第2章

类别:其他 作者:Owen Wister字数:21635更新时间:18/12/14 10:47:49
seas。\" Whoismeantby\"overseas\"?IsthereleftanyhonestAmericanbrainsofondandsofeebleastosupposethatwearenotincludedinthathighlysuggestiveandsignificantterm?Ifearthatsomesuchbrainsareleft。 GermansremainGerman。IwastalkingwithanAmericanofficerjustreturnedfromCoblenz。HedescribedthesurpriseoftheGermanswhentheysawourtroopsmarchintooccupythatregionoftheircountry。Theysaidtohim:\"Butthisisextraordinary。Wheredothesesoldiersofyourscomefrom?Youhaveonly150,000troopsinEurope。Alltheothertransportsweresunkbyoursubmarines。\"\"WehavetwomilliontroopsinEurope,\" repliedtheofficer,\"andlostbyexplosionaveryfewhundred。Notransportwassunk。\"\"Butthatisimpossible,\"returnedtheburgher,\"weknowfromourGovernmentatBerlinthatyouhaveonly150,000troopsinEurope。\" GermansremainGerman。AtCoblenztheywereservile,cringing,fawning,readytolickthebootsoftheAmericans,loadingthemwithoffersofeveryfoodanddrinkandjoytheyhad。Thustheybegan。Soon,findingthattheAmericansdidnotcuttheirthroats,burntheirhouses,rapetheirdaughters,orbayonettheirbabies,butwerequiet,civil,disciplined,andapparentlyharmless,theychanged。Theirfawningfadedaway,theyscowledandmuttered。OnedaytheBurgomasteratacertainplacerepliedtosomeordinaryrequisitionswithanarrogantrefusal。Itwasquiteoutofthequestion,hesaid,tocomplywithanysuchridiculousdemands。ThentheAmericansceasedtoseemharmless。Certainstepsweretakenbythecommandingofficer,someleadingcitizenswerecollectedandenlightenedthroughtheonlychannelwherebylightpenetratesaGermanskull。Thus,byaveryslighttasteofthemethodsbywhichtheythoughttheywouldcowtherestoftheworld,theseburgherswerecowedinstantly。TheyhadthoughttheAmericansafraidofthem。Theyhadtakencivilityforfear。Suddenlytheyencounteredwhatwecalltheswiftkick。Iteducatedthem。Italwayswill。Nothingelsewill。 MathiasErzbergerwill,ofcourse,disclaimhisletter。Hewillsayitisaforgery。HewillpointtotheprotestationsofGermanrepentanceandreformwithwhichhesweatedduringApril,1919,andthroughouttheweeksprecedingthedeliveryoftheTreatyatVersailles。Perhapshehasdonethisalready。AllGermanswillbelievehim——andsomeAmericans。 TheGermanmethod,theGermanmadness——whatamixture!ThemethodjustgrazedmakingGermanyowneroftheearth,themadnesssavedtheearth。 WithperfectrecognitionofBelgium\'sshare,ofRussia\'sshare,ofFrance\'s,Italy\'s,England\'s,ourown,inwinningthewar,IbelievethatthegreatestandmastefficientAllyofallwhocontributedtoGermany\'sdefeatwasherownconstantblunderingmadness。Americansmustneverforgeteithertheoneortheother,andtoomanyaretryingtoforgetboth。 GermansremainGerman。AnAmericanladyofmyacquaintancewasabouttoclimbfromAmalfitoRavelloincompanywithaGermanladyofheracquaintance。TheGermanladyhadaGermanBaedeker,theAmericanaBaedekerinEnglish,publishedseveralyearsapart。TheBaedekerinGermanrecommendedapaththatwentstraightuptheascent,theBaedekerinEnglishapaththatwentupmoregraduallyaroundit。\"Minesaysthisisthebestway,\"saidtheAmerican。\"Minesaysstraightupisthebest,\"saidtheGerman。\"Butmineisalateredition,\"saidtheAmerican。 \"Thatisnotit,\"explainedtheGerman。\"ItisthatweGermansaresomuchmorecleverandagile,thattousisrecommendedthemoredangerouswaywhileAmericansareshownthesafepath。\" Thathappenedin1910。ThatisKultur。ThistooisKultur: \"IfSilesiabecomePolishThen,ohGod,maychildrenperish,likebeasts,intheirmothers\'womb。 ThenlametheirPolishfeetandtheirhands,ohGod! Letthembecrippledandblindtheireyes。 Smitethemwithdumbnessandmadness,bothmenandwomen。\" FromaHymnofGermanhateforthePoles。 GermanyremainsGerman;butwhennextshesprings,shewillmakenoblunders。 ChapterV:TheAncientGrudgeItwasinBroadStreet,Philadelphia,beforewewenttowar,thatI overheardthefoolish——orpropagandist——sluruponEnglandinfrontofthebulletinboard。AfterwewerefightingbyEngland\'ssideforourexistence,youmighthavesupposedsuchtalkwouldcease。