The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-03-06

Doubtless we have all seen indi-
viduals of this class; If not, we have
one thing, at least, for which to be
thankful. 1t is amazing to a thought
full mind. the effect which few
months sojourn ia Europe will have
upon the average American, male or
female. The amount of nonsense
which these continental tourists can
accumulate within so short a time is
positively stupehdous; the foreign
airs and graces-the afectations in
speech, manner and costume-all
would tend to convince q foreigner
that Of nothing are Americans so
much ashamed as the fact of their
beng Americans. Our national pride,
which sometimes amounts almost to
national bigotry. all seems TO dYim-
die away in the presence Of Old
Werld seif-confiIence. and in its
place we see an ap9logetic spirit,
which almost amounts to meauness.
A witty American writer has writ
ten pithily of "A certain condcecea.
sion in foreigners" Over against
this might be set e" \ certain cring-
ing in Americans, which. / think,
is in part responsible Tor this coade-
scension. Self-:e zpcct inspires res
pect in hers-aud q proper amount
of selfassertion is necessary in our
intercourse with strangers. Amerit
can civilization may Ue different
from European, but for Us it is bet
ter. American manners may some
what lack the older world polish, but
they have the new world force and
originality. American slang" may
be different from European slang"
Dut, SO lar as caa see, it IS quitefas
elegant, and a dea! more expressive.
And it is TO be observed that IL is
the worst and not tie best phaze Of
Euro can manner, and phraseoiogy
which our travelled countryman
attempts to copy. Doubtless we
must learn many things OF yalue
from our old Wort { friends, hut it is
just these valuable things thai We
fail TO learn; while many things that
would be BAD in a1y country we copy
most a9siduously. 4 bad original is
bad enough; but bad copy Of a
bad original is unsuPporlab!e; and
such copies must be Disgusting to
obseryant foreigners.
Any person of taste will agree
that our American men dress more
becomingIy than those OF England
yet the highest ambition OF our youth
who has spent his vacation on Brit<
ish soil is to be taken for a John
Bull" Show me The French that can
aspire to the dignily and strength
of our grand OLD English yet the
young lady who has beeh to ''Paree'
(she always calls 1t so-Paris is so
dreadfully American, you know
will, after a sol )ugn OF Two months.
positively forget her 0lCn language
She Constantly breaks into execra-
bic French phrases, because-don'
you see ?--she has become SO accus.
tomed.tO the language that it seems
impossible TO return TO her mother
tongue. Even when she can bring
herself to converse in the language
she has heard from infancy it is with
a very perceptibIe foreign accent
Wendrous lapse of memory 1t
Must DE the effect OF the climate
AS a nation, do not see but
America has as much TO be- proud of
as any European country, and when
her people cross the Atlantic it
should be as Americans and not q
sort of mongrel-un British, I'M
French, un-American creature
with whom his countrymen are, and
foreigners ough- to be. disguised.