Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-16

/.
IN a volume, recording a series of III
talks with Tostoi, put forth by a W u.
French writer in the final months
of 1904, told that the Russian TOD
novelist thought the Doukhobors had DS
attained to a perfected life in that they
are simple free from envy wrath and
ambition detesting violence, refraining
from theft and murder, and seeking
to do good. Then the Partisan interviewer
asked which of the peoples of the world seemed
most remote from the perfection to which the
Doukhobors had elevated themselves; and when
Tolstoi returned that he had given thought to
this question, the French correspondent suggested
that we Americans deserved to be held up to
the least worthy of the nations.
The tolerant Tolstoi asked his visitor why he
thought SO i'll of us; and the journalist of Paris
then put forth the opinion that the Americans are
81 people terribly practical, avid of pleasure sys-
tematically hostile to all idealism. The ambition
of Americans heart the passion of his life, is
money; and it is rather a delight in the conquest
and possession of money than in the of it.
The Americans ignore the arts; they despise dis
interested beauty. And now, moreover, they
imperialists. They could have remained peaceful
without danger to their national existence; but
they had to have fleet and army. They set
out after Spain and attacked her; and now they
begin to defy Europe. Is there not something
scandalous in this revelation of the conquering
appetite in people with no hereditary pre-
disposition toward war;"
1t is to the credit of the French correspondent
that after setting down this fervid arrangement he
was honest enough to record Tolstoi's dissent.
But although he dissented, the great Russian
pressed surprise at the viruence of this datbe.
No doubt it voiced opinion famarized to him
of late by many a newspaper of France and of
Germany Fortunately for us, it is not entirely
true that foreign nations are a contemporaneous
posterity.
Yet the opinion of foreigners, even when most
at fault must have its value for us as a useful
corrective of conceit We ought to be proud of
our country; but we need not be vain about it.
Indeed, it would be difficult for the most devoted
of to find any satisfaction in the figure of the
typical American which apparently exists in the
mind of most Europeans, and which seems to be
composite photograph of the backwoodsman of
Cooper the negro of Mrs Stowe and the Mississippi
River-folk of Mark Twain, modified perhaps by
more vivid memories of Buffalo Bills Wild West.
Surely this is a strange monster; and need not
wonder that foreigners feel toward it Votare felt
toward the prophet Standardization he declared
to be capable of anything
1t has seemed advisable to quote here what the
Partisan journalist said of us, not because he him
self is a person of consequence-indeed, he is SO
obscure that there is need to mention his
name-but because he had shown the courage to
attempt what Burke had declared to be impossible
to draw indictment against whole nation.
1t would be easy to retort him in kind for
fortunately-and to the grief of all her friends
France has laid herself open to accusations