Itdidnot。AndaftertheArmistice,itcontinued。Onthedaywecelebratedas\"BritishDay,\"amanwentthroughthecrowdinWanamaker\'sshop,asking,WhathadEnglanddoneintheWar,anyhow?WasheaGerman,oranIrishman,oranAmericaninpayofBerlin?,Idonotknow。ButthisIknow:perfectlygoodAmericansstilltalklikethat。Cowboysincampdoit。MenandwomeninEasterncities,personswithatleasttheexternaltrappingsofeducatedintelligence,playintothehandsoftheGermanyofto-morrow,dotheirunconsciouslittlebitofharmtothefutureoffreedomandcivilization,byrepeatingthatEngland\"hasalwaysbeenourenemy。\"ThentheymentiontheRevolution,theWarof1812,andEngland\'sattitudeduringourCivilWar,justastheyinvariablymentionedthesethingsin1917and1918,whenEnglandwasourallyinastruggle[orlife,andastheywillbementioningthemin1940,Ipresume,iftheyarestillaliveatthattime。 Now,theCivilWarendedfifty-fiveyearsago,theWarof1812onehundredandfive,andtheRevolutiononehundredandthirty-seven。 Suppose,whiletheKaiserwasbutcheringBelgiumbecauseshebarredhiswaytothatdinnerhewasgoingtoeatinParisinOctober,1914,thatFrancehadsaid,\"Englandismyhereditaryenemy。HenrytheFifthandtheDukeofWellingtonandsundryPlantagenetsfoughtme\";andsupposeEnglandhadsaid,\"Idon\'tcaremuchforFrance。JoanofArcandNapoleonandsundryotherFrenchfoughtme\"——supposetheyhadsatnursingtheirancientgrudgeslikethat?Well,theKaiserwouldhavedinedinParisaccordingtohisplan。Andnext,accordingtohisplan,withtheChannelportstakenhewouldhavedinedinLondon。Andfinally,accordingtohisplan,andwiththehelpofhis\"armyofspies\"overseas,hewouldhavedinedinNewYorkandtheWhiteHouse。ForGermanmadnesscouldnothavedefeatedGermany\'splanofWorlddominion,ifvariousnationshadnotgottogetherandassisted。OtherAmericansthereare,whodonotresorttotheRevolutionfortheirgrudge,butareinacommercialrageoverthisorthat:wool,forinstance。LetsuchAmericansreflectthatcommercialgrievancesagainstEnglandcanbemorereadilyadjustedthananabsorptionofallcommercebyGermanycanbeadjusted。WoolandeverythingelsewillbelongtoMathiasErzbergerandhisbreed,iftheycarryouttheirintention。AndthewaytoinsuretheircarryingitoutistoletthemsplitusandEnglandandalltheircompetitorsasunderbytheirceaselessandingeniouspropaganda,whichplaysuponeveryinternationalprejudice,historic,commercial,orother,whichisavailable。AfterAugust,1914,EnglandbarredtheKaiser\'swaytoNewYork,andin1917,wefounditusefultoforgetaboutGeorgetheThirdandtheAlabama。In1853Prussiapossessedoneshipofwar——herfirst。 In1918hersubmarineswereprowlingalongourcoast。Forthemomenttheyarenolongerthere。Forawhiletheymaynotbe。ButdoyouthinkGermanyintendsthatscrapsofpapershallbeabolishedbyanyTreaty,eventhoughitcontain80,000wordsandaLeagueofNations?ShewillmakeofthatTreatyawholebasketofscraps,ifshecan,andassoonasshecan。Shehassaidso。Herworkingmenareatwork,industriousandcontentwithaquarterthepayforalongerdaythananywhereelse。LetthosepersonswhocannotgetoverGeorgetheThirdandtheAlabamaponderuponthisforaminuteortwo。 ChapterVI:WhoIsWithoutSin? Muchelseistherethatitwerewelltheyshouldponder,andIamcomingtoitpresently;butfirst,onesuggestion。Mostofus,ifwedigbackonlyfiftyorsixtyorseventyyears,candisintervariousrelativesoverwhosedoingsweshouldprefertoglidelightlyandinsilence。 Doyoumeantosaythatyouhavenone?Nobodystainedwithanyshadeofdishonor?Nograndfather,great-grandfather,great-great-etc。grandfatherorgrandmotherwhoevermadeascandal,brokeaheart,orbetrayedatrust?EverymanJackandwomanJillofthelotrightbacktoAdamandEvewhollygood,honorable,andcourageous?Howfortunatetobesprungexclusivelyfromtheloinsofcenturiesofangels——andtoknowallaboutthem!Considerthehoardofvirtuetowhichyouhavefallenheir! Butyouknowverywellthatthisisnotso;thateveryoneofushaseverykindofpersonforanancestor;thatallsortsofvirtueandvice,ofheroismanddisgrace,aremingledinourblood;thatinevitablyamidstthehugeherdofourgrandsiresblacksheepaswellaswhitearetobefound。 