Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-12-17

Certainly we Americans are Q curious
people. No wonder that European
writer's have found il difficult to give US
a national character. Perhaps 40 set
Of men, who have written upon the
same subject, have differed moro widely
than those who have presumed to be
critics Of the United States. One has
made US the representative of this idea,
and another Of that idea. Nor q we
think that this diversity has been owing
altogether to q lack of analytical ca
paeity or to a want Of honesty of pur-
pose, for however jealous other nations
may be Of US, there are still now and
then individuals among them who are
disposed to do US justice. No, we. have
reason to believe that these critics have
been in real perplexity.
Might not this want of uuauimity Of
opinion be owing to the fact that these
writers haze visited us at different peri
DDS Of time? W. profess to be n pro-
gressivo people. We are scarcely ever
tomorrow what we are to-day aud
what seemed to be the<uling character
istic Of one generation, is, in a succeed
ing generation, developed and pushed
forward into something else. What
ever may be said about US that is bad,
we are not sold fogies' by any means.
We have a great respect for our ances-
try; we venerato our fathers very
much /; We love to think and talk about
those noble men in whose footsteps we
are treading ; but, for all that, We never
canonize or idolize anybody. Our pre-
decessors gave US liberty, and we have
kept it ever since. And this indepen-
denco which they loved so well has
been growing rather than declining
amongst us. On this account we do
not hesitate to change our policy,
oven though it originated with the
wise and good Of earlier days. If it
suits us, we keep it ; if it does not, we
throw it away. If we a expand and
better it, we do if we a modify and
cut it down, we will. If our national
bent does not suit US to-day, We begin
the formation of q new one tomorrow.
The truth is we are not welded to any
one idea, because that would not be in.
dependent. We do not cling to any one
principle, because that would not be
American. We generally proceed by q
sort Of experimentation, testing one
thing a while then taking up another
or, we 90 by the principle of eclecticism,
extracting what is best out Of many and
then forming q new one by combina'
ton.
"of all the mighty nations in the cast or in
the west,
O, this glorious Yankee nation sthe greatest
We have room for all creation and our ban
ner is unfurled-
Here's q general invitation to the people OIL
the world.
"St. Lawrence marks our northern bound al
fast its waters flow,
And the Rio Grande the southern bound,
way down in Mexico.
From the great Atlantic Ocean, where the
sun begins to dawn,
We leap across the Rocky Mountains far OF
in Oregon.
"our fathers gave IS liberty, but little did
they dream, 80.
That the grand result would pour along this
mighty age OF steam; .
For our mountains, lakes and rivers are al
q blaze Of FIRE,
And we send our news by lightning on tht
telegraphic wire.
ayes, we're bound to beat the nations, ant
our motto's Go ahead!
And wen tell to foreign paupers that oui
people are well fed;
And this they fast are learning-Uncle San
is not q fool,
For the people do the voting and the children
60 to school,"