The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-12-06

Another feature of American char
acter is the fussy and restless pursuit
of personal prominence or notoriety.
There being no formal distinction Of
ranks in the Republic, we see every
human being there striving as the
great end of existence to perk his
heard as be car above his neighbours.
There is no country which is 80 bro
ken up into sets and cliques, each
-cheming to find something to give
II a pretext for affecting an individu-
al superiority. Thus it appears, that
among the wateriug-places, Cape
May looks down on Atlantic City
that Cape May is looked down on by
Long Branch, and that Saratoga
thinks itself decidedly above Long
Branch, while Newport, on the
strength of its blue blood, assumes to
be an aristocratic eyrie percbed al
together above the rest of the world
Ii is much the same in ordinary So
ciety. New York Processes contempt
for Bostonian priggishness. Boston
retaliates On New York with scorn of
~"shod9y," and twits Philadelphia
with provincialism. And so it goes
on through every grade and section
Of the community. The quiet occu-
patton of a settled and acknowledged
position with which the occupant is
content is scarcely known in that
land of freedom. There is room for
every body to aspire, aud everybody
does SO. The easiest platform to
mouLt upon in such a state of things
is money or the show of money /; and
thus the American ambition becomes
mainly fixed on its acquisition. Per-
haps, however, what is most wanting
10 the American character, or at least
TO its peace of mind and happiness,
is self confidence and self respect.
1t may be thought at first sight that
the Americans are especially of a
conceited aud confident Dature but
he extreme sensitiveness which they
display in regard to almost every
kind of criticism shows that they are
not at heart thoroughly at ease as to
heir own pretensions. 1t is hardly
possible TO say anything to Ameri-
cans about their country without
Earring on some tender point. They
cannot bear to be told OF their faults,
and they smart under anything like
praise a. if it were al assumption OF
superiority. They are inclined 10
pride themselves on their sense of
numor, but on this particular point
heir sense of humor is very dull.
The sort Of banter or c~arieature which
people of other na-lons, firm in their
own faith in themselves, only laugh
Al, seems to i~rritate an American FIX
clusively. He is like "a mar with a
-aw skin, to whom a nudge is torture.
Even Mr.. Lowell once. dashed out in q
pamphlet. On Certain COndescen.
,iOR IN Foreigners. and threatened
England with wal as a punishment,
not for hostile acts, bat for her 'airs
t patronage" toward America.
Every sensible person recognizes
aat the United States are a great
,eople in their way, but they sre not
,eyond the reach of criticism. They
ire what the conditions of their ex.
,lence have made them. They have
hitherto enjoyed the material pros.
oerity which lay at their hands in the
esaurces of u vast and virgin terri.
DRY but they have not advanced
aith equal success in other directions,
ior perhaps could il be expected that
ney should do so, considering The
PECULIAR character of the pvpula ton
aud the work they had Immediately
TO do. There are, no doubt, faults,
weaknesses in OLD States, consequent
on their curse of development but
~ there are in new ones, and the
great mistake of America is to fancy
itself full grown. 1t is still, in many
respects, in a cradle and loosely com
pacted condition. What is mainly
wanted is more energy and determin
alton on the part of the honest and
Intelligent part of the people TO en-
force a higher standard OF manners
and morality, and to cultivate nation
al self-respect-Tke Saturday Re
rjg1r