Asitiswithmen,soitiswithnations。Doyouimaginethatanynationhasaspotlesshistory?Doyouthinkthatyoucanpeerintoourpast,turnoverthebackpagesofourrecord,andnevercomeuponasingleblot?Indeedyoucannot。Anditisbetter——agreatdealbetter——thatyoushouldbeawareoftheseblots。Suchknowledgemayenlightenyou,maymakeyouabetterAmerican。Whatweneedistobecriticsofourselves,andthisisexactlywhatwehavebeentaughtnottobe。 Wearequitegoodenoughtolookstraightatourselves。Owingtoonethingandanotherwearecleaner,honester,humaner,andwhiterthananypeopleonthecontinentofEurope。IfanynationonthecontinentofEuropehaseverbehavedwiththegenerosityandmagnanimitythatwehaveshowntoCuba,Ihaveyettolearnofit。TheyjeeredatusaboutCuba,didtheEuropeansofthecontinent。Theirpapersstucktheirtonguesintheircheeks。Ofcourseourfinesentimentswereallsham,theysaid。OfcourseweintendedtoswallowCuba,andneverhadintendedanythingelse。 AndwhenGeneralLeonardWoodcameawayfromCuba,havingmadeHavanahealthy,havingbroughtorderoutofchaosontheisland,andweleftCubaindependent,Europejeeredon。ThatdearoldEurope! Again,in1909,itwasnotanyEuropeannationthatreturnedtoChinatheirshareoftheindemnityexactedinconsequenceoftheBoxertroubles;wealonereturnedoursharetoChina——sixteenmillions。ItwaswewhopreventedlevyingapunitiveindemnityonChina。Readthewholestory;thereismuchmore。Weplayedthegentleman,Europeplayedthebully。ButEuropecallsus\"dollarchasers。\"ThatdearoldEurope!Again,ifanyconqueringGeneralonthecontinentofEuropeeverbehavedasGrantdidtoLeeatAppomattox,hisnamehasescapedme。 Again,andlastly——thoughIamnotattemptingtotellyouherethewholetaleofourdecencies:WhosehandscameawaycleanestfromthatPeaceConferenceinParislately?Whatdidweaskforourselves?Everythingweasked,savesomerepairsofdamage,wasforotherpeople。Oh,yes!wearequitegoodenoughtokeepquietaboutthesethings。Noneedwhatevertobrag。Bragging,moreover,inclinesthelistenertosuspectyou\'renotsoremarkableasyousound。 Butallthisvirtuedoesn\'tintheleastalterthefactthatwe\'relikeeverybodyelseinhavingsomedirtypagesinourHistory。Thesepagesitisafoolishmistaketoconceal。Isupposethattheschoolhistoriesofeverynationarepartlybad。Iimaginethatmostofthemimplantthegermofinternationalhatredintheboysandgirlswhohavetostudythem。 Nationsdonotlikeeachother,neverhavelikedeachother;anditmayverywellbethatschooltextbookshelpthisinclinationtodislike。 CertainlyweknowwhatcontemptandhatredforothernationstheGermanshavebeensedulouslytaughtintheirschools,andhowutterlytheybelievedtheirteaching。Howmuchbetterandwiserforthewholeworldifalltheboysandgirlsinalltheschoolseverywherewerehenceforthtobestartedinlifewithajustandtruenotionofallflagsandthepeoplesoverwhomtheyfly!TheLeagueofNationsmightnotthenrestuponthequicksandofdistrustandantagonismwhichitrestsupontoday。 Butitisourownschoolhistoriesthataremypresentconcern,andI repeatmyopinion——orrathermyconviction——thatthewayinwhichtheyhaveconcealedthetruthfromusisworsethansilly,itisharmful。Iamnotgoingtotakeupthewholelistoftheirmisrepresentations,Iwillputbutoneortwoquestionstoyou。 Whenyoufinishedschool,whatideahadyouabouttheWarof1812?Iwilltellyouwhatminewas。IthoughtwehadgonetowarbecauseEnglandwasstoppingAmericanshipsandtakingAmericansailorsoutofthemforherownservice。IcouldrefertoPerry\'svictoryonLakeErieandJackson\'ssmashingoftheBritishatNewOrleans;thenameofthefrigateConstitutionsentthrillsthroughme。AndwehadpoundedoldJohnBullandsenthimtotherightaboutasecondtime!Suchwasmygloriousidea,andthereitstopped。