GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES 385 



matter will scarcely cross the mind of many on this side 

 of the water. 



Some of our own journals are not without a bit of 

 American bunkum now and then, which, if not so 

 intended, is yet titted to encourage the worst tendencies 

 of the American people. During my stay in New York, 

 for example, an article from the Illustrated London News, 

 headed &quot; Signs of Decay,&quot; and written with anything 

 but an honest English spirit, ran the round of the 

 American papers, and was rejoicingly quoted from. In 

 this article it was stated that &quot; the growth of the United 

 States was, in reality, the downfall of Great Britain, 1 

 and that Australia &quot; was rising daily upon our fall.&quot; 



Great Britain to the United States is the standard by 

 which, secretly or openly, all progress is tried. With the 

 state of things in our island their own are compared. No 

 anxiety is ever expressed about beating France or Ger 

 many in anything it is England that is to be excelled. 

 This is both creditable to them and gratifying to us. 



But it is the tie of blood and tongue from which this 

 springs, as much as from the desire to surpass that which 

 is the most excellent. It is the same principle exactly 

 which makes our home-dissatisfied see perfection only in 

 North American soils and cities and institutions. They 

 neither wish to migrate to any European country, nor 

 to amend our institutions after Continental models. It 

 is the fortunes of men of our own blood only that we 

 think better than our own. But there are low feelings 

 in all our breasts ; and as a man may rise in the struggle 

 of life, either by actually surpassing his competitor in 

 merit, or by removing him out of the way, so, in this race 

 of nations, the United States may obtain the lead among 

 the Anglo-Saxon race, either by her own rise or by our 

 fall. It is not be wondered at, therefore, that among 

 23,000,000 of people there should be some, even of the 

 VOL. 11. 2 11 



