The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-01
4 NEW YORKER IN LONDON.
BRfTIHH SOCIAL COWARDTCE Avn
SNOHBfNHNESS
IT. Countcrpnrt IN Integrity md Justice In
Bu.tncs-, S0cic.v auh Paliiica Domestic
I.iic Z Nd Uomrsi .c 4 NprnArs In Lonann.

LONDON. Aug. 10 suppose all my Fne-
li.h friends will feel outraged 10y II, but truth
| comrel- me to shy that in some respects. the
| Enlitsh pcope are the greatest towards in the
| world. Physical danger and suGering they will
encounter readily enough, but ridicule and pub
| lie disnptf baton have tcrrors for them witch
they dare not face. One of the most charming
| Engiishmen ever met was nlrrating to me only
aday or two ago how ayoung American. a COM
| mon friend Of both OF us, used To wear, when he
hrst came TO London, Scotch cap In the street,
and how he was finally Obliged to tell him that
UNLESS he put on the orthodox stoveppc hat lie
could tot accompany him. II seems that ETH
qlette forbids gentleman to appear in public
with any other head gear than the stovepipe
aforesaid, and my English friend dared not
| countenance contravention OF the law. A
gallant captain Of the Queens bodyguard, to
whom related the matter, sustained his coun-
tryman, and declared that he himself although
OF profession which requires courage as lts first
essential, would not venture to show himself
In Bond street or the park In soft felt hat Pur-
suing my inquiries, have found that q similar
| tyranny prevails In unnumerablo respects. Mr..
Gladstone h reported 10 have said that a Cab-
net Minister might better commit any blunder
rather than have his front door opened by
maid. servant Custom demands that u man
shall he employed for that duty. aud whoever
| infringes the custom becomes an outcast at
once. 20, too, the carrying of parcels In the
street 10y gentlemen or ladies Is forbidden, and
have no DOUBT been set down az a lunatic by
| shopkeepers many time. because | would In
sist on taking home my purchases In nv own
hands. believe exception Is made in the
case Of books, provided they b, not wrapped up
| In paper. These may be carried without loss OF
caste. hut everything else IL n mark OF infamy.
L N. IL 4.
| lilcw isc improper. and 10 regarded very much
| ns walking without anv coat at all. Nor may a
| gentleman, not In business. wear sack coat In
| London. No m tier how hot the weather may
be, his outer e rment must be a frOck coat but
| toned up as ] have mentioned. Only in the
| country and while travelling T. tue luxury OF
| lonscncss and comfort permitted.
! Undoubtedly there are reasons u be adduccd
| for these usages. but these reasons, 50 fsr rs
am able to learn. proceed from the sumo snpb-
blshness which have before referred 10 as dts
PLAYED toward persons Of rank Bnd title. The
| stov pipe hat. for example, Is head covering
| which cnnnot be worn 10y a person engaged In
! mechanical work, and therefore It becomes a
conNenti"hsl synool OF e1enptlon from such
| Work. Carrying parcel Is likewise indicative
| OF mental employment, aud must there fore he
avoided. An unouttoned coat or a loose sack
might lead to the inference that the wearer had
| something more Important to do than to saunter
| along for his own pleasure. Tue maid servant
| In the footinans place would indicate poverty,
and 80 on Tue whole thing rests on a cowardiy
dread Of what other people will say or think.
| and a want of sufficient resolution q overcome
| that dread nd lie Independent. Curiuusiy
| enough. too, tins very snobbsh cowardice aud
| fear OF the opinion Of the multitude - az Inn
port Mt element - stability In the british con-
| sutution. No Ministry dares t. run e luuter to
! the prevailing opinion Of the people. ana hence
! revolutions are impossible. IL Guizot Ia 1873
| had been AS great a coward as Disracit IN 1875,
| the family Of Louis Pnilippe n,irht still lie on
! the turone Of France. But Guizot, like the
| French mobiles In l.s9 WAS brave enough to DEFY
/ the majority, and VS. crushed. where an Eng
nsh Minister would bay' yielded gnd been saved.
/ II ia he old fable OF the osk aud the bulr,lsh.
The British Government Is strong because II Is
flexible, and its nexibiiity arises from the
cowardice Of the British character. In PRIV ate
ife. too, the srrne trait Is not without its use
| fulness. II checks fraud. rascality. and mean
ness 10y an influence more potent than tbnt Of
tue law. II keeps public officials 40 10 the marx
Ana 1t produces decency OF outward behavior,
at least, In all classeS OF poople. which is no
| mean substitute for genuine courtesy.
