The New York herald., 1876-10-03

| pendcnce.
The interesting book of the Marquis de
Talleyrand- -Ptrigord, Of which we gave some
account day or two since, challenges
kind of attention which is not often bestowed
on mere literary production. The Mar
quis has had his work printed in America (;
not. we suppose, because he expects work in
the French language to find many readers in
this country, but because he wishes TO sub
NIT it to the criticism of competent American
judges before publishing it in France. He
has been SO short time in the United States
and has been compelled to depend SO much
on conversation for his knowledge of the
present state of the country that it was pru-
dent for him to submit his conclusions to the
judgment Of people who have had better
opportunities, with a view to revise what he
has written if it should appear that he has
been misled into errors If, after sending
copies to the American press, he should find
no dissent from his conclusions he would
feel justified in publishing his book in
France as an authentic exposition Of Ameri-
can morals and culture in 1875. We think
sources of information, and it is due alike
to him and the country that his implied re-
| quest to have his mistakes rectifed before
reprinting his book in France should be can
didly acceded to.
He portrays the people of this country as
in state of revolving degeneracy, repre-
senting us as having lost the virtues
of our ancestors and destitute of the
intellectual and aesthetic culture which
is the best fruit of civilization. ut
is people," he says, 'whose morality
is that of people in decadence." 1T is
people which produces things but no longer
produces men," We have ''no men of let
art, or at least very few, to attest the exist
ence of civilized nation" This judgment
would be too sweeping even if our culture
were compared with that of contemporary
Europe; but when the comparison is be-
tween America in 1876 and America in 1776
we are, perhaps, more competent to judge
than the most intelligent foreigner can be
after the hasty inquiries which are possible
during brief sojourn in the United States.
We are. too, painfully aware that it becomes
MS to be modest in comparing ourselves with
Europe in the more refined branches Of in
tellectual cultivation. But if the compar-
ison were between the United States and
Russia, Spain, Italy or any Of the Scandi-
nayian nations there would, perhaps be
no presumption in maintaining that
America has no reason to blush for her
barbarism. England, France and Germany
are the only European countries with which
a comparison would not be absurd, for we
have outstripped every other nation in all
the moral, social, intellectual and aesthetic,
as we'll as the material elements, of civiliza-
tion. Within the last half Of the century
which has elapsed since our independence
American literature has had many names
which command respect in the most en-
lightened countries of Europe. Our his
torians need not shrink from a comparison
with those of other cultivated nations.
Prescott and Motley have treated European
subjects with breadth of original research
and pictorial grace which have received
admiring recognition from the most dis
tinguished men Of letters of Europe. The
best history Of the connection of Spain with
the New World is by an American; the best his
tory of the reign of Philip II. is by an Ameri-
can; the best history Of the Dutch Republic
is by an American the most learned and
critical history of Spanish literature is by
an American the best life Of Columbus is
by an American, and the labors of Bancroft
in American history have won for him the
respect Of Europe as well as of his own
country. Our American historians are as
remarkable for elegance Of style as for re-
search and erudition, and have been made
honorary members Of the most learned
societies of Europe. Our poets may not be
great, but Europe has produced no great
poet within the last half century. Our
widely read in England rs in the United
States, and Bryant, Whittier and Lowell
deserve to rank as high as most of the con-
temporary poets of Europe. Within the
last few years we have produced the best
translation of Dante, the best translation of
Homer and the best translation Of Goethes
Faust" in the English language. Our
Cooper has been translated into every Euro
pean tongue; our Hawthorne is as warmly
admired in England as he is at home; and
the inimitable graces of our Irving, which
suffer by translation, make him favorite
wherever the English language is read
American law books are quoted as authori-
ties in all the higher courts of England, and
if they have not been translated it is because
the Jurisprudence of continental Europe is
so different from that of the United States
and Great Britain. On that great branch
OF jurisprudence which is common to all
civilized ountries-international law--our
Wheaton holds the highest place among
the standard authorities. In science, also,