Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-04-16
CONAN DOYLE ON AMERICA.
From a Man Who Has Perceived the
Causes of Our Antipathy.

To the Editor of the Times: An Eng
lishman who travels in the United
States comes back, according 10 my ex-
perience. with two impressions, which
are so strong that they oYershadow ell
others. One is OF the excessive kind
ness which is shown to individual Eng
lishmen. The other Is OF the bitter
feeling which appears to exist both in
the press and among the public against
his own country. The present ebulli-
tion Is only one of those reCurrent
crises which have marked The whole
history Of the two nations. The feel
ing is always smouldering and the
least breath of discussion sets it in a
blaze. | believe, and have long be-
lieved, that the greatest danger which
can threaten our empire Is the exist
ence of this spirit of hostility in ma
lion which is already great and power
full, but which is destined to be far
more so In the future. Our statesmen
have STOOD TOO long with their faces
toward the east. To discern our best
hopes as we'll as our grayest dangers
they must turn the 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 the blame be-
tween the IrishAmerican and the poll.
tician who is in search Of his vote
But no such superficial explanation as
this can cover the fact that the COVER
nors of thirty American states should
unhesitatingly indorse d presidential
TO war A dislike 50 widely spread and
so fierce in its expression cannot be ex-
planned by the imported anlmosity OF
the Celtic Irishman.
Few EnglishmeG could be found now
TO contend that we were justified in
those views of taxation which brought
on the first American war, or in the
question of searching neutral vessels,
which was the main cause of the sec
ond. This war of 1872 would possibly
only occupy two pages out OF 500 in an
English history, but it bulks very large
in an American one, and has left many
bitter memories behind it, Then there
was the surly attitude which England
adopted toward the states after they
had won their independence, the re-
peated fricrions during the Napoleonie
epoch. and the attack upon an Ameri-
can frigate by British fifty-gun ship
In time of peace. After the war there
was the Florida dispute in the time OF
Andrew Jackson, the question of the
Oregon line the settlement Of the
Maine and New Brunswick line. and,
finally, the hostile attitude of most of
our press at the time OF the civil war.
Since then we have had two burning
questions-that of the Alabama claims
and that of the Behring sea fisheries,
eliminating in this of Venezuela. The
history of his country. then, rs It pre-
sents itself 10 an American is simply
a long succession Of quarrels with our
selves, and how can 1t be wondered at
IL he has now reached that chronic
state IF constituencies and suspicion
which We have not outgrown ourselves
in the case OF the French?
If we are to blame as community
for some at least of these unfortunate
historical incidents, we are even moro
to blame az individuals for the wide
spread bitterness which IS felt against
lis. we have never had warm. TN
grudging word of heartfelt praise for
the great things which our kinsmen
have done. for their unwearying indus
try, their virtues in peace, their dog
gedness III war. their unparalleled
clemency when war was over. We have
always fastened upon the small, rude
details and overlooked the great facts
behind. IN our shocked contemplation
of an expectoration upon the floor VIZ
have lost sight OF universal suffrage
and equal education. Our travellers
from Mrs. TrolIope ard Dickens on
ward, have been surprised that the YER
satile hard-working men, who often