The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-05-30
American Traits.

Theological School, is writing his I'm
pressions of America" He states. as one
of the results of his visit, that he WAS
convinced that some of the representa-
lions of the American people which have
become popular in England are gross
and slanderous libels. We quote q few
paragraphs from his first paper in the
"Ninetcenth Century III is true, no
doubt, that the kind Of respect which
the people in an English agricultural
village sometimes show to their pastors
and masters is not TO be found, as far as
l know in the United States. The little
girls do not draw up against the wall
and make respectful courtesy to every
well-dressed stranger they meet. II You
say good morning to 4 man you happen
to pass in the rural parts OF Eugland,
and who looks like prosperous agricul-
tural laborer, but who is, probably, the
owner of farm of eighty or hundred
acres, he will not feel so honored by
your condescension as to stand still ana
pull the front lock Of his hair; he may
even stride on with a grunt which is
hardly courteous. The servants or helps
have not exactly the manners of servants
in England. | always found them re-
spectful and attentive, but there is GER
tain something with which We are faml-
Jar on this side of the Atlantic that is
absent. 1t is quite clear that they do not
suppose that their master and their mas
ter's guests belong to superior race.
II came to the conclusiou-to me a
very unexpected one-that the Americans
are reserved people. They are not eager
to talk to you about their own affairs.
Manufacturers, except when | asked them,
did not tell me how many men they en-
ployed. Merchants were not anxious to
impress me with the magnitude of their
business transactions. Nor, indeed. did
find that the strangers | met were very
anxious, or, indeed, very willing to talk
at all. l often found it hard to discover
whether the people | was travelling with
approved of Mr.. Hayes Southern policy
or not, OF even whether they belonged to
the Republican or the Democratic party.
When l was fortunate enough to find a
man with a cigar in his mouth standing
ON the platform of Pullman car, could
sometimes make him more communica-
tive; and, occasionally, under these con-
ditions learned great deal about the
country. But, as rule, strangers opened
slowly and shyly. Nor was this because
was an Englishman. used to watch
the people in railway carriages-a dozen
or twenty in a Pullman drawingroom car,
forty or fifty in an ordinary car-and if
they did not know each other, they would
travel together all day without exchang-
ing half-a-dozen words.
II think that the manners of the peo-
Pile saw in Chicago, Philadelphia, and
New York, though quiet, were freer and
more cordial than the manners of the
people | saw in New England. There
was less restraint upon the expression of
kindly feeling, in words of tone and
bearing. The New Highlander is apt
to keep his heart where he keeps the fur
mace which heats his house under
ground. q. . And so, though Americans,
especially New Englanders are not de-
monstrative, a stranger soon discovers
that they are amolg the kindest people
in the world. There are no limits TO
their kindness They find out n hat their
guest would like 20 see and TO do, and
spare themselves no thought or trouble
to crafty him. Their hospitality is of
the best sort; they do Lot force stranger
70 visit the places which they them selves
may think most interesting and attract.
i've; they consult his tastes, and place
themselves absolutely az his disposal.
ITO an English traveller the scare which
the Americans received las; autumn from
the railway disturbances is very surpris-
ing. talked with many grave and wise
men who had studied the political and
social history both Of America and
Europe-Hho imagined that the Pitts
burg riots were an oltburst Of the spirit
of communism, and that they indicated
the existence of serious conspiracy
against the institution Of private proper
ty, and against the whole social order Of
the country. The strikes were no doubt
very annoying. They showed that some
of the economical and social troubles
from which the old countries OF Europe
have suffered will have to be faced in
America. Perhaps, too, they showed
that the present means for REFRESHING
popular disturbances are inadequate
But that the strikes were the result of a
deep and general hostility against the
present social organization of America
that they were the premature explosion
of forces which threaten America with a
social revolution, appeared to me to be
one of the widest and grotesque fancies
which ever found Judgment in the
brains of reasonable men.
ut is possible for a nation with repub-
hcan institutions TO be intensely conserv
alive, and il is possible for a nation with
monarchical institutions to be earnestly
liberal. | do not say that, on the whole,