The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-10-12
Our Prejudice against Foreign COun-
tries.

Surely no candid critic would COM
pare the historical and artistic and lit
erary charms of other lands with ours,
nor the society and scenery of mo-
narchical Europe with those of our free
and favored land. Switzerland is very
well for those who have not seen the
White Mountains or the Adirondacks,
the Sierras and Yosemite; and Rome,
with its Anticipated history, and huge,
old-fashioned palaces and mo1dy
churches, and dilapidated gardens and
galleries, is doubtless interesting to
persons like Goethe who have merely to
cross the Al ps and pass through Lom-
hardy and Tuscany, by Como and Mi
Ian, by Florence and Thrasimene, to
see it; and indeed it is very creditable
city even to those who are familiar
with New York. There is much, also,
to be justly said in favor of England
and France and Germany. For very old
and necessarily somewhat musty coun-
tries, they furnish considerable reward
for the trouble of the American patriot
in crossing the ocean to see them. They
are all excellent countries in their way;
and their inhabitants, although exceed
ingly queer, are not destitute of interest.
especially to the American Philan-
thropist.
1t is, however, necessary to see them
with intelligence and tempered expec-
tation, In the hut of the Esquimaux
we do not look for the lace draperies of
the Fifth Avenue, nor upon the banks
of the Thames or in the shadow of the
Vatican can we expect to find buck
wheat cakes and baggage checks. 1t
was very natural in the Englishman of
the last century to be so hot against
popery and wooden Shoes The gam
bOls of pollywogs in pool are enter
tanning to the superior observer. The
American to-day contemplates with
equanimity the labels that are pasted
on his trunks, for heremembers CULVER
an Lilliput, and he neither expects nor
demands that the landscape, the Gus
toms, the conveniences, the society, the
government, the religion, or the people
of other countries shall be as perfect as
those of his native land. God has been
graciously pleased to make him an
American, as he made Shakespeare the
greatest of poets, the rose the queen of
flowers, and the sun the source of light
and heat For His infinitely inscrutable
purposes He has also been pleased to
make some other extraordinary coun-
tries and people. But it would be kind
OF lmpiety to suppose that the chosen
land and nation are to learn anything
from the experience of such countries
or the genius of such people. How
can people, for instance, who have
haO al, L
idea of a dessert does not 90 be-
yond a gooseberry tart, which, also, they
are not yet civilized enough to call prop
erly pie-how can such a people posi-
bly, instruct the proud denizenS of free
West in any detail of convenience or of
Government, in any kind of mechanical
workmanship, or scientific, or political,
or economical knowledge? Is not our
home in the setting sun? Are not our
institutions democratic and popular?
Have we not abolished monarchy and
aristocracy? Can we not sweep with
out change of cars, and with baggage
checked through, from the Atlantic to
the Pacific? Were we not victorious
in the Revolution, in the Mexican war,
and, above all, in the civil war; and did
hOu Jul HIllC lI'%N, tlO Curious StIN ice
in the war of 1872? And if these things
be so, if these great facts are already
historical, is it not absurd to suggest
that we can learn anything of other
countries, or that we may not-nay,
must not-haye our own theories of
commercial intercourse, of currency,
and of gravitation?
Let it be enough to condemn any
thing whatever that it is not American
1t is, indeed, ridiculous in England to
hold out against the baggage-check be-
cause it IS American. But despite the
captiousneSs of unpatriotic snarlers,
who are doubtless bribed with foreign
gold, it is the height of wisdom in
America to hold out against the laws of
science as eXpounded by Englishmen,
and against the experience of every
country in the world whose home is
not in the free West. These are evil
IDENTIFY the patriotic sentiments of one
American statesman, who, standing
tiptoe upon a jocund mountain-top,
lately exclaimed:
"Fellow-citizens, if we lack ANYTHING
as a nation, it is the spirit to rise to the
magnificent height of our position and
our opportunities. For this grand
America we must have a grand Amer
lean policy, which will not look to
European bankers for theories of fl
nance, or to Cobdon Clubs for theories
of industrial economy. At least we
should be the arbiters and masters of
our own destiny, even if we do not care
to insist upon barren, although right
full, pre-eminence in the affairs of the
world
How Enthusiastically British-that
is, insular, cockney, provincial, small
it is to refuse to use baggage checks
because they are an American inven-
ton! Why should those absurd John
Bulls insist upon a grand British policy
of inconvenience? Other nations are
certainly extremely ridiculous But for
our grand America we ought to have
an American alphabet of the English
language, and a grand, exclusive,
American theory and practice of medi-
cine.-Edtt0r'S Easy Char, IN Harper s
Magazine TOR October.
CalifOrnia'S First Female LaWyer.