To do justice to the English. however, let me
say that do not believe their publicly expressed
condemnation OF fraud and dishonesty TO he
! they have made honesty and fair dealing fash
ionAble, shows that they are sincere IL the
majority were Of a different way OF thinking
perhaps the minority would give In. but rs things
are, the friends OF honesty are In the ascendent.
ms results partls from the native rough up-
rightness of the British character, but more
from the thoIoughness Of religious training u
| the people. There are plenty of rogucs and
scoundrels IN England, but they cannot us they
| can with us, hold up their heads efter they are
. ;.und out A Government official known To
| haze rea-ived brioes or sold Rppoip'
| banker OF "a mercha... '-"n cheats his creditors.
| or an Immoral clergyman finds no rest on British
| seek congenal society In the United Stdtes.
! Nor IS thc prompt ADMINISTRATION Of the law IL
| Lrgl nj less ptaiscN worthy. Courts ana jurics
J arr sustained 10y public opinion In metng out
! swift aud impartial justice 10 offenders, W. nout
/ regard TO rank or station. The c-er OF Col.
| BAKER shows 10" .--.'iuy punishment Ia Eng
| land c,u 10 made t. follow Upon crime. cVcn
| where NE criminal employs al the resources of
/ iacut, money, anu personal inhueuc, ia nj de-
/ fence. IL &, currently reported ,nat th. iru,e
Of ales earn sly wished To save Baker, but was
advised that Effort. 10 thwtrt the course OF ms.
tee would Iprln uIDu himself. Ia
| way, that eminent huancicr, Alexander Collie,
h, been onlis, 70 forfeit MS bail md nY from
hi country gu account Of a trat slct un which
m ia street would cause hi % ho incon yehitrce
whAL.'rr. All he did was To put certain marks
/ aud figures on aCComm Odatiuu LILLE, which ne
| wanted 10 have ui-couutci, 50 as To make them
/ look u little more like {. lnaY business paper.
! WITH us, tins would only b~ a smart tTick, tut
| the English wtth - stupid inscusibiiity 10 tue
the smartness, and seeing only the llck, intend
to punish Collie ar a teton when taey catch him.
| Al this speaks well for them, IN nv opinion, aud
set II down as AN set To tneir cowTdicc aud
| snpobishness.
have been trying, among other Things, since
have been nere TO- sei a. lnsi4nt int9 Ensii.n
few strangers VINO visit England learn how tue
! people 1--we among themselves. They d., as do,
90 OUT TO dinner parties, receptions, ana ball,
but, like the audience In front OF the stage. thry
are quite ignorant Of the MACHINERY behind II.
| Hearing int friend Of mine hhd recently
! hired new house, seized the opportunity the
other day to ask permission OF his wife 10 ac-
company her on visit she was ABOUT to make
| for the purpose Of arranging the decorations
| md furniture Of her abode. lhe Iavor was gia-
cloudy Accorded, and tho Information l ac.
| quired was 10 me most Interesting.
The house speak II Is quite new, and l. stu
ated In quarter Of Londn not the most IA Ia
| ionable, hAe GrosNenur and Eaton squares, but
still lrst-class in point OF respect ,oillty. he
/ street and those Of tn" whole neignburnoud are
/ rs WIDE as our New York avenues, ami fuzzy as
/ handsomely built up. lhe wdtn of the house
Is twenty -four feet, nd IT. depth, not counting
an extension, about nifty feet The front l.
/ brick, succeed aud panied brown, like most
LOndon houses. The entrance Is ouly few
I steps above the street, under projecting porch,
winch serves shelter from ram while waiting
for admission. The han Is quite II ,rrow IN front,
but widens at the stairs, which re placed AT tho
rear. Ihe lrst room 10 the dining room, with
large hay window looking out ON the street, the
usual place for the dining room in London
house,, but why, cannot imagine, except That
better light and AR are thus secured. The
ond room, wnich occupies the rear Of the main
house, Is intended for a study and children's
school room, while the extension IL "a billiard
room, lighted by skylight. Going up the
stairs which are Of solid stone, with an iron rail-
ing, clear TO the top Of the house, we came to
the parlur, which occupies the whole second
story, making an Immense L-shaped room,
splendidly lighted on Two sides, and capable II
accommodating one hundred people with com
fort, and OF crOwding in ntty or hundred more.
In the rear OF this, over a part OF the billiard
room, Is a small room suitable Tor DOuuOr or