Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-15
Good-Natured Americans.
Editors Easy Chair in Harpers Magazine For E
 tember.l

kindly look.
 Good-Natured Americans. Editors Easy Chair in Harper's Magaz he For sef
 tember,l
 Mir. Matthew Arnold thinks that the Amer jeans are not as refined and courteous as they might be, but he would hardly deny that they are the best-natured people in the world He could not, indeed, travel far among us without perceiving it. If, for in stance, on a recent warm Saturday afternoon, he had sat in a crowded railroad car, and had seen large warm man place his huge valise in the middle of the passage compelling everybody to step over it or around 1t if he chanced to see it, and to trip over it if he did not, and had remarked the perfect unconcsrn with which every body yielded to the selfish ness of the large warm man, as if his huge valise were natural obstruction, or as if he had some unquestionable right to incommode everybody who had occasion to pass. The conductor paid tribute with the rest, and of fered no word of remonstrance. Still less did he direct the man to put his valise under his feet or upon his lap, or, if that were pos sible, to place it in the baggage-oar. Eugenio, who loves his fellow countrymen, but who hates to see good-nature imposed upon, was sitting near by. He could not restrain him self. Good heavens l" he cried, If this man chose to sit upon his valise and block the passage completely, would my lambs and milk sops of fellow -countrymen chamber over the seats to get by him ?''
 It was the duty of the conductor. of course, to keep the passage clear. If other passen- gers had done what the large man did, it would have been impossible to pass through the car. But, so far as appeared, nobody ex cept Eugenio seemed to observe the selfish ness of the one passenger or to resent it and if Eugenio had spoken, he would have been universally regarded as 8 cross and un- accommodating man. In other countries such conduct would not have been tolerated. In England especially the offender would have heard plain comments. The conductor would have been summoned to protect the common rights of travellers and if nothing through the Times until every corner of the empire echoed with wrath against the ob- structionist, and every conductor was alert to do all his duty. Eugenio asked his con- panion how he explained such pusillanimity upon the part of intelligent men. "Why do they permit fellow to do it ?" he demanded with energy. ''It is a part of that confound- ed Amerlcan good nature which toleratss the thirteenth man in the omnibus"
 His companion conceded the good nature, agreeable national trait. It is very much preferable to it's opposite, and if good nature may be pushed to an extreme, so may ill na- ture ;and it is quite as likely to be so pushed. He admitted that the English would not be imposed upon in such small ways, and he
 
 English the best pioneers of travel. During the last century they were the first general travellers in Europe, and all who fol lowed blessed them. They planted in the continental wilderness the rose of bath tubs, good tea, hot toast, and comfort. They have been invaluable pioneers but no people are more detested in foreign countries. q knew Lorenzo" said Eugenio's companion, Ia capital Englishman, who came to New York thirty years ago. Upon my second call he lsid to me: By love this is an sxtraordi- nary country. I haven't found a table that stands square upon it's legs, nor a bureau drawer that will open, nor door that will shut, nor window that does not stick, nor a servant that doesn't slam the door after him. lis most extraordinary country In other words," said Eugenio's companion, ''the English are more thorough and more accu- rate than we are"
 But he went on to say that it was not diff icult to see why the valise was tolerated in the passage of the car. s'It was not selfish in your sense," he remarked to Eugenio, ''be- cause the large man would have made no ob- jection had somebody incommoded him in the same way, and he would have stepped over the obstruction, or around it, or have tumbled over it, as nimbly and willingly as all his fellow passengers stepped and tumbled over his obstruction.s It is a surviva6sof the situation of new country, where everybody helps everybody else from the consciousness of common need of help, and where every body sacrifices himself and expects to be sacrificed. In remote villages to day there is this kind of communism The neighbors are constantly borrowing and exchanging, al ways returning something for something. un- til even friendship and neighborly good of fees have an air of barter. They borrow reely because they are entirely willing to lend. They incommode without culpable sel6sbness, because they expect to be incom- moded."
 This, according to Eugenio's friend, is one reason of the general acQuiescence in the i'm position upon good nature which he observed; and another. he said, is the sentiment of ' equality which is bred by our institutions. In ! a country where there recognized \ distinctions of rank there are both servility and dictation. Some men naturally order, \ and others naturally submit. Now the au- | 5horitative tone in promiscuous company is | unknown in America Sir Roger de Coverly, when he reused himself from 8 nap in church, | arose, and looked sternly about to catch some luckless dozer, and him he sharply repri- | mandsd It was the habit of acknowledged authority The parish did not question it, nor murmur contradiction. But similar con- | duct here would reduce an insurrection.
 Nobody naturally goes forward to remon' ! strate or to command when all stand upon the same line. Where everybody is as good | as any body" " nobody assumes to direct, and If ! you add to this good natured temperament, ! and the habit of mutual accommodation. the \ explanation of the valise does not seem to be ! difficult.
 The philosophic friend said further that ! there was another element in the explanation
 which arose from deferenoe in the majority.
 Nobody wishes to be thought naughty or un. i friendly to 'the masses" It is not that the
 individual consciously seeks popular favor, ! or is anxious to cajole the most sweet voices
 of his fellow citizens, but the general habit | of difference produces national characterts tic. Very few public men, for instance, care | to order bottle of wine at public table. It ! is not because they are total abstinents, O, ! even temperance men," but because tho
 drinking of wine is condemned by strong ! public opinion, and in country ruled by tho \ majority the tendency Is not to assert your
 self, but to yield and acquiesce, not becaus,
 you are convinced, but because the multi
 tude differs.
 Eugenio listened to the explanations of hii
 friend with 6 severe eye still fixed upon the
 huge valise in the passage of the car. Well,
 he said, there is @ good deal of sense II
 what you say. It is not a mean sslfishness, tha
 of the large warm man wonder, and the blanc
 stepping and straddling and stumbling over
 his confounded valise is, perhaps, sign 0 | real good nature, and of the survival of what
 you describe. On the whole, think m. 1 countrymen, measured at least by other coun
 trymen, stand acquitted. But they eugh
 not to obstruct the passage of car with
 confounded valise."
 "Yes." returned his friend, ''but you ob
 serve that even you, with all your indigna
 tion, are so true an American that you d. not say a word to the offender"
 Warning Against Beer-Drinhing. l From the London Globe.l
 A few days ago was celebrated, in the tow l of Bernau, in Prussia, the anniversary of famous victory won by the townsmen O that festive place in 1432. At that time tn Hussites, under Koska, were besieging th f town in force, and there was little hope C holding out against the determined fanatics The siege raised by means of yer l curious stratagem devised by the burgoma l ter, who may be commended as having turi ed the appetites of the enemy into Q nol @ powerful weapon against them than an number of more deadly looking arms thu