New-York tribune., 1884-02-03
SOME ENGLISH TRUTHS ABOUT
AMERICA.
THE BRUMMAGEN BARBARIANS IN SOCIETY
TIE FOX-ut,NTING DUDE AND THE REAL AMERICAN.
C..Lal Rcrfc


From The Saturday Rerietr.
II is not too much to say that there ls now
no trace at all of the illwill toward England which
naturally fingered after the revolution, and which
was famed to a flame before the war OF 1917. Ihls
il-will was perceptlble easily enough down to the
outbreak in 1861 although it was slowly fading
little anger against Great Britain among
both parties; but the Civil War, over
killed the early ill-wi and the anger died out soon
for lack of fuel. IT is perhaps scarcely accurate to
describe the present feeling cordial and the sem
timental declarations after dinner that the two
countries are brothers, and that "bood is thicker
than water" are perhaps not quite sincere on
either side The attitude of the really representa-
tive American is that taken by Mr.. LoWel IN ms
delightful speech at the dinner given to Mr: Henry
Irvingon the Fourth of July last year: This attl,
tude may perhaps be described as dIgnlled ana
sincere friendliness, as far removed from hys-
terical sentmentality side as it is from en-
mity on the other. So distinctly is this the position
of The hest Americans, that the well-infoTmed
American critic is always inclined to ascribe the
authorship of violent lnvectlve against EhEiand
in an American journal to some renegade Ehglsh-
man and the ascription is rarely inaccurate.
WEALTH LESS POWERFUL IN NEw-YORK THAN LON
DON.
Snort is one of the things in which American
habits are widely different from English. Polo and
foxhunting-Or the pursuit OF drag under dlfhcul-
ties-are recent mDoTtati0ns, and as such they are
The amusement only of the fast and fashionable
few and have no interest whatever for any others.
Cricket in spite Ofmany strenuous has never
been acclimatcd in the United States there are
few clubs here and there, mostly managed by Eng
lishlnen but the popular interest is wholly III base
ball, and crack game Of baseball easily attracts
gathering of twenty thousand. Racing ls rapidly
becoming more popular and profitable, but the real
liking of the people is for trottlng. The owning OF
fast troters, for his own private use and behoof
the ono crumpled rose-leaf in Mr.. Vanderbilts cx-
istence is that q much poorer man has faster PAIR
of trotters than he has. and that the much poorer
man. with painful diregard of his duty toward
man worth twenty million pounds, refuses 10 sell
his team. Here occasion serves TO say that wealth
merely as wealth has less weight IN the United
States than II has in Great Britain We know that
there is a common belief that wealth IS more wor-
shipped and is more powerful IN NeW-fork than II
is in, London but the belief is GntoEnded IN founded
or that most Americans expect to be wealthy some
day or that they can remember when the Tch man
was poor man, or whatever the reason may be-
tbe fact remains that the possession of money counts
for far less in New-YOrk than 1t does IN London
And if we may credit Mr.. Archibald Forbes, the
same state Of affairs obtains III Australia as lii
America
GROWING INDIFFERENCE TO FOREIGN OPINION.
Where English influence in America might be sup
Dosed TO be strongest is in literature There is no
denyiDg that it is strong. But the influence OF
other countries and especially OF France, is also
strong There are many more translatiODs from the
French and the German Published annually In the
United States than there are Ill Great Britain.
French authors, little known III England, are
widely read in America; and OF authors OF I'M
portafce more works have been translated. In
New-York il is possible for example, to get uni
form edition in English of all of NJ. Taines writ
incs and of nearly all of Turgenets The Ameri-
can Philistine differs from the British Phlllstlne
chiefly in that his ignorance is never hostile; he
knows not the light, but he is ready TO receive IL
when he sees il. And this Willingness 10 learn is
responsible for the many American transations
from foreign authors. And this again redeems what
there may be of American provlnciality winch is
broadened by its allegiance not TO one capital, but
TO many Accompanying this study of the best for
eicn work is growing indifference 10 foreign opn-
ion. The American is glad when the value Of
an American work is recognized by an English
or q French critic, but he never waits for
the foreign approval before declaring his
own opinion; Indeed he Is wont TO wonder
at the English liking for certain American authors,
and he is wont also to take up certain English au-
thors and to hail them masters before their POSI-
tion In England is quite secure. We believe for
example. that Mr.. Austin DobsOn and Mr. Robert
Touis Stevenson have q wider following in America
than they have in England, much liked as they are
here The unfortunate condition OF copyright law
has driven the better cass Of American publishers
70 give up English novels aud English books of
general literature, and more and more 10 conhne
Themselves to American books, with consequent
Increase IN the quantity and quality Of the latter.
The invasion Of England by the American ndga-
zines is sufficient proof of their independence and
their success in England is due, we incline othlnk
TO the resOlute American tone, and not 70 any mis-
guided ATTEMPT TO cater 90 English taste. NJ the
present day the circulation In England OF either
Hdrpes or the Century is several times as large as
the circulation of any English magazine III
America.
IGNORANT IMITATION OF BRITISH CUsIoMB.
There Is 70 be seen just now IL America. In what
is known as society, strong tendency TO imitats