OUR KIN ACROSS THE SEA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2298, 2 April 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR KIN ACROSS THE SEA.

[by j. c. firth.] No. XIII. Conceit,

Conceit is a word with two meanings— or, perhaps, it would be better defined by saying—there are two kinds of conceit: One, when a man is proud of fanciful nothings, of things which he owes to fortune or favour, or of qualities which are not a part of himself; like the ass in the fable, who put on a lion's skin, and therefore was conceited enough to fancy he was a lion; but when he essayed to roar everyone recognised that he was only an ass. The other kind of conceit is a consciousness of the possession of skill or power; a knowledge of having sur/nounted difficulties, of having a reserve of force equal to overcome obstacles, or to face dangers without quailing. This latter variety of conceit is, in reality, a just self-confidence, which, without any forced effort, shines forth in the bearing of a strong, able, valiant man. With this great quality a man or nation will do much. Without it—nothing. For a man who dares nothing, does nothing.

We Englishmen have much of it. We are justly proud of the victories it lias helped us.to win. Our danger lies, in its causing us to overestimate ourselves and undervalue everybody else.

Americans have abundance of this kind of conceit—self-confidence. It has iinimdoubtedly played a part in their wonderful progress and achievements. But. like Englishmen, I fancy their selfconfidence may be in danger of running to seed. Americans are in general a sensible and practical race, though occasionally they do boast a little. One of them, speaking to me of their superiority of all other nations, wound up by saying;: " Why, sir, do you not know that Franklin tamed the lightening, ant! Morse taught it the English language ?" "How very remarkable; did they really do it ?" I inquired " Why, certainly," was the confident reply. Americans are patient, courteous, intelligent, energetic, and full of resource ; but, like other people, some of them are not always wise. Though they will generally submit to criticism of their achievements, and of the institutions of their country, with an admirable courtesy and grace, so long as the criticism, though sometimes unfavourable, is animated by an evident good will, and does not degenerate into a vulgar sneer. There are, however, numbers of Americans whose " conceit " is not altogether of this true " temper." So long as you say, " America is a great country, its people a gieat people, its lands unrivalled for extent and fertility, its inventions unsurpassed, its achievements in the arts wonderful;" when you adl, that '• its great cities, its enormous products, its great wealth, its vast railway system are, one and all, a grand testimony to American skill, enterprise, and genius;' , so long , as you say this—every word of which is true—you are declared to be the mo<t appreciative of men, and altogether an Englishman of great common sensr.

But should you, as the result of much patient investigation,

Whilst to their virtues very kiml, Be to their faults not quite blind, mildly express your opinion that Americans drink too much iced water ; that their politicians are not quite so pure as they might be; that their railway system is a huge monopoly, under whose iron rule the people are helpless ; that the hoop-irou table knives they use, though well adapted for cutting butter, are not exactly suitable for cutting beef; that their laws are not always well administered ; that they often neglect their political duties, aud abandon the field to charlatans and rogues ; that Americans

work too hard, disregard the laws of

health and the requirements of a healthy life; the pleased expression leaves the face of your friend, and you are immediately told that you have not devoted sufficient time to make the uecessary inquiries on these points, and it may even be hinted, that you are not nearly so sensible as you were considered to be half an hour before.

In all this, Americans only show how extremely English they are.

I will, however, say this for our Americau kinsfolk : That though I questioned them, criticised them, laughed at them and chaffed some of them, sometimes perhaps a little unmercifully, yet as I never failed, when I found anything to admire—and I found much, both in their connty, their institutions, their achievements, and in themselves, to admire and commend—l never failed to say so, honestly and heartily : that they submitted to criticism under these conditions with a courtesy and good humour as graceful as they were genial. FKIEN'DLIXESS. For English to ignore Americans is nonsense ; to sneer at them is a vulgarism; to envy or dislike them is crim?. I will remember, long ago, my father saying to me : "My boy, if you wish for friends, show yourself friendly." That maxim is one which I am ashamed to say, I have not always sufficiently regarded. Not to regard it is an English fault, and a very stupid one. Like mauy other Englishmen, I formerly misunderstand our American Kinsfolk, but a fuller acquaintance with Americans, American literature, American achievements American manners, and American institutions, during late years, materially modified my opinions ; whilst my recent visit to the States has given me a much truer knowledge of them. I learnt then, how much of prejudice I had to abandon, and if I saw something to regret, I learnt how much there was about them to esteem, respect, arid admire ; that, in short, if there were old enmities to forget, there was much to lear.i that was noble and honourable, and common to both nations.

Though I fouud an element of titter.

ness amongst Americans, not very unnatural, I noticed a strong, and I may say, a general feeling of latent goodwill towards England. The noble sacrifice made by England in the Alabama difficulty, and the strong feeling of sympathy \» hich flashed through the English world at the tragic death of President Garficld, were deeply felt by almost every American I met. ■ I am satisfied, if we Englishmen will abandon our foolish assumption of superiority, will appreciate our American Kinsfolks as their merits demand— will, in fact, show ourselves friendly— will be no real difficulty in making them our steadfast friends. MANIFEST DESTINY. The destiny of the English-speaking race is not merely to colonise two or three continents, but to control the world. In this aspect the story of the United States can never be a matter of indifference to any community by whom, the English language is spoken. The reasons for this opinion are obvious. The United States presents the greatest instance of successful colonisation to be found in the history of the world, whether we regard the extent of its cultivated lands, its wealth, its triumphs of mechanical and engineering skill, and above all—perhaps the chief cause of all —its religious liberty and its free institutions. Strange, that the attempts to destroy civil and religious liberty in England, should have resulted in such a glorious triumph of both in the New World, and by reacting on the Old World, have done so much to secure both these priceless blessings there.

