, 1876-07-16
THE GERM ANS. !:
A Reply TO Mrs. SWisshe|m's Re.
cent Criticisms.
She Took 0ne-sided and aasty View
Of the Situation.
American Hammers and Customs from q
German Standpoint.
CTtcugo D1a<fn-
Would you learn what is becoming,
Mafaltt 4 nj. Tim 1a6l,1a L. atfioa

cnicugo Daa<tm.
Would yoa learn what is becoming,
Merely ask the noble ladies.
Twas reminded OF these lines from Goethe's
"Tasso u when.I read In THE TRIBUNE Mrs
Jane Grey Swisshelm's letter from Leipzig.
There can be no doubt that the lady possesses
the keenest discrimination OF what is proper,
and, for this reason, the Judgment OF Mrs. !
Swisshe1m in regard to the position Of
women in Germany, France, and Italy, as well
as that OF the men OF these countries, Was =
painful one for me to hear. From her letter I
learned, to MT surprise, that those Italians,
Frenchmen, and Germans who have thus far
claimed the title Oft gentlemen arercallyrough,
brutal fellows, who make it q business to in
suit respectable women, and who are only
somewhat kept within the proper limits by the
power Of American muscle.
Before comment on what Mrs. Swissllelm has
to say about the position of the ladies in Eu-
rope, as we'll as about the rudeness Of the Eu-
ropean men, I will give here m abstract OF the
most important parts Of that letter.
After doing this the writer continues:
+. Although admitted at the beginning Of this
article, by quoting Goethc's verses, that tho
women have superior Judgment IN regard to
good MANNERS, Jet / will take the liberty to en~
MY OPINION IN REGARD TO MRS. sW1ssnELN's
LETTER,
and make an effort to rehabi1itate the European
and particularly the German me" who have been
described as being devoid OF all decency. Mrs.
Swissheln has, aGcording to my nea7 committed
two mistakes, which often occur in the writings
Of tourists who have yet seen but little o1 other
countries, and who are rather quick and decided
in their Judgment. She bases her opinion on
the fact that her views Of life, derived from
American customs aud morals, are correct In all
particulars, and must, therefore, be the stand
ard; and, second, she is inclined to gcneraltze,
which means she takes as the custom OF the
country what she has seen here and there. 1t ls
not easy to avoid both mistakes. The ccleoratcd
author Prof. Bucchner, who wrote the able essay
on " Force and Matter,'' fell into the same mis-
takes. Tourists such as Bnechner do great
deal Of harm, because 1t is known that they
hafc the best of intentions They cause wrong
conclusions On one side and vexatton on the
other, and under certain circumstances they DO
more toward endangering friendship between
two nations than writer's who are KNOWN TO DC
prcjudiccd against the country which tney de-
scribe. To prevent an estrangement between
the Anglo-Americao6 and the inhabitants OF
GERMANY the Free Presse took decided stand
against Buechner's letters when they were nrst
published, and to prevent the taking root OF
biased opinions I mean to discuss ct thls time
Mrs. Swssheina's letter.
When Mrs. Swisshelm asserts that nothing
| less than revolution could make it possible
! that
REsPEcTABLE i9ona SuJ1p ~, strets nf
G1 snu "lsnout - o..sor';no - That know of
rn,an1ife s ~ ~ eqoroe-a}{on. Young iris and
~ @ rn,an -ar n2nant ot nirht when re-
young woe ean e sI';5nose1 as tas re- et home,
speetan1n 4hrnuff the streets of even
pass unnuSteu it.a thnur +,ev m1st hc careful
not to excite, by flirting, suspicion that Iney
| belong to that class OF girls who seek asqualnt-
ance with men. The women OF the denlI-monde
IN Europe 1re III tae nao;. " ,ii;a ha7,s Women
quests on tne stfss M nat ~ ~ tra to he mistaken
auu GUS Mnu to.eos ~ - ~ fraoiova arc narti11lorIy
lot tnese plltstess a-a y. tNoSe - nre m
m1tted. NOV, II youis aaenIa. aea .o.ioan s+r1e
are useu ~ .t ni,+ nera TIM q necessary. act =
muu @ W. oass $500 - o,,7 tta-o at ti,c mon then
the vanna scanerraces who run after every pret-
1e ;.d,,1e,e u, o,,'nst rasnectahle ladies'
"ou 3itt1 oe n,' inclin1 tn excuse every girl-
$500 - aran ~ iTst;fv him. inst rs little am
lueanou ae.'sa+;,, ~ ho;ng r1,t1e whoever com
tu1 aeeuaasT. tTea ~ asra;ns+ ~: manners of the
i..s a. ~ ,rh;c1, be lives hos tn fake the couse-
count4y IL LII Iii +n ~ - orI-;nce Are Swisshrlm
Heel'<'S' ~ WIZ 'As ~ w. ''>70~
p5 nwopx.4p1rs
Iat se hr - e,vn uv f,sn itnnt ronsidering the
ny " ae af ~ 10 r1'1,ntv in which shc lives, and
uanutie IN ~ snI 3rhcn s;,e cyr,tes Or re
tuen " ja,,aa Suu a-,1 soco,d ,v na;ntine thu
cSasss sssuanass umu u aw ro,1nc s,apegraccs who
se,, ;o,tod hr TIE stEat1re behavior OF
nave neen ,ne.g ~ a ani I'M rnieness of ali the
al, ~ E,zona
iAeu 1A GuA opo. .o,,o.+,b1o ,a1u of one of
suppose ses5 tt,e- .,e., h1,t ,itt1e more
then those tneIs,f to cIotGe themselves should
EAT laan tha 1n;taa = States in her irrational COS
slsIt ,e :, 9ua',id = he s,,rnrisino if she drew
IN ;no,;s;t;gn ulo e,1a,ces of the men: This
1,,stnnlnn hne 1lq1i''sn ma9 he strong, but 1t is
1ausrtta1a.s nn1rorriate. Lst US suppose
iprtne5 tnae t sa,,ti, so1ne of those numerous
ag snrongn ,rhn en n"t nn,y smoke tobacco out Of
. women Nv WIZ ao' hut b' chex sn,ff and suppose
arty Gay plpes, pus 1ta 1ha haii hahit r, nil
t4ls tou les !" ..'.so, " 1Vouid th;s ocneraliza-
.c 4na aiarsnne n m occasional bad habit,
tlon, tus h; ~ fh.. ~ eonntrv7 Certainly lust
maKe ~ naua. th aoscrt;n o1 III If Mrs swsshelm that
aT a ne Ge2nans 20 @ Frenchmen, and Italians, are
a. a. .ng genera1 Trle obtrlsiye aud rude towards
the ladies. M M .o,- t o.. now +ho otber assertions
~ NJ NJ u swisshe1n' neM IN I'll thai ~" ~ ~'
| oI 'dfs ." sat.1a ,nM,r ena xro,srr
TILE Hs"nh.A' ~ ~ .1.--oa ,,,