The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-16

Robert OF Paris &c was not really meant
for an insult; and when an EnRlish woman CON
graduated an American on speaking without
return on not dropping her HIS. Our hand land
be- SeI ju nH%Sr By 7 insniSsr sg%oSucSSoPie;D Il may conceal
q true heart, What Is sorcly needed Is m0re
g GoIng @e snd as isV we'll ms Americans coming Vast
and moro friendships between individuals and
moro understanding one of the other. IT ought
that he is travelling among y bright. emotional,
kind hearted, sensitive people; and It might be
their guest belongs to the Same stock, where 1t
is quite honest and grateful, but proud and shy,
What lends a peculiar character TO American
plicity; and a traveller does feel that his idealo OF
democratic citizenship has been in one partfcu-
foreigner that the States lose b, not having,
service, Of incorruptiblo honor, Of trained states.
manship: IN another way the states sor ram nabi ~
DUTY SSty.ib% BECAUSE %s the rulers arc not a caste, do not
give themselves airs, arc affablo, and accessible.
Tho indotlnable atmosphere which SURROUNDS one
off, which he broathes with evident, relish, but
which is rather rare for ordinary lungs, can.
life. A citizen is Summoned from his bank or
Office or mandatory or from the, editors chair
10 sG 10 a s certain family or even e because he has
much personal influence, but because he, Is tho
best man for the post. He Is not changed Dy inc
sudden elevation, and 10 exactly the same man
in Washington MS he was n month ago In Boston
or Chicago. When his term Of office ts over, no
withdraws to the ranks again, and has not in his
talk tho note OF a bureaucrat. No man with
common sense tries to stand apart in the states.
or hedge himself round with ceremony. One can
speak with a Cabinet Minister or a millionaire,
or a railway President-one of the most powerful
functionaries in tho land-or even an editor,
without difficulty, and with no necessity for
obsequious observances. Policemen and car
conductors wear n uniform, and the Judges OF the
Supreme Court wear n black gown. No other man
wears any official dress outside the army, and
eScept at West Point the army is invisible.
There Is no sentinel ut the White House, no POI
llceman, no gay-colored lackeys, and. 1t is q
pleasant surprise to find perhaps the most
autocratic ruler in the world except the
Gear living as q, private gentleman. Per
haps there may DO too littlo privacy. In
American life. and it might be some time
before an Englishman could, make up his
mind to live SO much in the open, where
one cannot refuse himself to any person
surely some slight danger that life SO unshielded,
next day in the newspapers, is likly to become
common and vulgar. A visitor can detect a
wistful desire for shelter and quietness among
thoughtful Americans, even u pardonable am
bition for color and stateliness. As years go by,
II is not unlikely that public functions may DO
marked with u certain regulated ponlp. and hlgh
officials use a Just authority; but the chief
dignity OF democracy must always be its severe
and august simplicity-the strength which comes
from the mind and conscience of an intelligent
and free-born nation.