New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-05-29
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
"LIGuTl MORE LIGHTw

TO The Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The subscriber begs the privilege of your
columns to suggest desire that has doubtless been
present in the minds of many American travellers
and jewellers IN Europe. 1t is this; VIII not some
captaist-.who wishes to carve out new path to
fame, and send his name down to GdtgaI postc7ty
undertake to supply every news room in Great
Britain and on the continent with copies OF lHE IRlB-
UYE, and other Tight-minded papers, both secular
and religious / do not mean the reading-rooms
frequcnted by American travellers like the banking
houses of Paris and other cities but the club rooms
and museums of the native populations. Nearly
every educated person on the continent can read
English, more or less and in Great Britannia DO
sure, they do snub Brother JOhnathans vernacular
little, but that compliment can be returned.
Perhaps you reply that you exchange with foreign
editors. Doubtless you do; but you know editors
pens are the inqusitons Of the present literary age
public opinion, the Pope-and many things that go
into them never come out again. So IL is with Ameri
can newspapers in the hands of editors in Europe.
Even those extracts from them that feed the popular
mind are often perverted from their rghtful mean
ingust rs the best of all books itself often is And
il Will be thus until the people can have access to the
sheets themselves or until correspondents of Euro
pean papers arc either native Americans or become
AmerCanZed Southern talent worked buslly In
this direction all through the war; why cannot
Northern talent ana energy do M much now
Again eHtreat. in the name Of the many American
jewellers abroad, who have TO fight the battles Of
popular prejudice-which Is fOstered abundanty by
the most lugubrious forebodings, and calumnious
misrepresentation, absurd and laughable to an
American, until he finds they are swallowed with
gusto by the majority of even intelligent people /
entreat that some patriot or VIII use
monument by comforting the blessing Of good Amerl.
can newspapers upon the native reading people OF
Europe It is q stupendOus request but, doubt not,
n m DrOluCe.
cal change in public opinion on this side OF the Atlantic
concerning American affairs An eminent writer has
said: There is something gratifying to us IN the
msfortunes of our best friends" This is the only
principle on which the hostile feeling on this side,
toward America can be satisfactorily explained!
But without entering on the wide field Of suggestion
that this idea involves we would simply, and chart
taby say that there less ignorance OF American
affairs everywhere in Europe there might be more
appreciation, or at least less depreciation and less
expression of contempt and hostility.
Not TO enter upon the great and agtating question
OF the day. which there IS lamentable Ignorance
in Great Britain, many American travellers Will bear
witness 10 the fact that intelligent people here
have asked, What language is chiefly spoken in the
United StatcsP
gentleman not many months since TO n gentleman Of
your own city. "Ithonght all Americans were from
MericO," said bright little French woman TO the
writer only two years ago; but that was not such
strange infatuation for Frenchman, perhaps. No
where is this ignorance of vital points in the Amer-
can economy more prevalent than IN Great Britain
Here in Edinburgh, with all our Scottish predlec-
tons we are daily shocked by the letters of unprin
cipled correspondents. They all "jist lot of
unfOHnded facts" as our wise Scotch landlady eX-
pressed it, II facts at ALL they are certainly grossly
ptrrarted ones.
In truth, the Gulf Stream is the only thing from
our side Of the water that these naughty Brltons
thoroughly appreciate. IL would be happy ldea II
we could put gates ut the mouth Of the Gulf that
we could freeze them up in their crust Of conserva
tism. and make them beg for its tenpering waters
when they occasionally become obstreperous
Remember, the burden Of this letter is Send The
TmBUNE!S Yours, &c. MI. NJ
Edinburgh Scotland April ~, 1902