There Is A
Nation For Which One Is Almost Driven To Think That Such Political
Aspirations As These Are Suitable; But That Nation Is Certainly Not
The States Of America.
And yet one finds many American gentlemen who have allowed
themselves to be drifted into such a theory.
They have begun the
world as republican citizens, and as such they must go on. But in
their travels and their studies, and in the luxury of their life,
they have learned to dislike the rowdiness of their country's
politics. They want things to be soft and easy; as republican as
you please, but with as little noise as possible. The President is
there for four years. Why not elect him for eight, for twelve, or
for life? - for eternity if it were possible to find one who could
continue to live? It is to this way of thinking that Americans are
driven, when the polish of Europe has made the roughness of their
own elections odious to them.
"Have you seen any of our great institootions, sir?" That of
course is a question which is put to every Englishman who has
visited New York, and the Englishman who intends to say that he has
seen New York, should visit many of them. I went to schools,
hospitals, lunatic asylums, institutes for deaf and dumb, water-
works, historical societies, telegraph offices, and large
commercial establishments. I rather think that I did my work in a
thorough and conscientious manner, and I owe much gratitude to
those who guided me on such occasions. Perhaps I ought to describe
all these institutions; but were I to do so, I fear that I should
inflict fifty or sixty very dull pages on my readers. If I could
make all that I saw as clear and intelligible to others as it was
made to me who saw it, I might do some good. But I know that I
should fail. I marveled much at the developed intelligence of a
room full of deaf and dumb pupils, and was greatly astonished at
the performance of one special girl, who seemed to be brighter and
quicker, and more rapidly easy with her pen than girls generally
are who can hear and talk; but I cannot convey my enthusiasm to
others. On such a subject a writer may be correct, may be
exhaustive, may be statistically great; but he can hardly be
entertaining, and the chances are that he will not be instructive.
In all such matters, however, New York is pre-eminently great. All
through the States suffering humanity receives so much attention
that humanity can hardly be said to suffer. The daily recurring
boast of "our glorious institootions, sir," always provokes the
ridicule of an Englishman. The words have become ridiculous, and
it would, I think, be well for the nation if the term "Institution"
could be excluded from its vocabulary. But, in truth, they are
glorious. The country in this respect boasts, but it has done that
which justifies a boast.
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