New-York tribune., 1885-03-29

growth Of poverty In Cities at tine dangers of
universal suffrage if the multitude shall become
ignorant and debased. at the prevalence of corrup-
| tiOn. aud the like.
Under all the circumstances Of the time. the ques
tlon will suggest itself to whether ambition is to
| be reckonel among American oharacterstics. For
instance. tho Frepch-n desiring to found a
| colonial dominion in distant regions, while their
own country il not over populated. and while at
homo there is no pressure driving tho people to
| emigrate-lre actuated by ambition. The Russians
when securing extensions of territory in addition to
| an area already vast. but nperfecty occupied. are
| stirred by ambition, among other motives. But
then much of their for tbs creator art of the
year snow-clai or frOstbOlnd. AMI consequently
Russians long for of tn, genial AMI hospItable
| clims beyond their original lint. In the
establishment anl enlar 20 nent OF foreign empire.
30 no classes OF the English certlny ambitious,
though tin ambition is restrained by Other classes.
But thon tho British paops ontgrowin5 their
| comparatively little island. anl tho pressure ut
hono is as stimulus urging them to colonzt
ton. In this solss soms of the American statesmen
have also besn. aud still aro. anotiou,; but nova
| days tho majority ot Americans lD not $40 n be-
| novel by territorial ambition. Fley appear tD DO
moro than sitisiiel by tho nocesSon Of areas that
TALL to their lot almost with mt any National effort
on their pIrt. Thoy regard thsir own rapid expln-
| SION with sort OF snlz,nelt. won orng what the
| en- will be- the illl goal will be reached.
Thur thUu yhts turn rather tDylrl thu cDn3Diidl-
ton and settle nanG of tho dom nion thsy already
have than t. tho acquisition of fresh possessions.
| But whether the reasonable anb ton of Americans
| be sdtatei or MT, their spirit of enterprise is
apparently Unsuitable. In no respect are they moro
cnncnt than IN enterprise. GroIt Britain herself,
with her woglLenbrIGing operations. is hardly
more ontororsIus than hcr visorou, progeny across
the Atlantic. As the isis of enterprise the Amer
leans have eNDericn nuit,d IA the o.d world.
AMI thsy aullbly asprn {, achieve something
better still. This aspiration il favored by their
5nrrDln lnys by tao novelty 0t th1 conditions
among which they are tn oYn, by the unprece-
dcntod anlunparaelel advant Iges that nature has
| dung at their feet. ponrsd into their lap. Still,
| history affords moro than ono example of people
vast ug its opportunities AMI fIiing 10 utilize ths
| bounty OF Prov ionGe. 1t is never with the
| Americans They are utirrei by reasonable rest
| 'ssncss AMI by a natural discomfort W ia every
| thing that exists unin1r,yel Oller Nations can
hardly have this feeling in the sama dogrco though
| so no OF their I'M Ir)ycnclts have been brou lit
abOnt rIpi y yet their process of chan has been
gradual, an they are comparatively cautions in
| dmittins fresh idets But the Americans have
witnessed slch spec ly Transformations that their
thoughts becOmj extraordinarily receptive of now
suggestions. This cntorprslng temper o. tompera
mcut is OF tho factors IN the National success Of
| the Americans
IL follows that indvdualityisa marked feature In
| the nerican charIctcr-that is. a mans power of
lighting his own battle. pf carving out his fort.
| uuc ia 80 .troliint and soltsl iiicng manner of
] stamping the impress OF his own III nd on surround
Iuy objects HnS II " lpny bee known "A British
chlrlstsrstc ~ many pats of tbs world. and 10 IL
intensely Developed IN th' trin-atlantlc section of
thc Anglo Saxon rlcr. was of cpur'e the cardinal
| -. slar. h,t thn,,,t
| va, Transmitted 10 the iwericIn rlcs; and IL has
bren f. stored Ivy the sub mt circumstances Of
the Nation. Though p'rhaDs cvoand less now than
formerly among tho elder states o. the Union that
| have attained mature grUwti. 10 is newly ever
iseI aud called into rnh play In the rising States
of TIA, West. THUS IL, forces are never allowed 10
.lunber nor it, vitality Ia decay. THIS ndivi luaIty
~ chlra ter or narly cansei Amer c ans 10 bo 30
absorbed in tnrlr priv affairs To 10 temporarily
dIilcrent o. pnblic affairs Great political wron
arrsr monster ahuS"s thrive with rank nynrlance,
| wicked politicians flourish Ike tho green bay tree.
