The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-06-03
The American Type.

The american Type" is still discussed by
cultured writer's in the Current. David Swing
is the latest essayist His views are not ma
terially different from those who have pre-
ceded him upon this subject. They all agree
upon individual independence being the dis
tinguishing trait of American character; but
they adopt different methods Of describing III
what this consists. Swing holds that while
on this side Of the ocean there is being fash
Toned "a new shape Of human nature" it will
not be amazingly peculiar, for education and
manners will intervene 10 prevent such bad
result. What orr nation is fabricating is 4
manhood and womanhood chat will differ
from all the personalities of the past: but that
difference will not shock or amaze; it will
rather delight those Of the old world who may
be intellectually able to measure any spiritual
merit or dcmeri;. Our active-mindeduess the
spirit Of inquiry that distinguishes us, is the
result of being forced to do our own thinking
The absence Of a governing class prevents all
fawning: liberty cultivates open-hearteduess.
ami these make our minds transparent, and
hence comes the practice and the power of ex-
pressing self. All which, we repeat, is but
another way Of defining the independency Of
the American. and which is the natural out
growth Of the necessity fer self-exertion and
the cultivation OF the power of self-depen-p
ence. Swing points to the fact that all forms
Of wit flourish with us, because the presence
Of money and education among the millions
gives the people the opportunity for attending
places Of amusement, which have for basis
wit and hunror. He insists that this Ia the first
country in which tile millions have had money
enough TO buy a ticket TO everything, and have
had at the same time enough cultivated brain
e.. IL Ia,
door-keeper. So, if we are a people who
laugh most, It is because we have the most
reason for merriment. And SO the essayist
holds that ''by natural OF logical ecleoticism
which possesses all the world for its field,
there Is now being fashioned an American man
and an American woman" differing, but not
violently, from any other phase Of humanity,
and at is the best type Of manhood yet reached
by the centuries" The influences, we may
add, which are bringing about this result are
confined 10 our own land. They are part of
world influences operating upon all political
nations and people. They are bringing the
individuality Of peoples up 10 the high level Of
individual independence which Americans are
approaching. As Swing phrases it, we may
expect the citizens Of all great countries to
approach each other rather than to move fur
tier apart. eve shall not 20 down, other
lands will rise up. King, aristOcrat, scholar,
toiler, artist, farmer, merchant, seem moving
slowly in Que path 10 one end-a sensible man
hood; and it Is possible that before hundred
years many Of the modern distinctive marks
will have faded away, and we shall have a
Europe fully akin TO the future America, and
an America like Europe, but the foreigners
must come up 10 the western world at least
much more than half way.