Didyouknowmuchmorethanthataboutitwhenyourschoolingwasdone?DidyouknowthatourreasonsfordeclaringwaragainstGreatBritainin1812werenotsostrongastheyhadbeenthreeandfouryearsearlier?ThatduringthoseyearsEnglandhadmoderatedherarrogance,wasreadytomoderatefurther,hadplacatedusforherbrutalperformanceconcerningtheChesapeake,wantedpeace;whilewe,whohadbeennearlyunanimousforwar,andwithafullerpursein1808,werenow,byourowncongressionalfuddlingandmessing,withoutanyadequatearmy,andsodividedincounselthatonlyonenorthernstatewaswhollyinfavorofwar?DidyouknowthatourGeneralHullbeganbyinvadingCanadafromDetroitandsurrenderedhiswholearmywithoutfiringashot?ThattheBritishoverranMichiganandpartsofOhio,andwesternNewYork,whileweretreateddisgracefully?ThatthoughweshoneinvictoriesofsinglecombatontheseaandshowedtheEnglishthatwetooknewhowtosailandfightonthewavesashardilyasBritannia(wewonelevenoutofthirteenofthefrigateandsloopactions),neverthelessshecaughtusorblockedusup,andrioteduncheckedalongourcoasts?YouprobablydidknowthattheBritishburnedWashington,andyouaccordinglyhatedthemforthisbarbarousvandalism——butdidyouknowthatwehadburnedTorontoayearearlier? Ileftschoolknowingnoneofthis——itwasn\'tinmyschoolbook,andI learneditinmatureyearswithamazement。IthenlearnedalsothatEngland,whileshewasfightingwithus,hadherhandsfullfightingBonaparte,thatherwarwithuswasasideshow,andthatthiswasuncommonlyluckyforus——asluckyquiteasthoseshipsfromFranceunderAdmiraldeGrasse,withoutwhosehelpWashingtoncouldneverhavecaughtCornwallisandcompelledhissurrenderatYorktown,October19,1781。DidyouknowthatthereweremoreFrenchsoldiersandsailorsthanAmericansatYorktown?Isitwelltokeepthesethingsfromtheyoung?IhavenotdonewiththeWarof1812。ThereisapoliticalaspectofitthatIshalllatertouchupon——somethingthatmyschoolbooksnevermentioned。 Mynextquestionis,whatdidyouknowabouttheMexicanWarof1846-1847,whenyoucameoutofschool?Thenamesofourvictories,Ipresume,andofZacharyTaylorandWinfieldScott;andpossiblythetreatyofGuadalupeHidalgo,wherebyMexicocededtousthewholeofTexas,NewMexico,andUpperCalifornia,andwepaidherfifteenmillions。NodoubtyouknowthatSantaAnna,theMexicanGeneral,hadawoodenleg。Well,thereismoretoknowthanthat,andIfounditoutmuchlater。IfoundoutthatGeneralGrant,whohadfoughtwithcreditasalieutenantintheMexicanWar,brieflysummarizeditas\"iniquitous。\"Igradually,throughmyreadingasaman,learnedthetruthabouttheMexicanWarwhichhadnotbeentaughtmeasaboy——thatinthatwarwebulliedaweakerpower,thatwemadeherourvictim,thatthewholediscreditablebusinesshadtheextensionofslaveryatthebottomofit,andthatmoreAmericanswereagainstitthanhadbeenagainsttheWarof1812。ButhowmanyAmericanseverlearnthesethings?Donotmostofthem,uponleavingschool,leavehistoryalsobehindthem,andbecomefarmers,ormerchants,orplumbers,orfiremen,orcarpenters,orwhatever,andreadlittlebutthemorningpaperfortherestoftheirlives? Theblackestpageinourhistorywouldtakealongwhiletoread。NotawordofitdidIeverseeinmyschooltextbooks。TheywerewrittenontheplanthatAmericacoulddonowrong。Irepeatthat,justasweloveourfriendsinspiteoftheirfaults,andallthemoreintelligentlybecauseweknowthesefaults,soourloveofourcountrywouldbejustasstrong,andfarmoreintelligent,werewehonestlyandwiselytaughtinourearlyyearsthoseactsandpoliciesofherswhereinshefellbelowherloftyandhumaneideals。Hercharacterandherrecordonthewholefromthebeginningarefineenoughtoallowtheshadowstothrowthesunlightintorelief。TohaveproducedatthreestagesofourgrowththreesuchmenasWashington,Lincoln,andRoosevelt,isquitesufficientjustificationforourexistenceChapterVII:TarredwiththeSameStickTheblackestpageinourhistoryisourtreatmentoftheIndian。Tospeakofitisathanklesstask——thankless,andnecessary。 ThislandwastheIndian\'shouse,notours。Hewasherefirst,nobodyknowshowmanycenturiesfirst。Wearrived,andweshovedhim,andshovedhim,andshovedhim,back,andback,andback。Treatyaftertreatywemadewithhim,andbroke。Wedrewcirclesroundhisfreedom,smallerandsmaller。Weallowedhimsuchandsuchterritory,thentookitawayandgavehimlessandworseinexchange。Throughoutacenturyourpromisestohimwereawholebasketofscrapsofpaper。TheotherdayIsawsomeIndiansinCalifornia。Ithadoncebeentheirplace。