| The SUN total Ot owl thus brought about may be
vast absnntry, bnt forth Iltrly II sukI IN IN ignl
| tulr when compared with the entirety OF the
National life be- tho eyli what IL may. still tine
| machinery of society work, unnrcd Il still agri-
culture -pr-a ls aud industries arc multiplied; stall
| cduottion strike, deeper anr deeper into the
p1pnllr mird aud enlig iten mont searches further
aud nrt into The social fabric; still the stamina
| of sturdy AMI vigorous disposition IN the people
| grow, stronger and stronger. For u while there
| NAV br woaior at tho patience with which the
people endure abuses hat have been ieirlessly OK.
posed AID den 'nnoal Even that which Is
|
freela of inhiN ldual. b. nfriuged. the rig IT'S
of tho public may he disrogardrd. and inqurers NAV
| ask How lDug will Supn sslOn To such things
iastT Tbs fact H. that the p'ope. conscious OF the
! per Get mastery they rIn exert AZ WILL NAV not yet
hlvo cared e. turn ash from other occupations IN
order To apply the check or tue remedy. Yet. after
| "A whilu ryi-doers prrceve that tho seeming in
| Il icrrncc has boon hut temporary. and the people
raise their strong right arm To beat down the cvil
ns with "a scdge-h hammer. or sweep 1t away AZ with
| bosom.
| actcr therr is intensity. Although all American is
,traning his gaze IN many drecti ons and loves TO
| have ~ many objects ~ possible under his Ken
simultaneously still ho ~ Bpt at bending his mind
| strictly tn each object IN turn and hx'ng his
| thnuuhts clossly upon it, His pursuits are many
sided vet respecting all OF them he Is intense. Az
the time, there IL an element "i rc~tcSsness In
tine Am ,ric In chara t'r q tendency e. move nom
place tp place tD change aboos, u turn from one
nursuit to another. The willingness 10 devote "a
lifetime tD u single branch or WORK allotted accord
ing tn minute sub livision OF Labor, tho haOitado
of settling in plrticul ar spot and concentrating
u,on that tho loving care aud the varied resources
Of several generations which are often seen IN older
| countries, will be found but little IN America. Inc
| tne Tendencies and habitudes NAV DO porceptlDlo
nm England and the Eastern States but in the
| CentrI and Western States they are submerged Dy
| the c5nstant flow OF the human tide; "a
): wonll be- .supcrluous to add that with such
people energy ~ PervadnS rs tDr u
vet the energy II impetnous. Is not tumnitnous.
Das,pnate or I-rogulated. Haste may 10 snawn,
bnt there will be method IN II; ana excess Oh Zeal
will bs curbed by sObriety OF calculation. FOR
though an American may not by nature be disposed
to patient deliberatlo, or 10 nlG'Ly pa'iiIo' oal
culatIon vet he ~ cooheaded aud habitually com
mands his presence Of mind. that whenever or
wherever prompttudo is required he rapidly grasps
tbe situation and acts encrgotcay, without being
aurried or confused That the Americans should
have the facutv OF selfgovernment ia hIgh degree,
ia a natural s,ouence This tendency too. has been
promoted by all their political arrangements, ny
the general constitution according to which each
State governs itself. while accepting the tes tlat
LinJ MI the State. tou,tner in tho Union, by the
manner in which many public departments. such as
eucation manage themselves In no other country
of equal civilization the establishments Tor lhe
on iorcement of internal order conducted on so econ