St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-11-10
Too Easy Going Americans.

There is much truth in Herbert
Spencer's observations concerning the
American willingness to tolerate small
interfcrences with personal rights. He
thinks the English beat us as grum
blers, and it is undoubtedly true that
their persistent grumbling relieves
them from II vast amount of petty an
nOyance which Americans put up with
as matter of course. at is this easy
going readiness" says Mr.. Spencer,
''tO permit small trespasses, because it
would he troublesome or protitless or
unpopular To oppose, which leads to
the habit of acquicscence in wrong,
and the decay of free Institutions"
Whether or not we take so serious IL
view of the ultimate consequences of
this trait of American character as Mr..
Spencer does, we must all admit that
the trait exists and that he has defined
it with remarkable eXactnesS. As Il
people we are not good grumblers.
We will submit to all sorts of trihing
intringements upon our private rights
rather than ''make row." We look
upon Il man who does "make Il row"
as being rather underlined than other
wise, and think of him patrOnizingly
as one who will learn better by and
! by. We not only do not grumble our
selves, but we look upon grumbling i'll
others as decidedly bad form. Mr..
| Spencer says this trait of character is
working the decay of our free institu-
! tiOnS. Is not there some truth in this
| What is it which has furnished the
most comfort to the pesSimists who
are sure that this republic is growing
worse each year and that its final col
! lapse is inevitable? ? They all find it
in the fact that the best class of Ameri-
cans take less interest in public affairs
each year, leaving ,he venal and un-
principled to direct our politics. As
in more personal matters so in politics,
we stand off and say "Well, why
make IL row about it? TO be sure pol
itics are in ii pretty bad way, but we
cannot make them any better by med
ding with them" 1t is just here that
the mistake is made, or rather has
been made, for it is our firm conviction
that the better class of Americans are
beginning to think that the time has
come to make Il row, and that it will
do Il great deal of good to make it.
Whenever they have aroused them
selves heretofore, they have had nc
difficulty in demonstrating their pow
er. The honest men are in IL majority
everywhere in this country. Even il
this city they are Ovcrruled only be-
cause they are too indolent to assert
themselves.
We think Mr.. Spencer is right in hi.
assertion so far as he implies that the
willingness to tolerate infringements
upon our personal rights has led us
uncOnsciOusly but none the less surely
to Il willingness to tolerate infringe
ments upon our political rights. Be
yOnd that we are unwilling to go will
him. We admit that we have sub
mitted to this Infringement, and dc
submit to it now, bat we do not believ,
the ultimate result will be the deca,
of free institutions, because we are con
vinced that the people will sooner o
: later arise i'll their righteous indigna
t tiOn and reclaim and reestablish thei
+ lost rights. The American people d'
not grumble enough over "small tres
+ passes" perhaps, but they are yer,
I quick to rise i'll their might when thos
trespasses assume dimensions whicl
; make them dangerous to free institu
tions. Undoubtedly it would be wise
= to begin with the small trespasses, an
p thus prevent the large ones from exist
+ ing New York Tribune.
a. 4 L.