Alloverthatregiontheyhadhuntedandfishedandlivedaccordingtotheirdesires,enjoyinglife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness。Wecame。To-daythehuntingandfishingarerestrictedbyourlaws——nottheIndian\'s——becausewewastedandalmostexterminatedinaveryshortwhilewhathadamplyprovidedtheIndianwithsportandfoodforaverylongwhile。 Inthatregionwehavetaken,asusual,thefertilelandandtherunningwater,andhaveallottedlandtotheIndianwhereneitherwoodnorwaterexist,nocropswillgrow,nohumanlifecanbesupported。Ihaveseentheland。IhaveseentheIndianbeggingatthebackdoor。Oh,yes,theywerean\"inferiorrace。\"Oh,yes,theydidn\'tandcouldn\'tusethelandtothebestadvantage,couldn\'tbuildBroadwayandtheUnionPacificRailroad,couldn\'timproverealestate。Ifyouchoosetocallthewholething\"manifestdestiny,\"Iamwithyou。I\'llnotdisputethatwhatwehavemadethiscontinentisofgreaterservicetomankindthanthewildernessoftheIndianevercouldpossiblyhavebeen——onceconceding,asyouhavetoconcede,theinevitablenessofcivilization。Neitheryou,norI,noranyman,canremoldthesorryschemeofthingsentire。ButwecouldhavebehavedbettertotheIndian。Thatwasinourpower。 Andwegavehimarawdealinstead,notonce,butagainandagain。Wediditbecausewecoulddoitwithoutrisk,becausehewasweakerandwecouldalwaysbeathimintheend。Andallthewhileweweredoingit,therewasourBillofRights,ourDeclarationofIndependence,foundedonanewthingintheworld,proclaimingtomankindthefairesthopeyetborn,that\"AllmenareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienablerights,\"andthatthesewerenowtobeprotectedbylaw。Ah,no,lookatitasyouwill,itisablackpage,arawdeal。Theofficersofourfrontierarmyknowallaboutit,becausetheysawithappen。Theysawthetreatiesbroken,thethievingagents,thetrespassingsettlers,theoutragesthatgoadedthedeceivedIndiantodespairandviolence,andwhentheywereorderedouttokillhim,theyknewthathehadstruckinself-defenseandwastherealvictim。 Itistoolatetodomuchaboutitnow。ThegoodpeopleoftheIndianRightsAssociationtrytodosomething;butinspiteofthem,whatlittleharmcanstillbedoneisbeingdonethroughdishonestIndianagentsandthemeanmachineryofpolitics。Ifyoucaretoknowmoreofthelong,badstory,thereisabookbyHelenHuntJackson,ACenturyofDishonor;itisnotnew。Itassemblesandsetsforthwhathadbeenperpetrateduptothetimewhenitwaswritten。Asecondvolumecouldbeaddednow。 Ihavedweltuponthismatterhereforaverydefinitereason,closelyconnectedwithmymainpurpose。It\'safavoritetrickofouranti-BritishfriendstocallEnglanda\"land-grabber。\"ThewayinwhichEnglandhasgrabbedlandrightalong,allovertheworld,ismonstrous,theysay。 Englandhasstolenwhatbelongedtowhites,andblacks,andbronzes,andyellows,wherevershecouldlayherhandsuponit,theysay。Englandisacriminal。Theyrepeatthiswithgreatsatisfaction,thisland-grabbingindictment。Mostofthemknowlittleornothingofthefacts,couldn\'ttellyouthehistoryofasinglecase。Butwhatarethefactstothemanwhoasks,\"WhathasEnglanddoneinthiswar,anyway?\"Theword\"land-grabber\"hasbeenpassedtohimbyGermanandSinnFeinpropaganda,andhemerelyparrotsitforth。Hecouldn\'tdiscussitatall。\"LookattheBoers,\"hemayknowenoughtoreply,ifyouremindhimthatEngland\'sland-grabbingwasdoneagoodwhileago。Well,weshallcertainlylookattheBoersinduetime,butjustnowwemustlookatourselves。IsupposethattheAmericanwhodenouncesEnglandforherland-grabbinghasforgotten,orelsehasneverknown,howwegrabbedFloridafromSpain。 ThepittancethatwepaidSpaininoneoftheFloridatransactionsneverwenttoher。Thestoryisaplaintaleofland-grabbing;andthereareseveralotherplaintalesthatshowustohavebeenland-grabbers,ifyouwillreadthefactswithanhonestmind。Ishallnottellthemhere。ThecaseoftheIndianisenoughinthewayofaninstance。Ourownhandsarebynomeansclean。ItisnotforustodenounceEnglandasaland- grabber。 YoucannothatestatisticsmorethanIdo。Butattimesthereisnododgingthem,andthisisoneofthetimes。In1803wepaidNapoleonBonapartefifteenmillionsforwhatwasthencalledLouisiana。