The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-03
ARMY AND NAVY COURSE.
Wendell Phillips on Street Life in Europe

good housefull listened to Wendell Phillips
on ''Street Life in Europe" at the City Hall
last night. Mr.. Phillips commenced his lee
ture by stating that ignorance of one another
was the leading cause of animosities between
nations, and that if nations knew each other it
would prevent half the wars He gave several
laughabe anecdotes showing the misconcep.
ton formed by Europeans of American life.
The first thing that strikes an American in
European life is the individuality of people. A
man does not think it necessary to appear diff
ferent from what he is. In England there are
four guilds-the tradesmen, the clergy, the lit
erary men, the nobles-and the members of
each aim only to appear to belong distinctively
in their own class. The feudal system made
men because each man knew his place, and
was proud to fill it well. The dress of Ameri-
cans does not indicate their condition Of life.
The English are blunt and outspoken. The
Saxon race think self-respect means GOODNESS,
while the Continental peoples are affectionate
and dem onstrative of manner. The narrow
European streets talk of the past when war was
regarded as the only distinguished occupation
for men aid the tradesman and craftsman
picked his way along the street-side like an
interloper among the horses and chariots of
the noble knights. The brains of Americans
are active and inventive. while the Europeans
want machines which will do more work, be-
cause there is no work to do. The Earopeanis
appreciatiye of the beautiful and has time to
enjoy himself He acquires languages with
facility. He has proprIety of conduct in re-
spect to treatment of public and private proper
ty, while in America people who have thrown
open their gardens to the public have had to
close them again on account of the destruction
OF their property by visitors. The Europeans
are courteous to each other and to strangers
Paris was France which explained the COM
mune An American is afraid of being thought
economical. A European does not end to
conceal economy and If he cannot afford
thing, says so. Woman 10 Europe does two
thirds of the work, and is treated with no
consideration on account of her sex. She
carries the burdens, and if there is but one
horse it is the woman who walks. Take out
Naples, Vienna, Paris and the rest of Europe is
like our country. We look at the continent
through English spectacles. The European
of Castilian was nothing as compared with
that of an Indian.
The lecturer then talked of the Catholic
church and found much in it to praise. The
sincerity and absence of any spirit of aristocra.
cy in Catholicism, were contrasted with the
cold Indifference of Congregational church.
The Europeans have none of the prejudice
against color that characterizes Americans, and
in Europe an African may have high social po-
stion.
1t is hardly necessary to say that the lecture
was highly interesting and was listened to with
earnest attention by the large audience. The
anecdotes with which it abounded elected fire.
quent laughter, and the lecture had in general
all the beauty and extravaganza that charact-
erize the utterances OF "The man with the sill
yer voice.