The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-30
FRENCH EYES IN AMERIcA.

FRENCH EYES IN AMERICA.
A distinguished Frenchman, one of
the Forty Immortals has been among
US taking notes. He has been happy
in the choice of a title for them. 1t is
"Outre Mer," the same title that Long
travel
From the first installment of "Outre
Mer," tthe New York Herald is publish
ing it, it seems that NJ. Bourgeois visit
to the United States was for the object
'of studying the people socially rather
than politically. So soon as he was
aboard ship, bound for Americas shores,
ne found himself at once in Yankeeland.
He notes first that in the nasal Eng
lish he hears spoken the word "well'
has replaced the yes and that it
.recurs incessently. That which attracts
him to America is not America herself;
1T is Europe and it is France; it is his
anxiety concerning those problems in
which the future of Europe and France
is enveloped. He finds there are three
great forces at work. They are: De-
.Of universal suffrage he says:
Universal suffrage, that ii to say,
the stupid tyranny of force of number,
the most blind and the most unjust
that is the regime which democracy
has established everywhere it has
triumphed.
As yet we know not how he will view
American institutions, having given
such definition of universal suffrage,
the very corner stone of our govern
ment. We like his exposition of the
race idea much better. 1t is clear,
succinct, comprehensive.
The idea of race, in fact. and which
seemed SO generous, so logical when
considered through the flashes of the
cannon at Sebast0pol, into what men,
ace of barbarism has it fallen today
when that entire Europe of pro-
gress is nothing more than a series of
entrenched camps, where millions of
men stand behind charged cannons
awaiting the hour of an determination
such as history has not previously
known.
And all this in the name of home,
brotherhood, and fatherland,
NJ. Bourget found the study of faces
on board interesting in the extreme.
And how aptly, and with what grace
of compliment, he characterizes this
American race which is but a COM
mingling Of all races. ''All the diverse
metals run into this Corinthian bronze
the American race"
He finds a poetry in democracy, not
that of the Greek, but the dark and
violent poetry of modern times which
gives you a shiver.''
A friend who babe him goodbye in
London told him he would want to
return by the first boat. This friend
had been in the United States, but
only remained five days. On his return
he said he was not able to stand the first
blow" NJ. Bourget did not follow his
example. An American friend, Pro-
fessor E. N, of Cambridge, 1--WE won
der if it was Professor Eliot Norton)
endeavored to persuade him to call his
diary american Shocks that it
might contrast with his italian I'M
pressions." 1t was a humorous sugges-
ton, and helps to enlive the narrative.
New York seemed to impress him
much as it impresses most foreigners.
Central Park he calls the Bots de Bou-
logne of New York. In the Park he
notes particularly the absence of
also of rags. He cannot re-
frain from thinking that this civiliza-
ton presents to him who sees it for the
first time, in passing and without pre-
judice, many more signs of maturity
than of beginning or of cropping at
tempts.'
He was introduced to the Players
club, and the Impressions there re-
ceived caused him to make these two
very striking remarks:
You must hear the Americans use
the word Art" without the article to
the profound ardor with
which he experiences the desire to re-
fine himself.
Maybe the Americans hold to Shake
speare with even more passionate fibre
than the English.
From New York he went to Newport.
but his impressions of that famous
watering place. are not given. They
viii be awaited with interest. Thus far
all of NJ. Bourgeois impressions seem to
nave been pleasant.
More than fifty years ago it was a
Frenchman who came to this country
md studied our institutions. At that time
il was thought that free people man.
aging their own affairs under a republic
can form of government had discovered
the means of abolishing the evils
and hardships to which man is subject.
So long as man is that means will never
De found. De Tocqueville thought that
equality" could do everything, and his
work is largely in praise of equality.
How differently Bourget thinks of uni
Fersal suffrage.
We have lost that desire for favorable
by foreigners that was so
noticeable some fifty years ago. Their
comments and the views they express
are now matters for comment and
by US. It furnishes us an
other point of view from which to
ourselves. We have
learned that the test of human govern
ment in one form is no test for it in
another form, and that all Judge by
The standards by which they live. AS
we have grown bigger and widened our
horizon, we have become
ess provincial, and while half a century
ago we were angered by Martin
and the American Notes"
Today We smile at our anger and Won
Ter how it could have been. We laugh
1ow where we frowned then, which
shows we are more philosophic.
IT COUNTS a GOOD DEAL.