New-York tribune., 1895-02-10
SIXTY YEARS AGO.
AMERICAN LIFE THEN AND NO"'

perbaos Americans have so far outgrown tneir
first chi.dshness as TO be abe 10 cohsider wiz
some degree Of calmress the criucisms "n'c"
s,xtv wears ago aroused their patriotic Indignation.
When Mrs Trollope visited the United states '"e
specous philosophy OF jefferson. glorifed In the
uncouth assertiveness of Jackson. held fuii swa!'
The backwoods had conquered the olen'"eu IRA,
,i,ior y. purltanisn John Quincy Adams had
heen bcaten because "ie was TOO much Vi sc''''
man" Like a bumptious boy, aware OF MS iN'""
.uritv vet compelled to play the man. the youhe
giant of the West was extremely sensitive 20 INC
orrion NJ his elders and sought TO make sure MS
somewhat doubtful position by loud prociaiha''on
of his accomplishments. The united H'"'ea ''
not start on with aggressive comhion"e''.
England which Mrs. Tro.ope ala nor ''S'' "''o
she might somewhat have modihed her "e"'
revor was .ntlrely given up TO that jealousy U.
,,,,,,a rho Washngtons Hamtons ana
Marshas, who the real mouiders VI o'
Government we're not apostles OF theore,'cai
democracy but were progressive AhSlo-odAo"s'
adapting wcIl-tried institutions TO ne" coHui''o'''
The Revolution fought, rot ior aDsIa'' -
cipes but in defence OF vested rights. Inc "a
,nos NJ Rousseau became later In this country '"e
theories of dreamers and then the vocabulary VI
demagoeues And their words fel. on fruitful SOIL
Tho fronticrsman has no blessings OF paternaisHi'
but ,,ust be sufficient to himself The WOODS teach
him his supremacy and the philosophy "no' ~.
clares IT grows up unformulated IN MS fh'H"' ~
has never seen his superior IN the t"i''s' '""'
come in his way He hears that he has none
Naturally he believes. and is found scorn'"s 'e
nnements watch he lacks himself.
rho picture which this Englshwoman drew OF
America was not an agreeable one. Sne naturahy
found a Western town in the process OF e'oiu.io'
from a stump patch not mucn to her Hh'"s' -'.e'
her study she frankly avowed; 1 90 ho' "he
them do not like their principles. 90 not
like their manners do not like their opinions;
sctiOnS
y, exncrience not on prejudice Some OF her
criticisms were not well founded. Her defence OF
caste was a traditional confession OF lalth ""io"
would sound queer in Britain to-day. her views
Of a State Church seem almost ridicuious, eve"
allowing the truth OF her pictures OF the rehs'oos
condition OF America. The present state OF 'he
churches on both sides of the ocean best answers
ber contention Her Ideas OF what the Fathers OF
the constitution really meant to accomplish were
exceedingly crude. though perhaps not more 80 '"a'
tbose OF many OF her American compeers. some
Western ways which merited her dlspleasure nave
been outgrown. Women are no longer the hohe"-
,i,cs she found them. She predicted much I'M
movement should the women OF America ever
discover what their power might be- They nave
discovered and all Europe confesses TO their fas-
cnaton Men aud women have ceased to eschew
each others society. and the hat-cheated weakihs
with blank intelligence is not the typical girl OF the
prcsent We are not ungenal. as she thought US
7
The struggle for freedom had meant too much'
Indian raids from the Canada frontier and the
war brought about by unjust aggression on the sea
were TOO recent to admit OF general cordia"'y 10
the English critic For the best OF reasons ge"ai-
ity was a little much for Britons TO expect
IL must have existed among the people themselves
An allied trait the easy going habit OF allowing
one.s self 10 he imposed upon without resentment,
cxcept (or complaint in the offenders absence she
noted I'm its beginnings Since then 1t has as
suncl alarming proportions. ana may ne r"nhe'
as a national vice Whether 1t be good nature
or lazy selfishnoss IL has certainly de'eoP'u Va"
workmcn bad servants. bad government, and mas
lowered tho value OF character by permitting the
acceptance Of debased moral currency.
ro-d,v We are able 10 consider Mrs. Trollopes
s,rlctures not as personal criticisms. but as ques-
tions Of fact: perhaps We may even so lar eNe'os'
lntro.pecii0n a. TO see II some OF me thhss s"e
.ad are not true OF us still. even w'tn 'he arue"
refinement o. half a century. Here detail. there
a conclusion was erroneous: but for the most par
she SAW clearly and II she Judged harshiy at Inc
same time she judged justly. Americans ooa".eu
of their education but mass were utterly Will
on, culture despising as O.d-Nord frppery every
hing hut the l,te they had earned Nor have they
changed entlre.y one who has heard iearheu pr'-
fesso, and Doctor of Divlnty within decade pro-
rounce The reading OF Chaucer "pedantic anecta-
tlon' is not at al surprised a, Mrs. Irol.opes sa
want who thought the Queen Annes men eht"c''
gone By" and found nothing but oDscehity III 'hane-
speare And the voice Of young schoo! comes no"
from Boston. procaiming the intelligence OF '"'
praIrle cabins to he the final court OF literature
Il, ideas or the pre.cnce to IDEAS, prevail In the
United States? Diffusion OF knowledge Is something
10 be highly prlzei but f' 1t an unmNed p'ess"s W
have it conferred ~ such a way rs to make com
moners the standard The Greek did not th'hR
II Is terrible indictment that the traveller brings
against American manners and most convincing
array of facts with which she secures co"''c'o"'
II Is A repulslve picture hardly TO nave peeh eN-
poctel from a woman's pen. and the shame was ''a'
IN, original should have been forced upon woman y
.as Tho wonder IA that from such basis OF vu-
c,rtv Intemperance and coarseness there came
The decent II not always polshed' reSpec'ao"''s
wnlch to-day charlc;er2es the American peope 's
a whole Only a good deal OF stern ana "o.ld virtue
could have brought Il forth az al from mat semi
narb,risnn OF backwoods life. days contact with
, crowd of the present. with its drinking lts spN-
,,,c ia resentment Of rc;lcence and rs frequent
lack NJ personll rcanesnen; leaves an experience
,rlc, c,uses a shudder At ihe thought of what must
have been the meeting with company OF t"'e's
and planters on a Mississippi! steamboat III isZS'
she thought our financial morality 'ow o'hct
,o,,. might push acuteness to the verge OF nom
80. h,, robody but the Americans would be touni
b,asting OF IT, And Il must be admitted 'hat 'he
favor accorded To the successful shhrper anu ''e
tendency not to question how money Is oV'aine" ~
lcng as II is obtained within the letter oi 'ne III"
are though not particularly American at 'edst 'har-
ac,erist.c OF American society II Is Ulte 10 Say
thlt the same elastic code OF morals apphes 10 odr
nol,tIcs Mrs Trollope compaired that the most
intelligent classes mix wondrously !;te with the
high matters OF state. which they seem TO ieave
rather ~uplne.y to their taors and tinkers' Inc
same cry goes up every hand still except that II
Is no; co.ored by class prejudice but Is based on
the too frequent preiomnance permitted 10 'he
IA, th. biphpr lower
ie,v LET every man have a hand In making the
laws and no man be troubled about keeping them.
was her Interpretation Of the popular spirit; and the
calm acquiesccnce which Is yet manifested IN all
kinds OF lawlessness from lynching In the West ana
fraudulent elections In the South to corporation loot
Ing I'm Wall Street and general lack of obedience 70
m reo,atons bv even the respectable citi-
ms In o,r cities makes her words seem prophetic