Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-16
AMERICAN SNOBS ABROAD.
Coed Natured Hints 60 EiI-Bred
Travellers.
London Correspondence Of the New York Tri-

OOoA NeaA1NC1 -
Travellers.
London Correspondence of the New York Tri-
bunc.
The London correspondent Of one Of the
provincial papers, the Leeds Mercury, has
been making some observations about
American visitors TO England. They are
too sweeping; but there is a certain proper
ton Of our travelling cOuntrymen who viii
not be harmed by reading his remarks, and
quote the essential part Of them.
"As regards private society, theIs can be
no doubt that our Transatlantic friends are
made very welcome, and they would be
made still more welcome but for one pecu-
liarify, which nine tenths Of them seem
unable to get rid Of, unless, indeed, when
a lensthened residence In Europe works ]
cure. This peculiarity on the part Of
nearly every American one meets is a
profound self-cOnsCiOusness Of his
being Americana aselfcOusc:Ousness which
continually prOvOkes him 20 cOmpari-
son. He seems to be haunted by the notion
that the English people have poor opinion
Of America, and that be must on all Occa-
siOns prove the superiority Of everything
American tOeverything European. This is
patriotic, but tiresome. An Euglishmau is
not anxious 70 defend the institutions Of his
country in argument, because lie considers
them imperviOus 10 attack. But an Ameri-
can has not arrived at this pitch Of cOmpla-
cency, and especially within the first month
Of two Of his stay over here he must needs
90 about making all manner Of cCmpa-i
sons between tins country and his own, OF
course tOtLe advantage Of the latter. lie
does not see how heartily tlred Of This
painful sell-eOusciOusness his English
friends become, nor yet the admirable self
control with which they restrain from
arguing with him, and replying TO his re-
iectiOns wish obvious retoTts.'
Now, nobody need put this cap on whom
it does no. Ct. The "nine-tentbs~ Of this
writer is a manifest e1aggeration but there
are enough whom it does fit 10 make the
good-natured censure worth considering.
In most cases, the habit is only amusing;
in some it is offensive. 10 is offensive
when it takes the form Of direct attack
upon England in The presence Of En- /
glishmen; OF Of superciliOus comment;
or, worse still, Of innUendO and sueer.
All these / have heard, not ofen, but
sometimes, and almost never from
the best class Of Americans; by which |
mean those who take the most real pride |
in their own country, and in whom their |
country takes, OF has a right 90 Jake, uaai /
pride. Occasionally the feeling assumes |
the shape Of exaggerated dislike to mere /
eonyentiOnalities, aud exhibits itself in I
OslentaiiOUs refusal to comply with them. /
have known Americans who would take /
pains 10 treat an EngiishInan Unciyily be- |
cause he had the misfortune 10 pOSsesS |
title; though the unhappy man had, |
for his part, taken pains to be civil t0 |
his American acquaintance. | have heard |
Of others who would resent aEd refuse what |
were meant to be attentions from English !
men, because they were not offered in The /
precise way which is the custom I'm some |
parts Of America-u may be remote parts. |
Others, who found a kind Of ill-bred pleas 4
ure in violating certain social rules /
which are here thought to have a close 4
connection with morals Others, again. /
who found pleasure in proving
that they despised that essential
rule Of civilized intercourse which makes
guests Of one host 50 long as they are
guests, friends, and entities all Of them 10
be treated as such. Not TO make too long
a catalogue of such mistakes, | will stop
where l am, repeating with emphasis that
those to whom such remarks apply are
the infrequen5 exceptions. The
greatest pleasure an American living
in England has is too see his own
and cOuntryTOmcn; his next
greatest to bring them into easy relations
with his English friends II accidents
sometimes happen, they are annoying
mainly because they may give Englishmen
a wrong notion Of Americans, or lead them,
as is the case Of the correspondent / have
quoted, to generalize too rapidly. The two
nations are rapidly becoming better ac-
quainted, and like each other better in pro
portion.