The Republican journal., 1875-01-07
Written for the Journal.
Brag.

Is II because we }HuaDlt cOun try Of great |
extent, with plains almost boundless, grand |
rivers and majestic mountains, that we have be- !
come the most boasttul nation Of the earth; Or !
IS it because We are Young rs a nation and The |
rnpidity Of our growth has astonished cur
selves and aH akcned in us the desire to astonish
every onp else? l. it that the constant sight of
these great natural objects fires the "unlvarsal'
Yankee heart with the determination not only
to be and remain free, Int to make every other
people admit that the ''uniyarsal" Yankee ma
ton is the biggest, the ''slnartest'' and the best
on the face Of the ''ctarnaln globe? The con-
slant presence Of the glorious APPS, crowned
with eternal snow, awakened i'll the hearts of
the brave SwitLers an undying love Tor the
liberty which they at length achieved, but with
out developing an undue disposition to b9ag
leaving them content 10 be counted nj their
proper worth in the family OF naton.
The manifestations of this desire TO impress
he outside world with Il sense Of our superia-
tive importance, is, think, one of the evidences
that we have not vet quite Outgr0wn the Jacket
and trowsers period of our existence. Ii is
true that we have grown to be q strapping Dig
boy, and, SO far az physical deyelopement goes,
able to hold our own with most Of the older
members of the great family. Many big boy
can "fop" his dad even, and still be boy,
We are outgrowing the jacket and trousers;
they strain across the shoulders and the seat,
and show The stitches in the seams when we
are obliged to make an unusual eXertion, as IN
the suppression Of the rebellion; they are too
tight under the arms, too short in the sleeves
and trow.ers legs, and there is an alarming
space between The Jacket and the trousers
which gap is filled with uinepcnny shirting
tut | guess they ought to do till the boy is II
year old In the f3mily Of nations, where cen
turies count as Years, we are moi quite year
old.
When we con- template The younger members,
born into the family since we were, and still IN
swaddIing clothes, it is not at all surprising that
we feel like the big brother, able to patronlse
and protect these little ones. There are other
brothers. however, older and stronger than we,
and some Of them like to patroDizc and protect.
When We remember in how short time
Prussia, or united Germany, scattered and de-
etroyed the armies. and rode over the land and
into the capital OF one of the foremost military
powers Of the world, il is suggested 70 US thai
the time has not yet come for lis TO set up As the
biggest brother, even physically.
During the early growth of our new country
il was natural that we, ever conscious OF the
rawness and unfinished aspect OF every thing
here in the eyes Of visitors from European
nations should be peculiarly sensitive to any
thing like cisparagemcnt or ridicule from them
Dickens hpc1II
he set down in his American Notes" few
plain facts, and exaggerated few more, not
beyond what is permissible to the writer OF
such :; book; and he dared not return here I'M
til his growing popularity among American
readers, won by him in spite of his offence, the
numerous invitations from friends here to come
and give readings, and the subsistence, IN some
degree, of our rage, from the lapse OF time,
assured him that he would be well received.
In the disposition to forestall any dcprecatory
expressions from the outer world, by big talk
of what we had done and were, going to do, OF
our extensive country and the near approacA
of the time when we could Lick all creation,
is to be found, think, the foundation stone OF
the towering editice of brags which We have
succeeded in constructing.
Without doubt 'the Britishers'' think as well
of themselves and their country as we do; II
the thing be possible, better. They consider
everyone, not an Englishman foreigner, and
3 foreigner an inferior being. But they are not
boastful. They have long passed the age OF
boastng. Occasionally cockney may be found
wandering in this country, who Is able to flnd
nothing "ere like we ave hat 'ome YOU know
and speaks rather loudly and conplaininSiy OF
it, when an English gentleman would be silent.
But that is nothing.
The position in society, as it We're, OF the
leading powers Of Europe, is too we'll defined
and fixed for them to have even a curiosity
about the oRnqns 0h t0grlst J Mh9 VIII fheiE
is only parre1ln nations that boast.
To come from nations to individuals, the man
who continually asserts TINT he Is an honest
man and gentleman, is mstrusted, and fails
to obtain credit for being either. when by 81
lence be would pass for both, until he should
prove himself unworthy. The man who Is
truly conscious Of power, whether mental,
moral Or physical, has DO need to boast OF what
he has done. or can do; the occasion viii prove
him. Ii is needless TO say that men OF great
mental or moral strength are no boosters; that
truth will be admitted without cayil. But 1t i
also true Of men distinguished fer physical
Irowess. The Flyers, Heenans and Sayres were
notably modest men. 1t i among the rabble Of
hanscrs-on and admirers Of these heroes OF the
ring, that are found the loud-mouthed DULLES
whose strongest hold" is brag, and who have
not much stomach for a fight unless backed by
numbers; being of the nature Of the wolves
which are formidable in packs. but singly are
towards.
OF the thrones of our fellow citizens thai leave
our shores every year to be scattered over the
continent of FGrope as pleasure seeking tour
ISIS. BY far the greater part is made up OF men
and women OF such previous culture, that the
desire to boast of the great republic has been
refined away. But / believe, Ii too often 0c-
cnrs that some suddenly enriched shoddyite, pc
troleum king, or specuator goes abroad filled
with such an exalted idea Of the "gelorious"
republic he leaves behind and such feeling OF
contempt for the etfete monarchies of Europe,
that he is constrained to take with him a private
American eagle which he flies on all occasions,
from time to time letting him scream while
70 the supposed terror Of the little prinepaities
OF the central portion OF the continent. If it
should be limited to our patriotic fellow citizen
that, IL little further on in his journey, he would
enter an empire where there was kept double
headed eagle, he would give his informant to
understand that it would be $50 much the worse
for the double header, if my bird gets Il foul of
him, for he will have two heads to look out for,
and my bird is mighty quick at the eyes
Let us congratulate ourselves that the time
will come when we shall have outgrown this
weakness of flying the eagle, and become as
calmly indifferent to the impression created in
the mind of tourist by the contemplation of
the great republic, as are the older members of
the family with reference to their capitals. b.
Miss Maria A. Martin OF Appleton, was
bitten in the hand twelve years ago by