New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-15
THEY DON'T LIKE US.
HOW FOREIGNERS REGARD AMERICANS.

TO the Ed itor OF Ihe III u he
Sir: Arc Americans popular in Europe ?" That
i \ oucstion frequently addressed 20 foreign vsi-
,,,,s in the United States and one which embar
,asses them considerably For it is difficult TO reply
truthfully to the inquiry. especially when, as IS
often the case il is put by some charming Amer-
can woman How is it possible TO be utterly
sraceIess as TO inform her that her cOuntrymen
and countrywomen are quite the reverse of popular
on the other side of the Atlantic? And yet such IS
the case
The causes Of this unpopulari,y are manifold,
and while some are 10 the credit rather than 70 the
disadvantage of the American character. others
are not Among the former, those most worthy
of note are the freshness and vgOr Of the American
mind, the restless activity of the American intel
lect. and above all the independence which you
Americans enjoy Of that thradom Of tradition,
usage and convention which subjects us TO
tyranny far more dcspotic than that of the En-
peror Of Russia Not that we object TO this
tyranny: on the contrary. we like il. Born and
bred under its sway it has become part and parcel
of our very existence. and European society, being
essentially conservative, reSents any attempt 10
remove its letters much in the same manner as
the half-demented nuns immurcd i'll the terrible
convent of the Buried Alive at Naples resented
their liberation by the Royal authorities from
based upon the system Of aristOcracy and is con-
stitued in the main Of classes enjoying privileges
not accorded TO the masses. What wonder, then,
that we should regard with a not altogether
friendly eye a people who have done in the past
and are still doing all that is possible 10 de-
privc of cherished privileges 1t was the
importation of American ideas by Franklin
Lafayette ard tutti quaint which brought about
the great revolution in France, and which struck
the first great blow at the rights and privileges of
the aristocracy-a blow from the effects of which
IL has never recovered; and since then every sue
ceediDg year has witnessed the arrival from the
New World of a fresh consignment of American
doctrines, calculated to render our masses dis
satisfied with their lot and anxious to deprive the
classes of their special privileges. An American, if
true to his National characteristics Of progress and
independence is viewed by European society
much in the same light European is looked
upon by the Chinese Mandarins of the old school
That is to say, We admire his genius and his
progressiveness-but prefer to do at a dis
tance and in an abstract manner, knowing full
well that they are calculated to affect injurousy
all our system of caste and class
IT, on the other hand, the American, in the hope
of inSratiating himself with European society,
abandons those typical American characteristics
which we are forced to respect and admire, Though
We do not love, he generally succeeds i'll earning
for himself a contempt akin TO that all men
are accustomed to feel for renegadeS To put the
matter briefly, we do not like Americans, but we
respect and admire them. We, however not only
dislike but also dcspise, those Americans who,
with social aims in view, affect TO regret their
nationality and appear ashamed of their American
birthright.
Arother great cause for the unpopuarity of
in is 10 almost
incredible ignorance which prevails there with
regard to everything connected with the New
World. IT was only the other day that | re-
ceived letter from man who had Just taken
high honors at Oxford, which bore the address of
Philadelphia Massachusetts, Imagine the ridlcule
which an American letter addressed TO Manchester,
County of Sussex, would excite IN England
A few years ago of the most famous OF Eng
lish historians and scientists, who had come over
10 deliver a course of lectures at Boston and In
other New-England cities, was extremely sur
prised and disappointed to discover on his arrival
that he would be unable TO execute his PROJECT o.
running down from Boston to West Virginia every
Sunday afternoon, for the sake of spending the
Sabbath with one of his married daughters who
lived there Until he arrived in this country
he fondly imagined that West Virginia was
only about two hours ride by rail from Boston.
Nor shall | ever forget the cold shiver which
passed down my back when at a grand dinner
given in MAYFAIR shortly after President Garfield s
assassination one of the most popular and best
known leaders of London society inquired III all
V innocence Of an American general who was pres
ent whether poor Mrs Garfield, OF whom an AWFUL
portrait had just appeared III the Engiish Illus
trated papers was not negress Inc question
was put during one of those sudden ana Pecu4l"4
pauses of conversation which not altogether
orfla gn1N Fl 1Qh
ore populary believed to result from one of the
persons present having inadvertently crossed his
or her feet underneath the table. felt The
Mood rushing ND 10 nv face with notification
while with castdown eyes | heard the gallant
ceperal who retained his cquanimity in mar
ve,lous manner explain with gentle and winning
courtesy 10 Lady c. that, Notwithstanding the
crinkly hair, high cheeNboncs and tmcK Ups
with which the London illustrated papers mao
endowed the features OF Mrs. Garfield the m"i.
dered Presidents widow was not negrcsS' ano
that nm 70 that time at any rate no lady Of coiol
had ever vet held sway as mistress OF the "mtt
House and first lady of the land.
These are but two small illustrations of the
dense Ignorance that prevails even among th'
most highly educated Europeans concerning Amer
;ca And ignorance is invariably allied to preju
dice. To such an extent does the latter eAlS
in foreign society that, Cot content with know
ing Nothing about the United States, II refuse
to learn. Several of the great metropolitan news
papers Of the Old World, including The LondoI
Telegraph" and "ChIonicle," the Paris Figaro
ana Temps" the Cologne Gazette and Others
of similarly great importance and circulation have
attempted the publication of letters. from Amer
lea and have abandoned them within twelve
months IN CONSEQUENCE of what the editors ant
proprietors describe as the popular lack OF inter
EST and indifference 70 American AFFAIRS. Nor VII
any American acquainted with life abroad Accuse
me Of cNaqgeration when | assert that the ma
jority CT men and women Of the leading classes
In London. Paris. Berlin and Vienna are lgnoIan
Of even the name of Mr.. Blaine and OF his office
and would be unable 10 give satisfactory reply
to an inquiry as the name of the present Che
Magistrate of the United Statcs certain ian
vnid interest has been created in the fate OF thu
redskins by childhood memories of FcnimOre Coop
er's novels and by Buffalo Bills Wild West show
and this has recently taken the form of unlveTSl
expression Of sympathy for the Indians in their con
hct with the Federal troops But the majority o