New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-19
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ENGLISH YANK EEPHOBIA.

y. Q. Tonne IN The Boston Trunscrio,
Tt is difficult for Americans ho have only v.,..
| pleasantly in EDaland to understand ho-v cas ~
| monty current opinion in English society ana Pm
lob journals Is c0ntemptu0us toward almost eyrry
rance and bad feeling this contempt rests. There
large better class, very respectable minority 4.
| which cool feeling anu kind respect prevail; bp,
even in this class. knowledge Of America il yery
| imperfect. After living in England five and raj,
| years In the vicinity Of London, at Manchester Al
| sheffield and at Birmingham, and giving spseisi
attention to English characteristics life, instita-
| tions and history. COMPARED with American
| should say that very great Ignorance Of America
well nigh univcra in England. that the most falss
| ideas of American characteristics and life prevail
everywhere. even among those who are generous
and friendly in their feeling; and that with TIA
Vulgar majority, which embraces from rwo-thri,
10 four-flihs Of the population contempt for our
country our people, our products, Onr public life
and private manners. is as natural and hearty
| as Ignorance and prejudice can make It, IL Is ore
of the LARGEST and most extraordinary facts IN Ia
met With IN England. There IL hardly public
Journal which does not at times reflect at least Ens.
lsh ignorance OF America If not English spleen aad
bitterness. whole range OF false ideas have
become rooted IN the common mind; and fire.
quently persons who mean no injustice assume the
truth Of some Of these, and go most absurdy wrong
in their estimate Of things American.
A conspicuous example Of these sources Of mis-
representation II The Times. which has always been
not an advanced leader OF the higher culture Of
England but polished reflector of vulgar opinion.
In 1861 Mr. Bright said OF this great journal thatt
had net had, since Mr.. Lincoln took Office
fur and honoral lie and friendly article on American
affairs" Four years later, III 1868, Dit. bright
said again that the course OF The Times had been
enc of " fOmr years uninterrupted publication II
lie. with regard TO America" IL has not beea
the custom OF English journals to have mosc thans
few lines of American news. The Standard, "a Con-
servatINe paper, has quite recently set an example
of enterprise in this respect, but IL is new depart
ure Tho rule has been, aud with most journals
sill is, few lines daily of American news. But
when the Guitcau business was III hand at Wash
ingon English journalism generally showed gEea.
appetite Tor selection OF the most disgusting
facts. II is commonplace in England that Ameci.
Journals sin abOminaby in their reports Of dis.
gushing matters. Yet here was all England ted on
tho garbage OF the Guiteau trial, although for
spectacle news English journalism has not found
America worth special attention. Ii was partly
because English journals are just 10 apt TO sG %
the American, and partly because OF 50 general
English interest in anything discreditable to
America.
Eyen cult yated England the highest and fines,
tenth or fifth Of tho nation at large. cannot be de-
pended on alwas for an ettically Just and iutell
gently right drift of opinion aud sympathy IN any,
thing so far of and so foreign 10 English backward
WAYS az average American culture Lord Chef
Justice Colerllse has lately said:
/" remember the time when 1t was difficult even
among cultivated men TO get hearing lof tho
NYrth, aud TEen tic sympathies OF society went
with slavery. As Tar as 1 know, the Church Of
England never raised finger, and very few OF It's
bishops ever raised voice to put down our owa
slave trade or set free our Own slaves"
The state of things on which Lord CO.eridge puts
his finger ia this last sentence, goes far to explain
average EngllSh antagOusm toward America
" hatcver is established in England royalty. tho
Church. the aristocracy. the 81 cial customs. which
maintain marked distinctions of caste and tls
atiSn OF habit which is the rule stu with
tne large maOrity.-al these are deeply implicated
with barbarism surviving III one or another fOTm
aud laying heavy curse on many OF the best IN.
terests OF the country. expected, when | went 10
England TO live. TO go ont of the front door OF
America into the finest paradise OF modern culture
And certainly in II good few" ~ the Yorkshire
phrase IL. a large and very line minority OF ind
yduais and of families, tho culture Is there IN rs
puTeSt and uOblest and most delightful form, and
many persons Will visit England and see hs"iiy
anything but this. But to live i'll Englund sy3as
the common people IL 10 find frequent Occasion 70
feel as If one had gone out OF the Western back
door OF America into land more backward aud
barbarous than any part of the United states.
Even Mt "A centre OF the best English advance. Ike
Birming CHAM. much Of the public expression OF cul
ture in institutions Is newer and more recent than
III corresponding American towns.
But the worst form or tie evil Is III the wide
spread faint which survives M the Church. THO
throne the arst0cracy. tho social distinctions and
the customs and manners enforced upon the mas
of the people by influences far above them Az
this maintains u state of things naturally antage
nlStlc 10 America. Mr.. RocbucE. the sheffield pie
bcian in Parliament. who, during Our civil waI. at
tempted 10 get England md the Emperor Napoleon
to lOIn in recognizing the COnfCdeTacg, gave
voice, in his gross Ignorance anu almost Infamous
spleen, to "A traditional bar barlsn which lies heavy
on the whole land, except IN the many rare Spos
where IL has disappeared. and IN the many rare M
dIvlduals, almost everywhere, tho elevation Oh
whose character and argeucss Of hose lnteligeJce
have made then exceedingly inc examples o. ths
best possible culture. Those English who have
OutgrOWn British limitations present ILLUSTRATION
OF culture almost unexamPled aud they torn 80
large "a fact and delightful "a feature OF Lpglsl
lie that many visitors to England fail to discover
how widely antagCnism TO America prevails VIII
the mass OF the nation.