Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-19
CONAN DOYLE ON AMERICA.
The English Novelist Tells HIS Countrymen
Some Cold. Hard Facts.

The English Novelist Tells HIS Countrymen
Some Cold, Hard Facts.
The present cbullition Is only ono Of
those rocurront crises which have marked
the whole history of tho two nations. Tho
feeling is always smoldoring, and tho least
breath of discussion sets it in blaze. l
believe, and have long believed, that tho
greatest danger which can threaten our
empire Is tho existence of this spirit OF
hostility in nation which is already great
and powerful, but which Is destined to be
far moro so in the future. Our statesmen
have stood too long with their faces to-
ward the cast. To discern our best hopes
rs well as our gravest dangers they must
turn tie other way.
AS to the cause of this feeling, It Is not
so unreasonable as Englishmen usually
contend. 1t is the fashion among us to
apportion tho blame between tho Irish
American and the politician who Is in
search of his vote. But no such superficial
explanation rs this can cover tho fact that
the governors of 80 American states should
unhcsitatingly indorsc a presidential mes
sage which obviously leads straight to war.
A dislike so widely spread and so fierce in
its expression cannot BIO explained by tho
imported luminosity of the Celtic Irishman.
Few Englishmen could DO found now to
contend that we were justified in those
views of taxation which brought on tho
first American war or in the question of
searching neutral vessels, which was tho
main cause of tho second. This war Of
1912 would possibly only occupy two pages
out of 300 in an English history, but 1t
bulks very large in an American one and
has loft many bitter memories behind It,
Then there was tho surly attitude which
England adopted toward the States after
they had won their independence, tho re.
peatcd frictions during the Napolconic
epoch, and tho attack upon an American
frigato by British 80 gun ship in time Of
peace After the war there was tho Flor.
ida dispute in tho time of Andrew Jack.
son, tho question of the Oregon limo, tho
settlement of the Maine and Now Bruins.
wick line and finally the hostile attitude Of
most of our press at tho time of the civil
war. Since then we have had two burn
| ing uucstions-thnt of the Alabama claims
and thnt of the Boring sea flshcries-cul.
minating in this of Venezuela. The his
tory of this country, then, rs 1t presents
itself to an American, is simply long
] succession of qunrrels with ourselves, and
! how can it be wondered ut IL he has now
reached that chronic state of constituencies
and suspicion which we have not outgrown
ourselves In tho case of tho French?
If we are to blame as n community for
somo at least of these unfortunate histor-
| icnl Incidents, we are even more to blame
as individuals for the widespread bitter
ness which Is felt against us. We have
never had n warm, ungrudging word OF
1 heartfelt praise for tho great things which
our kinsmen havo done, for their unwoary.
ing industry their virtues in peace, their
doggcdncss in war, their unparalleled
clcmoncy when the war was over. We
have always fastened upon the small, rude
details and overlooked the great facts be-
hind. In our shocked contemplation OF
an expectoration upon tho floor wo have
lost sight of universal suffrage and equal
education. Our travellers, from Mrs
Trollopc and Dickens onward, have been
surprised that the versatile, hard working
men, who often combined ton trades in
one to adapt themselves to tho varying
needs of raw, growing community, had
not the manners of Oxford or the repost
} Of Sussex They could not understand
that this rough vitality and overbearine
energy which carried them through thcil
task implied those Complementary defect.
which must go with unusual virtues. o.
all English travellers to the States there
was hardly one who did not make mischief
with his "reminiscences until, in our owr
days Mr. Bryce did something to rcctify
tho balance. And our want Of charity
and true insight are the moro inexcusabl,
since no one has written more charmingl,
of England than Washington Irving EN-
crson and Holmes. Our journals ant
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