New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-29
A FAMOUS QUERY.
WHO READS AN AMERICAN BOOK

Who reads an American book?' That 1uerys
made more than seventy years ago, Is often
quoted nowadays with derision but few remember
how, where, and by whom it was put II appears
in The Edinburgh Review" Of January. 1890 IN
a notice Of Adam Seybert's Statistical Annals OF
the United States "a notice which is said TO have
been the work of Sydney Smith.
Here is the famous conclusion Of the article:
Such Is the land of Jonathan-an1 thus has 10
been governed. In his honest endcaN0rs to better
his situation. and in his manly purpose OF re-
sistng injury and insult we most cordially sYm
pathize We hope he VIII always continue to
watch and suspect his Government rs he now dos
remembering that il Is the constant tehd,hcs
Of those ntrusted with power to conceive Una.
they enioy it by their own merits, ana Tor thef
own use and not by delegation and for the heneht
of others. Thus far we are the friends and adj
mirers of Jonathan. But he must not grow yah
and ambitious; or allow himself u Dc dHZled W
that galaxy Of epithets by which hi; orators and
newspaper scribbers endeavOr 10 persuade theh
supporters that they are the greatest the most Ne,
fined, the most enlightened, ana the most moin
people upon earth The effect OF this is unspeaE
ably ludicrOus on this side of the Atantlc-and
even on the other. we should imagine. must
rather humliating TO the REASONABLE part OF tne
population The Americans are brave. indus
trious, and acute people but they have hitherto
given no indications of genius. and made no az
proaches TO the heroic, either in their morally
or character. They are but recent offset lhGees
boast for Dlany generations TO come. that they arc
sprung rom the same race with Bacon and SHAKE
peare and Newton. Considering their nnm~s.
indeed and the favorable clrcnhm sJa ys,
in which they have been placed, they nave !es
done marvellously little 10 assert the honor u
such descent or 10 show that ther hnsSs'
lican training and institutions. Their franShns
and Washngtons. and all the other sageS am
heroes OF their Revolution, were born and orea
subjects OF the King Of England,-and not anols
~ vol Of
since the period o. their separation, far grespi
proportion OF their statesmen and artists eu.
political writer's have been foreigners than 49,, w
occurred before in tho history OF any cNnl.s
and educated people. During the thirty or IOis
years OF their independence, they have done ar
solutely nothing for the sciences for the arts ios
OF politics or political economy Coninlng . guT.
selves IN our own country, and 10 the perod 'iSs
has elapsed since they had an independent ss
istence. we would ask: Where are their i noAes'
their Ilorners. their Wilberforces ?-whers INV
Arkwrights, their Watts. their Days nnd
Robertsons Blairs, Smiths Stewards Paeys SO ",
Maathuses their Porsons, PARIS Burne s,s.ors
Blomiields ?-tlseir ScoaS. ranrpbelIs' H rvS,,S
Moores, or Crabhes ?-thcir Sddonses, hemnrs'
keans, or ONeils ?-their Wilkes L@ufeIIi
Chantrys ?-0r their parallels 70 me huL.' ~
other names that have spread themselves over n
world from our little island il the e eeIG1rS,sS
the last thirty years aud bleSt OF "' Nv OK.
amples? In so far "a we know. there Is -
such parallel 10 be produced from the W." w.,
annals of this selfadulating race. In me ~
quarters of the globe, who reads an Aneln s, !,
book or goes 10 an American play, or ,o"a,
an American picture or statueY Nhat dos.s,
world yet owe 10 American physicians or sqIgeO,Sss
What new substances have their chemls,s u,
covered? or what old ones have they anaHao1Ssi
What new constellation have heen dlseo'.hss
by the telescope OF Americans? What have W. w.
done in mathematics? Who drinks out Of Ane'" ~
glasses or eats from American plates. IN
American coats gOMnSf OF sifP'
American blankets? Finally under whlch %
the old tyrannical Governments OF EurUm
every sixth man slave, whom his fellow eres'u'"
may buy and sell and torture?