New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-23
THE CIVILIZED WORLD.
WITH SOME COMMENTS ON THE RELATIONS
OF THE UNITED STATES TO EUROPE.

OE SlAIES ~ ECnOf
London, November 8.
The Easy Chair commentator Of The Spectator
has remark worth quoting on one OF wv"
current manifestations Of sympathy between Eng
land and America / will begin by saying tha''
il my guess as to his identity be right he is one
of the Oldest and truest English friends Oh Amei''
That he is not inseusible TO the greatness VI '"e
United States may be seen from his nrs' Sen'e.0
about Great Britain and her greater deSoenua"'.
The axiom wrapped up in these rev wo'uo 70
obvious to u.s. less obvious to good many hnsNsn
men. Well our friendly commentator is SPEAK
ing Of the various ties that pino 'ue wv"
together, and he asks:
sAre We To consider it another tie In thab
rh.,n which unites the race when the Governor
Of New-York goes out TO welcome Messrs. Dilon
and O,Ryienp To the unsophsticated mind This
is q curious kind of brotherhood; and we wonaer
how the other nations would like 1t were VIC, LOT
example. TO receive deputatlon from Aisaoe-
Iorraiue-which a great many OF us sympaohNe
with immensely-in this way,-the Lord Mayor oi
Toraon ooinq out to fetch them into the City, and
the Aldermen presenting an address about the
German schemes for exterminating the race!"
lie imagines that, in these circumstances, the
German Emperor might express his sentiment"
in style very far from that which an anectiona'e
grandson should use. The civilized world mean'ihe
Mr.. Gladstone's civilized world-wouid ih.ci-
change o glance q shrug Of amazement, WIN d
muttered What could you expect'" linen nc
continues, and the attention Of the Americans WI.
care or do not care, the case may IKE, aoou'
ro,.i,n ouiuion. might be respectfully invited TO
this passage: r..
-Perhaps. however, America can scarcely We
said in this respect to belong to the clV,hzo"
world. She is too far out OF reach OF oaoSe
suubs which ore the natural punishment Oh 'he
fnsolent She is, like other milllonaires' 'eiS
sensitive about consideration for herself WY
indifferent as to the feelings of others
Mr.. Gladstone would be appalled, were he "
know that America is thus coolly ruea ou' VI
that civilized world of which, for his preseh'
Irish nurposes she is the most important part.
Rut what have we ourselves 20 say to II TOT 1
think we may take it for granteu uia' Ne
oninion thus expressed is pretty general opinion
here. Our behavic1 to England on 'he lii9n
question is not, perhaps, very deepiy iesen"u'
buv why is it not? For two reasons cnienS, y,
two beside that spirit of frendliness TO 1he on''u
St,t.s which is certainly the spirit of the great
majority Of the people OF this country -
allowance is made for the Irish vote oecohu,s'
America makes no part of the European world
md ought not to be Judged by European standards
The easy-chair writer might well. had ne oeeh
,oss easv in his manner, have substituted European
world for civilized world. His remark wouiu
thus have lost nothing in force ana nave g"iheN
much in accuracy.
will take as an illustration Of what mean
a less burning question than the lrsh ques''on'
I mean the reception of the ComVe ue A"'.' :"
America. Only the embers OF the question are
now left But we came dangerously near y"
irving deep and, think, just offence 70 r rance
In the end, this was in great part aVoioeu'
seems not 70 have occurred to the American niih',
even the official mind, ct hst thai we haa s'ar'o"
mt on q road where few more steps mlgh1 ha'c
brought aboat serious breach between ohe o,ie
great Republic of Europe and the great fepuoiio
of America. We came to q halt Just IN time nu'
when they heard on the Cuai dOrsay that the
chief Federal officer in New-Yorls. the Collector
Of the Port of New-York had gone down the Lay
in a steamer to meet the Comte de Paris, what
do Won suppose the officials of the French Foreign
Office thought?
Or what do you suppose we should nave
thought, and said too if a civiiity OF this kinu
had been offered by European Power 10 MI.
jefferson Davis at the crisis of the Keoeillon
What did we say to the civities that were actually
offered to Messrs. Mason and Slidel? But
will keep to the jeff Davis analogy because the
analogy is exact; or near being exact as any
political analogy ever is. The Comte de Parls
is the JEFF Davis Of the French Republic, neither
more nor less. True. he has not borne arms
AGAINST his country, but that is solely because
he has never been able to organize an armed
revolution. What we have to look at is the
,p;rit and the spirit of the two men. with ref
rrcnce to their respective countries and govern
ments was precisely the same. Mr.. Jefferson
Davis will figure in history as the more respect
able of the two He had the courage OF his con-
yictions He put his life TO the touch; rlsked
everything a man had TO risk: future and career
as well as life. The Comtc de fars Is
on the other hand, the chief OF
secret conspiracy. He has been plotting
for years against the Republic by every mean ano
underhand device lie was accomplice OF The
most contemplate of all political conspracie' o.
modern times that which went by the name O.
Boulangism lie has avowed it unblushingE
The aim of his life is the ruin of the Republic o
France and he is ceaselessly at work to attain IL
lie has been driven with ignominy from Frenci
soil as a man dangerous TO the peace Of the coun
try and to the settled order Of things and to tina
form of government with which we in Americ;
have the deepest and most just respect.
speak of the Comte de Paris in his public
capacity and character, as Pretender TO the Throne
of France and / have nothing to say about hin
rs .ex-aid-de-camp to General Mcclellan, or his
torian of the Civil War in America, or as tn
private French gentleman whom private indi
viduals chose to welcome and make much OF
There was a moment when the report-I hope ant
believe false report-reached Europe that thi
Pretender to the Throne of France and enemy Z
the Republic Of France was TO be received by TN
President of the American Republic. Untrue a
this report must have been it was, am afraid
believed for awhile. People said, if the Colecto
of New-York is allowed TO offer him official civ
ilities, where will the civilites stop? And then
WINS that, as "a kind of saving clause and in Orde
to excuse people who knew no better, they urge
the plea which quoted above for our Englis
friend. The Americans ere no part Of th
European world; they do not accept the Europea
standard. If they choose TO ignore every rule Q