New-York tribune., 1900-08-06
ENGLISH EXCITABILITF.

II cannot be said that Engishmen have been
living up 10 their reputation Of late in the
matter of sang froid and observation-disclosures We
pass over the Shanghai correspondents who
have been filing endless columns with crcum-
stanriaI and bloodcurdHng accounts Of mas
sacres that never took place. But the London
editors themselves must find It rather unpleas-
ant 70 be reminded just now Of all the things
they have been saying during the last fortnight.
He laughs best who laughs last; and European
amusement ar the simplicity Of our State De
partment in treating the Conger message as
genuine, and refusing 10 give up hope Of the
safety of the foreigners shut up in Peking. has
come TO q sudden end. To Us, indeed, the
English press has seemed smitten with a mid
summer madness, which took the form of an
imagined gift Of prophecy. The American pol
icy was the plain and prudent course which
good sense seemed TO lay down-to throw away
no chances. We would not begin war with
China until il was certain that she was attack
ing Us, nor cease to work for the safety Of our
Minister and those with him until we had
positive knowledge that they were beyond our
aid. Our cIairvoyant cousins knew better 1t
was useless to attempt rescue; the Iegationers
were all dead Guesswork and assumption did
duty for facts; solemn requiem was arranged
for men who were praying and waiting for the
ECIlcl cOIuIlu Ne T OIelGu OLuce seemed con
verted 10 fataIism- One had TO wonder If this
was the country that put down the Indian
Mutiny
II is not merely since the present disturb
ances in China broke out that the Anglo-Saxon
nature has given evidence Of a new and aston
ishing alteration. In the early part Of the
South African war, indeed. when heavy and
utterly unlocked for reverses only strengthened
English determination and made the Govern
ment stronger than ever the EngIishman's old
fashioned fxedness Of purpose and fierce cour-
age IN adversely extorted the admiration of
hostile Continent But success proved q severer
test than defeat The abandon and excess with
which London received the news Of the CAPTURE
Of Cronje, and again Of the relief Of Mafeking
would have done credit TO the most volatile Of
nations. The French papers were moved to
sarcastic comment. They contrasted these ex-
Tavagant demonstrations with the restraint
and apparent insenSibIity Of former times. and
asked 10 what might be due this alteration in
national manners
The question is an interesting one Nor is If
one which concerns only the inhabitants Of the
British Isles. The same thing can be seen
everywhere. II IS partly a change in the ideal
Of conduct. Spartan austerity and repression
Of emotion is pretty well left behind in New
England quite as much as in Old. The natural
when theology was bluer. Passion Is nearer
the surface, and instinct has its panegyrists
who, If they do not quite agree with the phi-
losopher Square in TON Jones" that it is the
source Of virtue hold II In certainly no less
esteem as the vital force Of progress. Our
elders deplore the disappearance Of formaIitv
and restraint n the behavior Of a manuerIess
and graceless generation. Pleasure and relax
alton are sought with far greater eagerness
than formerly. We are as earnest in our DUR
suit Of sport as our forefathers were in that Of
self-improvement
It is plain that the causes Of this change ara
complex Among them is certainly the greater
tenseness Of modern life. The rush and press-
ure and movement in the midst Of which we
work make for excess. We don't want IN On
slow The never halting, never resting" pI8n
Is not TO our liking; we prefer TO hurry and be
through and have our time for something else
Consequently, instead Of restraining ourselves
we are all the time driving The reaction is of
course, propOruonaIly violent AS for manners
IN the narrower sense, they have come into
collision With lelsureless world and are some
what damaged And then both the artist and
the scientist have been preaching nature at us.
Stiffness is out Of date The doctrine of cleo
ton is less influential than that of selection
But perhaps most important of all the causes
that explain the loss Of sang froid Of self
control and the greater susceptibility to emo
uonal ouIbursts shown by society at large and
IN the mass is what may be called it's height
ened self-consciousness One must take into
account the psychology Of the crowd citvful
Of people becomes more than the Gum of ira