New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-25
~ EMRODIED FICTION.

We have made n discovery. We have found
embodied a character in fiction. and proudly.
though we hope modestly. we hasten 10 give
him 10 the world In the stress Of n National
crisis Edward Everett Hale sought TO teach
Americans 10 respect their nag. To realize mat
unpatrioic conduct was an awful sin ana To
remember that the commandment: Honor thy
father and thy mother. meant also Honor the
land which the Lord Thy God giveth thee
Everyday was thrilled by the story Of 1.-The
Man Without Country" All the world knows
II now and has asked II that lonely, exiled ofii-
Ger ever did exist The Government annals
contain no record OF him. and The author de-
clares that he was purely creation OF the mag
nation But DR.. Hale. II appears. merely anici-
patcd Il creature who was 10 exist III MS """
beloved New England. Nobody wouid nave
thought It possible. The genius OF the story
teller was admired. bu. it was not TO oe con.
ceiyed that there did breathe man win soui
80 dead" But we have found HIM. lie dis-
tinctlv declines to join in the chorus Ihis II
nv own my native land He has written
about II 10 The Tribune, and his letter II printed
this morning In another column
lie is Mr. j. W. Fitch. and he writes from
Tncasyille. Conn. We never had heard or Tn
casyillc until we read his letter. Our ideas are
n trihc hazy the subject even now. Inc
guide book says there are three ncasvilies Ill
Connecticut. one in the northwest ana ahother
in the southwest part Of the state nave not
vct been discovered by the Posiofficc Depart
ment The third is reported to be hamlet or
200 people in the county of Ncw-London. FROM
tic supcriOr importance II Is fair 10 assume tnat
This Uncasvillc may claim The Man Without n
Country for it's own. Oh. happy town. henceforth
known 10 fame. When such tictions as adam
Hcdc" and Charlotte Temple" have abiding
nlaccs on the earth, surely the home OF an en-
bodied Philip Nolan will not be forgotten. Yet.
take care Perhaps the honor must be fought
for Seven cities thought II worth while 10 he
rivals for the name Of being HOmer's birthplace.
and Fitch is not q less remarkable man He Is
good enough 10 take us somewhat into his con
fdcncc and reveal his engaging traits ~ charac-
fer II was born I'm New England he says,
| ..of Puritan stock. but because thoroughly de-
"spisc the mcancst nation on earth. | am some
times mistaken for an Englishman.' He pro-
cccds 10 dsscci the Yankee character paying
the Americans the delicate compliment Of not
including himself in their number He speaks
Of your Nation" your writer's "your people
with n charming assumption Of distance and
air Of sclf-cffaccment. Then from his vantage
ground Of unprecedented contemplation. unswayed
by ties Of blood. he tells what are. Yankees
boast Of thei" courage. Their last war lasted
-four years. and ended then only because one
party ran short Of recruits. Germany humblcd
France in three months and defeated Austria
lin six weeks. But when were traders ever re-
''nowned as warriors:' What Is your Grand
/ Army hut horde of bcggars:' We Yankees
had thought the war lasted so long because the
Souihcrncrs like ourselves, all being Americans,
were good fighters that the only way To end
the struggle was for side To he worn out
We see now however. that the trouble was that
our country settled by the servants Of
English !radesmen." though we confess We can
not understand how we are 50 bad when the
same stock produced our amable critic. We
learn from him that we do not dare even 10
make fun Of anybody protected 10y Queen Vic
torias bayOnes: that our artists. notwithsand
ing Inness our actors. even jefferson and Booth;
our writers. Holmes. Poe Lowell. Hawthorne,
Longfcllow and the rest are really Of no ac-
count. He gives us much other useful infOrma-
ton which We cannot lnger over, but bcspcak
it's careful considers ton by our readers. Alto
gether We are In . bad wU. and eyslank 10