New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-09
FOREIGN CRITICS.
THREE FRENCH VIEWS OF AMERICAN
WOMEN

or.rpr NrR Rv Paul Rourge, syo. pp w. 81.
charles Scribncrs sons. ,. -,
THE WOMEN OF TIE LNiTtip lo,9 ~ he r French
by Arabella Ward. Svo' Fp' w. 80 ''''''
Mead x CO. $50 ,,. ,.>.trs-r,
THE c0NpITION OF WOMEN N TiiE al r. -,
Sr ,TI,; Hv Madame Blanc. Translate uy
,bhy Ianelou Aser. Svo. lir -" BOSTON
Roberts BROTHERS.
ma author II "outrc Mer" spent several
months IN America. " Be- Varigny dw"lt here
,,r as many years in the consular service 81
t,r,,c. Ttev are not comparable win respect
- their literary qualities for WIN" NJ. h'"'F't
"a a d.yotoc 81 STYLE. who writes with ihr grace
and tho cl.arn,ss II an accomplished man OF
lo,ters his comga'rlDt's work. AZ least III N'h.-
,at,on. has no charm 81 literary art hut th>
arc men OF the same country who "h'"FN" WI"
Gallo kccnncss the one ~ leisure" t"r "'"'' III
haste; and both illustrate 10 high degree '"'
race inapprchensivcncss when iiin' ana gym
uathy may measurabiy overcome n'' ca"
hardly eliminate. NJ. DC Narigny' long resi-
dcnce has given him deeper knowledge IMAM
Is possesscd by NJ Bourgct. ana more nc
curatc conception 81 America" trans '"' Ia"
insight into character is sometimes almost az
shallow AZ that II the hurried skrtc"'r "'
American society. II Is not that these men 40
not observe with ayidity DO NOT state '''"
which AR. true and even comprehensive III '"''
ecorc-though on that score fault might '''
o,,.nilv be found-but that IN" Interpreting" 90
the facts which they accumulate !" b"S'" "''
cau,c conception 81 motives or an assumption
- an abnormal character. The ff'h'hh""
,orms the same judgment Of TIA" action ~
,or.,ener that he would 81 Frcnchman whom
ne saw doing the same unaccustomed thlng.
I'm America NJ. Hourgct appears I" nave seen
only two phascs Of llic-ihat which Is apihr-
yesticated under the protection 81 Inc ponce
Roth reflect national virtues and national wees.
I'm, hv M means without distortion. Inc
socialist disciple Of Karl Marx and the cowboy
who shoots strangers at sight receive in"'h NJ
tention as representatives. Of what NJ h'nfsc,
calls the the lower orders" week III SET
,lemcnt ~ intelligent Ncw-England or ONO
farmers would have given him deeper '''S'f"'
into the future Of American democracy IMAM an
the disauistions he heard on the coming '"SS
conflict NJ Hourgct himself has some h'u""
Of this. for he quotes Archbishop Ireland view"
or the sturdy common sense ana patrl"'lS" vi
tho American workmcn; but over against 'h'"'
ne sets the opinion Of those WI" thlhh NV
York and Chicago are the United states ana
having seen the cities. he Is Inclined l" b"''N'
the fermentation there the sign OF a i'" h'-
,to,o, movement The force 81 that fcrmcnta-
he
ito character well enough. lie has met 1t AT
home and finds it here "All these landed nut
yesterday. may. indeed. dye themselves with
Amerlcanism which for them generally means
70 drop of the feeble remnant OF moral preju-
die. which chung to them from their previous
uf. II would be folly To suppose that
their ideas have changed. their deepest aspira-
tions been modified. their souls. In fact. meta
,oornbosed" He finds that the marvellous as
similating power Of our people Is being over
t,xed and recognizes what We have been slow
! ia belevc-thc danger OF transplanting the race
hostiIities Of Europe To "A broader heid. fr"-
| tests against the solidarity OF Immigrant bodies
| are often attributed here To narrowness. but n
| sharp-eycd foreigner naturally tolerant or
| transplantcd European customs ana IDEAS,
warns us Of the danger Of letting Amcricansm
become subordinate to the appeals of the dcma-
/ gogue for the support OF class or a national
ity or Of permitting the American tradition OF
individualism to bc swallowed up by central
lied associations founded on European theories.
What the French understand by democracy Is
something vastly different from the American
Republic. There the desire Of the majority Tor
the moment. however oppressive Is considered
democratic but here the conservative restrc-
tons on governmental action give individual
levelIing but a perpetual advance Of every per-
son according to his ability. 1t Is leaving men
untrammelled for their work. something quite
contrary to the centralizing ideal, which. accord
ing to NJ. Bourget In the one matter Of educa-
ton combines independent institutions and
robs teaching Of its vitality by bureaucratic
! system which shows the wrctched tyranny
OF the work Of 49, essentially hostile to all lib
! erty destructive OF all living energy.
So much he is able TO see. perhaps. because h.
came here with a preccnception which happened
| to accord with the facts. But the sketch OF q
chase for an escaped negro murderer. confessedl>
dressed up to make a short story. Is not picture
| OF Georgia life Observation would be considered
wofully at fault which founded theory o.
| French provincial life on Tartarin. Yet NJ Bour
| get spreads over thirty pages OF chapte
which purports to be a serious study Of society," a.