
ton second only to the Telegraph, has
an American correspondent who com
mcnces his last letter, written from
New York, in this wise:
ITO an American it is by no means
a pleasing reflection that there is not
in the United States one statesmanhke
mind"
With this for an opening sentence
the corresp 'ndent goes on to show
that America is great in her rivers
lakes and mountains, in everything
physical her men of the Yves
and Southwest are great physically
but that, alas she has no men o
mind.
1--WE are, he says, ga nation with
out one Statesman, without one phil
osopher, without one orator, withou
one scholar really great"Q) And thi
misfortune he further says: SIS du
primarily beyond all doubt to our syf
tenn of education" "The best {
American colleges do not deserve {
take a higher rank than the best
English preparatory schools" Froi
this he goes on to show the shalloy
ness of American education; the mo
Ell dyspepsia which follows: the ncce
sity which every American is under
rushing into political life; every boy
America being taught to believe TIL
he is to be President, painting Amer
can life in such colors that one II,
knowing to the contrary would thin
that it was the sole thought of even
man to get into Office. He has this
say concerning Congress; During IL
past four years there have not bee
uttered i'll the American Congress
half dozen speeches that would not,
repeated in the British Parliamen
provoke tempest of ridicule and d
rision."
There have been clever men in Il
past, MIR. Clay, Mr.. Calhoun, NJ
Webster and the Adamses, but tn,
are gone-all greatness has departe
He looks not only at the past al
present, but into the future, and stat
that the country will soon go in t
reputation of its debt-but not in &
next campaign. The West will ha
the controlling power, and will certai
ly repudiate sooner or later
The Standards correspondent
either knave or rery stupid fello
it matters little which. The Anne
can nation, then, is without O
Statesman, without one philosoph,
without one orator, without one scht
mr. really great !" Well, are we not
sorry plight? Our colleges, viii
have sent forth into the world m
who have made a worldwide maj
do not "take higher rank than t
best Of English preparatory schools
We had supposed that our people a
whole were tolerably well educat,
until we read the above, and We IN,
believe il still unless better author