The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-23
IDEAS OF FOREIGNERS.
propLr VINO HAZE MEYER
Rrry ~ AMERICA THINK
c.,cernins our Own Free Land-Count
Maurice lie Maany Tell of Predjudices
That Exist on Both Sides.


w., s,,hiect ~ Foreigners" Allow me
tarn 10 your readers the other side
- the picture by giving them the ideas
49, thc United States which foreigner
f.s before leaving home, and by showing
BOW they are modified by some years of
,.uscncc in the country. Having been
l-,,ehi up In France and having travel
b., through America for the last few
vars can at least claim 10 speak on
-r.t tome from personal experience.
In inc nrst place what is IL that OF
,.te has set the tide OF travel among
cu-atcd Europeans towards America?
V0n. some Of IL arises from the mere
l.to Of travel. That desire 10 travel has
is To a not infrCQucnuy In n suspicion
t.at living within the small circle Of
friends and kindred and within the mar
r.W area Of ones own country, must
send 20 produce narrowness OF ideas.
There is a consequent ambition to
broaden ones views and TO increase ones
sef-rchance by a personal study Of for
c'cn lands. And many things now tend
o. turn the thoughts OF the travellers 10
America Such are. first. the great num-
- - books. more or less truthful and
t~-rarfial. that have been written about the
United states and read in Europe. These
have eiven US many new ideas concerning
this country.
second. The many Americans who
o. spend the summer Some of them go for,
cr,3omy. others for pleasure and instruc-
zion. other stu 10 spend immense sums
o. money. They all leave behind them
an impression OF great wealth.
Third. The facilities Of transportation
and the comfort 10 be found nearly every
where now in travelling. OF course, the
ideas given I'm me books are often false;
a0d the impressions left inaccurate as
fsr as their ration and country are con-
cerned. But these circumstances. at least.
have the advantage Of opening 70 Ger
tain extent the eyes or foreigners nut
the chief thing that makes America and
Ar,ricans interesting TO Europeans is that
they possess for them the attraction and
fascination Of the unknown.
I mean this in ell the extent or the
word feel ashamed 10 acknowledge II,
but / must confess that the educateu
class IN. France has but very vague Ideas
Of North America
the coast OF Maine. the mist that so often
a. the cou1nanion Of dawn? Like a cur
rain Of iron gray velvet. IL conceals the
land from our eyes. Then suddenly the
curtain. raised by an invisible hand. gives
Us a glimpse. only a glimpse, or curlousy
traped Deaks and ghostly looking trees,
s-5 then falls again over 1t all. Well the
sss that a Frenchman has or America
reminds me OF this glimpse.
lie cannot realize the vast imnensity
~ the continent, nor has ne any adequate
ct-coption OF its geography or OF the real
character Of its people. II stands Def IRE
IFS eyes like a colossus behind black
vail II dark forests as II II were mourn
irc 10y anticipation the fate that awaits
tie COURAGEOUS explorer. who VIII be
clasped in its overlooking grasp and Will
lie forever IN its unfathomable depths.
The four centuries Of the discovery seems
reduced 10 the four quarters OF moon
and the new Columbus sails for land
where I'm HIS mind. tribes OF savages
and Indians-unciviliZed on account OF
their nomad instincts-and outcasts Of
European nations dwell In virgin forests
and wooden cities.
The focus Of the European mind cannot
take I'm your vast distances. II Is in a
state - utter confusion. knowing indeed
that the most far away States are the
limbs Of a single body. But as TO the
distance between the head and feet, it
has no conception whatever.
The apprehension Of imaginary dangers
IS in proportion 10 this narrowness OF
ideas. and adds. perhaps. to the attraction
Of going to the United States. which,
notwithstanding all. are for him the prom
isei land. the land OF lberty-a land Of
gold and precious stones. which must
satisfy his craving for the unattainable
wandering spark.
slowly slowly. with the majesty Of
the wave itself the floating city moves
away towards the unknown. carrying on
our friend the foreigner" Goodbye ia
our hero. going so recklessly 10 his death
n / Judge by the relatives or friends.
standing on the end of the pier, and wav-
ing handkerchiefs so dripping wet with
tears that they refuse TO flap at all
10 tn, nd RrIc
his first unpleasant experience in the
New World does not come from meeting
an Indian. or a buffalo. or a grizzly bear
But ne finds that here, as everywhere
society is infested with certain creatures
who show good deal Of the disposition
of the Indians 10 attack those within their
reach. He soon discovers that the ma
tional antipathies which in ancient times
made everyone. not OF their own people
barbarian for the Greeks and Romans
has not disappeared under the influence
~ evolution. | frankly admit that IL
the foreigner who lands on these shores
IS sometimes met by an exhibition OF
rnmistakable national prejudice. he brings
along with him his own share OF that
feeling
And 7 call n prejudice. because Il is
judgment which is formed beforehand.
which is based upon mutual misunder-
standing and which leads, at first at
least. 10 a mutual distrust That this
Is the true cause IS proved by the fact
that II can disappear upon better ac-
que.ntance. I should be ungrateSlI for
American hospitality II / did not believe
his 10 be true. Moreover on both sides.
and perhaps even more on the American
side II is sometimes the result OF expe-
rience with adventurers who have re-
ceved an undeserved hospitality. accord
81 on the belief that a title, more or less
authentic. makes a gentleman Now, In
self-defense, an attitude OF distrust is
assumed towards those who bear a title
or even an aristocratic name. The gen.
eraization is not fair.
As an illustration OF the kind OF pre-
iudice refer TO- we may take that ex-
Ierience Of a Distinguished Foreigner
landing I'm New York. II his name has
-a arstocratic sound II he has a pre-
fontable physique and a fair suit OF
clothes he becomes public property. His
name. very often badly speSt made
longer by a proposition or titles, appears
under startling heading In widely
read morning paper. and the walls OF the
Imperial City" re-echo the trumpetins
~ the press Men OF fashion-good Heav-
ems, Of what fashion ?-assemble as II for
counsel OF state around table al
Delmonico's and discuss the new conner
who. is he? Where did he come from
Why did he leave his country The
voice Of prejudice chimes In: He Is ar
adventurer-a nobody; he had 10 ieaV'