NapoleonhadhistitletothislandfromSpain。SpainhaditfromFrance。Francehadit——how?ShehaditbecauseLaSalle,aFrenchman,saileddowntheMississippiRiver。Thisgavehimtitletotheland。Therewerepeopleonthebankalready,longbeforeLaSallecameby。 Itwouldhavesurprisedthemtobetoldthatthelandwasnolongertheirsbecauseamanhadcomebyonthewater。Butnobodydidtellthem。 TheywereIndians。Theyhadwivesandchildrenandwigwamsandotherpossessionsinthelandwheretheyhadalwayslived;buttheywerered,andthemanintheboatwaswhite,andthereforetheywereturnedintotrespassersbecausehehadsailedbyinaboat。ThatwasthetitletoLouisianawhichweboughtfromNapoleonBonaparte。 TheLouisianaPurchasewasapieceoflandrunninguptheMississippi,uptheMissouri,overtheDivide,anddowntheColumbiatothePacific。 Beforeweacquiredit,ourareawasoveraquarter,butnothalf,amillionsquaremiles。Thisaddednearlyamillionsquaremilesmore。Butwhathadwereallybought?Nothingbutstolengoods。TheIndiansweretherebeforeLaSalle,fromwhoseboat-sailingthetitleweboughtwasderived。\"But,\"youmayobject,\"whenwhitesrobredsorblacks,wecallitDiscovery;land-grabbingiswhenwhitesrobwhites——andthatiswhereIblameEngland。\"ForthesakeofargumentIconcedethis,andreferyoutoouracquisitionofTexas。ThisoperationfollowedsomeyearsaftertheFloridaoperation。\"Byrequest\"we\"annexed\"mostofpresentTexas——in1845。Thatwasatrickofourslaveholders。TheysentpeopleintoTexasandthesepeopleswungthedeal。ItwasvirtuallyatheftfromMexico。A littlewhilelater,in1848,we\"paid\"MexicoforCalifornia,Arizona,andNevada。ButifyoureadthetruestoryofFremontinCalifornia,andoftheAmericanplotstherebeforetheMexicanWar,tounderminethegovernmentofafriendlynation,plotsconnivedatinWashingtonwithaviewtogettingCaliforniaforourselves,uponmywordyouwillfindithardtotalkofEnglandbeingaland-grabberandkeepastraightface。 And,wereacertainbooktofallintoyourhands,thenarrativeoftheAlcaldeofMonterey,whereinhesetsdownwhatofFremont\'sdoingsinCaliforniawentonbeforehiseyes,youwouldlearnastoryoftreachery,brutality,andgreed。Allthisacquisitionofterritory,togetherwiththeGadsdenPurchaseafewyearslater,broughtourcontinenttoitspresentarea——notcountingAlaskaorsomeislandslateracquired—— 2,970,230squaremiles。 Pleaseunderstandmeveryclearly:Iamnotsayingthatithasnotbeenfarbetterfortheworldandforcivilizationthatweshouldhavebecometherulersofallthisland,insteadofitsbeingruledbytheIndiansorbySpain,orbyMexico。Thatisnotatallthepoint。Iammerelyremindingyouofthemeanswherebywegottheland。Wegotitmostlybyforceandfraud,bydrivingoutofitthroughfirearmsandplotspeoplewhocertainlyweretherefirstandwhowereweakerthanourselves。Ourreasonwassimplythatwewanteditandintendedtohaveit。ThatispreciselywhatEnglandhasdone。Shehasbyvariousmeansnotonewhitbetterorworsethanours,acquiredherpossessionsinvariouspartsoftheworldbecausetheywerenecessarytohersafetyandwelfare,justasthiscontinentwasnecessarytooursafetyandwelfare。Moreover,thepressureuponher,hernecessityforself-preservation,wasfarmoreurgentthanwasthepressureuponus。Tomakeyouseethis,Imustonceagainresorttosomestatistics。 England\'sarea——herselfandadjacentislands——is120,832squaremiles。 Herpopulationin1811waseighteenandonehalfmillions。Atthatsametimeourareawas408,895squaremiles,notcountingtherecentLouisianaPurchase。Andourpopulationwas7,239,881。Withanarealessthanonethirdofours(excludingthehugeLouisiana)Englandhadapopulationmorethantwiceasgreat。Thereforeshewasmorecrowdedthanwewere—— howmuchmoreIleaveyoutofigureoutforyourself。Iappealtothefair-mindedAmericanreaderwhoonly\"wantstobeshown,\"andIsaytohim,whensomeGermanoranti-BritishAmericantalkstohimaboutwhataland-grabberEnglandhasbeeninhertimetothinkofthesethingsandtorememberthatourownpastistarredwiththesamestick。