New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-15
AN ENGLIsHMAN ON BRYCE AND AMERICA
From The london spectator.


Mr.. Bryce maintains that except In four or nve
cities, and among the negroes-whom he Throughout
refuses TO discuss, and evidently regards as unclV
iized men-there is universal wellbelDg, universal
content universal hope, and universal pleasantnesS
of temper. Life in America he declares. is In
most ways pleasanter, easier. simpler than IN Eu-
rope; floats In sense of happiness Ike that OF
radiant summer morning." This opinion. which. OF
course, embodies world Of appreciation, Mr. Bryce
repeats even to wearsome repetition, the note
which dierentIates America from Europe; and though
not In any way blind TO the physical advantages en-
loved by Americans 10 the exbiarating charact tor
Of their climate the influence OF which has not been
half enough studifd, he attributes most Of this
diffusion of happiness TO the character OF American
institutions. which have given the people not only
disposition to be kindly and make themselves pleas
This is the sum and substance Of Mr. Bryce's iudg-
ment and we win not dispute with him on facts.
We should ourselves have said that born Americans
wsoT N eS Women wsSo cruelty S
that there everywhere In the Union want Of that
owing to the monotonous uniformity Of American
careers thoughts. and scenery which Mr.. Bryce FULLY
admits, the nterestingness OF life had almost boon
against Mr. Bryce's. We have only studied. while
he has studied and seen too. wo content ourselves
with II all. The wealth of land would be the same
under any government. and so would be the exhll-
II genuinely accepted, makes life lighter to those
who, like the English, feel Inequalities too much
and who waste life In efforts to rise 20 tho
topmost strata; but so far as the equality Is real
It is the result of Democracy. and not OF Federalism
system without Federalism. and instead Of adding
State 10 State had added Of counties 10 scores
of counties, and of cities scores Of cities
sll remaining dependent a central and powerful
Legislative and Executive, would they have been
less happy7 Our contention is that they would have
been happier, for that equality would have been
equally secured that National pride and The sense
of National work TO be done would have brought
their best men to the top that their statesmen would
have been greater, their judges ulster. their laws
Sro%S o %n hssS os er
make for happiness would all have remained intact
while those elements which make for littleness would
have been far less potent than they now We
leave aside the great question whether happiness
IS the true end OF man. and accepting for the moment
the dctum that success only be tested by its
effects happiness. we affirm that the total result
of the most careful reading OF Mr. Bryce's great boz
upon impartial minds VIII be thai Federalism has
injured instead Of benefting democracy in America.
and has reduced not increased. tho attraction OF its
example to the nations OF the older world. This
effect will be all the more powerful because It is
unintentional, the author evidently agreeing with
the majority that IN America Federalism was the
inevitable form Of government