The fullest establishment of civil and religious liberty in America is therefore of the deepest interest to the civilised world.

In various ways America is influencing the public mind of Europe. The Great Republic not only does this, by attracting numbers of the inhabitants of every European country to its shores, but by stimulating the colonising spirit in other directions. What British colony does not largely owe its existence even, its free institutions, its prosperity, to the impulse given to the colonising spirit by the United States ? Apart from their own splendid success, Americans may well be justly proud of the influence they have exerted, are exerting, and must continue to exert on thu colonising spirit, that is causing that great migration of mankind, which is not the least amongst the many forward movements for which the nineteenth century is remarkable.

The eldest brother in the great family of English Colonies—it is not surprising that the influence of the United States is felt directly and indirectly in every one of thum.

When we reflect that one hundred years aizo the population of the United States was but three millions, and that to-day it numbers over fifty-five millions, we arc amazed at such a ratio of increase.

Thu English-speaking people all over r.ho world in 1801 were 2L.000,000 ; in 1880, 02.000,000. It is not th=it this increase is entirely of English descent; a more signifiuiHit featuro is, that the English - speaking race possesses the ootentinl faculty of assimilating and absorbing the emigrants from almost any civilised naiiou.

When we consider that the colonizing movement may be s lid to be only yet iu its infancy ; that Europe, oppressed by poverty and by military exactions, must have outlets for its teeming population ; that all the best fields available for colonization are in the bands of Englishspeaking people ; that the facilities for moving large masses of emigrants ate far greater, and the cost of moving them far less than ever before : with all these potent factors who can future of the English-speaking race ?

The history ot mankind presents few subjects of deeper interest than the Migrations of Men, which at various periods, influenced by warlike instincts, necessity, or by subtle and doep-scated impulses, have moved from one country to another.

As the " confusion of tongues " led to the first dispersion of mankind, so will the bond of a "oomrcon language " bind men together in the strongest of all ties.

The Uiiite.l States of America and the Colonies of the British E npire have been, are now, and will be, havens of refuge, safe asylums, Canaans fall of hope and blessing, for the oppressed people of Europe. The children of these fugitives say to the mother that has given them ■shelter, peace, freedom a-id prosperity— like the fugitive damsel of oil—" Thy country slia.ll be my country, thy people my people, thy language my language, chy God my God."

Therefoie America is iapilsy becoming a homogeneous nation, speaking the KuglUh language, the heir to English traditions, English literature, English laws, and English freedom. Even at this early period of its history, there are more Irish in America than iu Ireland ; more people who speak English than in Eugiand.

If, in its lusty youthhood it is so great, so rich, so free, what must its riper manhood be ? Will it not, at no very distant day, stand at the head of all the nations of tbe earth in population, power, and freedom ? The English language is the rich treasure-house of j;reat thoughts, great traditions, and great deeds. It has been, I venture to think, a most potent cause in building up and binding together this great English Nation, whose progress has astonished the world.

Had the Romans possessed the rapid moans of transmitting intelligence, and the easy modes of locomotion we moderns have, who will say that the Latin language would not have been the language of Europe to-day, and the destinies of the Old World changed ? When a conr,rolling language becomes the " common " language, it is far more powerful than " racial instinct," and more than any other force, will bind into one strontr nation the various races which at first may hive merely dweit together.

Whi'Ji it is considered that the men who to day speak the English tongue, hold in South Africa a quartnr of a milliuii square miles ; in Australasia three million square miles ; and on the North American Continent seven million square miles—l say nothing , of India, because I am speaking ouly of areas available for (solonisation by men of English blood, or by men of other nations, who may elect to cast in their lot with them—when it is remembered that the English race possesses the majority of the chief strategic positions on almost every continent and on every sea ; that their navies for commerce and defence outnumber all other fleets combined; that their trade and commerce exceed that of all other nations ; that their wide dominions have the capability of producing every variety of food, clothing, convenience, or luxury their inhabitants may require : who is bold enough to limit or describe the great future which lies before them ?

In our clay, each great division of the English-speaking race has its special problems to solve, its special difficulties to conquer. Many small jealousies c.\i<t, many narrow interests prevail. For instance, Protection in America has undoubtedly stimulated manufacture there; but owing to the increased cost of production it creates, it builds up an effectual barrier to American foreign trade. Indications are not wanting that the United States is preparing to abandon its policy of Protection. Should that be so, a step will have been gained in the direction of a real Free Trade between the various branches of the Eng-lish-speaking people, and the imposition by England of countervailing duties

on American products wiil have been averted. ,'

But what are all these difficulties when they are confonted by the mighty force existing in common laws, in a common literature, in a common religion, in a common love of freedom, in a common home life, and greatest of all, in a common language ? It needs but the conviction and establishment of a community of intercut to enable the mighty forces I have described, to work out in some coming time, the Confederation of the English-speaking race all over the world.

That, I venture to think, is the Manifest Destiny of the people who speak the English tongue. In a word, the master key to- unlock the difficulties which surround such questions as Socialism, the struggld between Capital and Labour, the possible, if not incipient coolness between the Colonies and England, the passive hostility between Etigland and America, is to establish "a coMMUNmr of interest" between them all.

The happiuess of the people, and the commonweal of the Race will then be secured, but not till then.

Should such a Confederation ever be established—and I venture to think the possession of a "common language " will ultimately secure it —one of the~greatest safeguards for the peace of the world, for the welfare of our common humanity, will have been obtained. THE END. Note.—ln No. XII., for "Mr Gladstone" read "Lord Tennyson."