LeteveryoneofusbearinmindthatlittlesentenceoftheKaiser\'s,\"EvennowI rulesupremeintheUnitedStates;\"letusrememberthattheArmisticeandthePeaceTreatydonotseemtohavealteredGermannatureorGermanplansverynoticeably,anddon\'tletusmuddleourbrainsoverthequestionofthelandgrabbedbythegreat-grandfathersofpresentEngland。 AnyAmericanwhoisanti-Britishto-dayisbyjustsomuchpro-German,ishelpingthetroubleoftheworld,iskeepingdiscordalight,isdoinghisbitagainsthumanpeaceandhumanhappiness。 TherearesomeotherlittlesentencesoftheKaiserandhisHunsofwhichIshallspeakbeforeIfinish:wemustnowtakeupthecontroversyofthosemeninfrontofthebulletinboard;wemustinvestigatewhatliesbehindthatcontroversy。Thosetwomenaretypes。Onehadlearnednothingsinceheleftschool,theotherhad。 ChapterVIII:HistoryAstigmaticSofarasIknow,itwasMr。SydneyGentFisher,anAmerican,whowasthefirsttogobacktotheoriginaldocuments,andtowritefromstudyofthesedocumentsthecompletetruthaboutEnglandandourselvesduringtheRevolution。Hisadmirablebooktoreoffthecloakwhichourschoolhistorieshadwrappedroundthefables。HelaysbarethepoliticalstateofBritainatthattime。Whatdidyoulearnatyourschoolofthatpoliticalstate?DidyoueverwonderableGeneralHoweandhismanneroffightingus?Diditeverstrikeyouthat,althoughweweremoreoftendefeatedthanvictoriousinthoseengagementswithhim(andsometimesheevenseemedtoavoidpitchedbattleswithuswhentheoddswereallinhisfavor),yetsomehowEnglanddidseemtoreaptheadvantagesheshouldbereapedfromthosecontests,didn\'tfollowthem,letusgetaway,didn\'tinshortmakeanyprogresstospeakofinreallyconqueringus?PerhapsyouattributedthistoourbravetroopsandourgreatWashington。Well,ourtroopswerebraveandWashingtonwasgreat;buttherewasmorebehind——morethanyourschoolteachingeverledyoutosuspect,ifyourschoolingwaslikemine。IimaginedEnglandasbeingjustonewholeunitoffuryandtyrannydirectedagainstusanddeterminedtostampoutthesparkoflibertywehadkindled。Nosuchthing!Englandwasviolentlydividedinsentimentaboutus。Twoparties,almostasopposedasourNorthandSouthhavebeen——onlyitwasnotsectionalinEngland——heldverydifferentviewsaboutlibertyandtherightsofEnglishmen。TheKing\'sparty,GeorgetheThirdandhisupholders,werefightingtosaddleautocracyuponEngland;theotherparty,thatofPittandBurke,wereresistingthis,andtheirsentimentsandpoliticalbeliefsledthemtosympathizewithourrevoltagainstGeorgeIII。\"Irejoice,\"writesHoraceWalpole,Dec。5,1777,totheCountessofUpperOssory,\"thattheAmericansaretobefree,astheyhadarighttobe,andasIamsuretheyhaveshowntheydeservetobe……IownthereareveryableEnglishmenleft,buttheyhappentobeont\'othersideoftheAtlantic。\" ItwasthroughWhiginfluencethatGeneralHowedidnotfollowuphisvictoriesoverus,becausetheydidn\'twishustobeconquered,theywishedustobeabletovindicatetherightstowhichtheyheldallEnglishmenwereentitled。ThesemenconsideredusthechampionsofthatBritishlibertywhichGeorgeIIIwasattemptingtocrush。TheydisputedtherightfulnessoftheStampAct。WhenwerefusedtosubmittotheStampTaxin1766,itwasthenthatPittexclaimedinParliament:\"IrejoicethatAmericahasresisted……IfeverthisnationshouldhaveatyrantforaKing,sixmillionsoffreemen,sodeadtoallthefeelingsoflibertyasvoluntarilytosubmittobeslaves,wouldbefitinstrumentstomakeslavesoftherest。\"Buttheywerenotwilling。Whenthehourstruckandthewarcame,somanyEnglishmenwereonoursidethattheywouldnotenlistagainstus,refusedtofightus,andGeorgeIIIhadtogotoGermanyandobtainHessianstohelphimout。Hiswaragainstuswaslostathome,onEnglishsoil,throughEnglishdisapprovalofhiscourse,almostasmuchasitwaslostherethroughtheindomitableWashingtonandthehelpofFrance。Thatistheactualstateofthecase,thereisthetruth。Didyouhearmuchaboutthisatschool?DidyoueverlearntherethatGeorgeIIIhadafakeParliament,largelyelectedbyfakevotes,whichdidnotrepresenttheEnglishpeople;thatthisfakeParliamentwasautocracy\'slastditchinEngland;thatitchokedforatimetheEnglishdemocracywhich,afterthesetbackgivenitbytheexcessesoftheFrenchRevolution,wentforwardagainuntilto-daytheKingofEnglandhaslesspowerthanthePresidentoftheUnitedStates?Isupposeeverybodyintheworldwhoknowstheimportantstepsofhistoryknowsthis——excepttheaverageAmerican。Fromhimithasbeenconcealedbyhisschoolhistories; andgenerallyheneverlearnsanythingaboutitatall,becauseonceoutofschool,heseldomstudiesanyhistoryagain。Butwhy,youmaypossiblywonder,haveourschoolhistoriesdonethis?Ithinktheirvariousau- thorsmayconsciouslyorunconsciouslyhavefeltthatourcaseagainstEnglandwasnotintruthverystrong,thatinfactshehadbeenveryeasywithus,fareasierthananyothercountrywasbeingwithitscoloniesatthattime。TheKingofFrancetaxedhiscolonies,theKingofSpainfilledhispurse,unhampered,fromthepocketsofMexicoandPeruandCubaandPortoRico——fromwhateverpocketintowhichhecouldputhishand,andtheDutchweredoingthesamewithouttheslightestquestionoftheirrighttodoit。Ourquarrelwiththemothercountryandourbreakingawayfromherinspiteoftheextremelylightreinshewasdrivinguswith,restedinrealityuponveryslenderjustification。IfeverourauthorsreadofthemeetingbetweenFranklin,Rutledge,andAdamswithGeneralHowe,aftertheBattleofLongIsland,Ithinktheymayhavefeltthatwehadalmostnogrievanceatall。Theplaintruthofitwas,wehadbeenallowedforsolongtobesonearlyfreethatwedeterminedtobefreeentirely,nomatterwhatEnglandconceded。 Thereforetheseauthorsofourschooltextbooksfeltthattheyneededtobolsterourcauseupforthebenefitoftheyoung。Accordinglyourboys\' andgirls\'senseofindependenceandpatriotismmustbenourishedbymakingEnglandoutafargreateroppressorthanevershereallyhadbeen。 ThesehistoriansdweltasheavilyastheycoulduponGeorgeIIIandhisun-Englishautocracy,andaslightlyastheycouldupontheEnglishPittanduponalltheEnglishsympathywehad。Indeed,aboutthismostofthemdidn\'tsayaword。 Nowthatpolicymaypossiblyhavebeendesirableonce——ifitcaneverbedesirabletosuppresshistorictruthfromawholenation。Butto-day,whenwehavelongstoodonourownpowerfullegsandneednobolsteringupofsuchakind,thatpolicyisnotonlysilly,itispernicious。Itisperniciousbecausetheworldisheavingwithfrightfulmenacestoallthegoodthatmanknows。Theywouldstriplifeofeveryresourcegatheredthroughcenturiesofstruggle。Madmobs,wholeracesofpeoplewhohaveneverthoughtatall,orwhohavenowhurledawayallpretenseofthought,aimatmeredestructionofeverythingthatis。Theydon\'tattempttoofferanysubstitute。Downwithreligion,downwitheducation,downwithmarriage,downwithlaw,downwithproperty:Suchistheircry。 Wipetheslateblank,theysay,andthenwe\'llseewhatwe\'llwriteonit。AmidthisstandsGermanywithherunchangedpurposetoowntheearth; andJapanisdoingsomethinking。AmidthisalsoistheAnglo-Saxonrace,theracethathasbroughtourlaw,ourorder,oursafety,ourfreedomintothemodernworld。Thatanyschoolhistoriesshouldhinderthemembersofthisracefromunderstandingeachothertrulyandbeingfriends,shouldnotbetolerated。 ManyyearslaterthanMr。SydneyGeorgeFisher\'sanalysisofEnglandunderGeorgeIII,Mr。CharlesAltschulhasmadeanexaminationandgivenananalysisofagreatnumberofthoseschooltextbookswhereinourboysandgirlshavebeenandarestillbeingtaughtahistoryofourRevolutioninthedistortedformthatIhavebrieflysummarized。Hisbookwaspublishedin1917,bytheGeorgeH。DoranCompany,NewYork,andisentitledTheAmericanRevolutioninourSchoolTextbooks。Herefollowingaresomeofhisdiscoveries: Offortyschoolhistoriesusedtwentyyearsagoinsixty-eightcities,andinmanymoreunreported,fourtellthetruthaboutKingGeorge\'spocketParliament,andthirty-twosuppressit。To-dayourbooksarenotquitesobad,butitisnotverymuchbetter;and-to-day,beitadded,anyreformingofthesetextbooksbyBoardsofEducationislikelytobeprevented,whereverobstructionispossible,byeveryinfluencevisibleandinvisiblethatpro-Germanandpro-Irishpropagandacanexert。 ThousandsofourAmericanschoolchildrenalloverourcountryarestillbeinggivenaversionofourRevolutionandthepoliticalstateofEnglandthen,whichisasfaultyaswasGeorgeIII\'sgovernment,withitsfakeparliament,its\"rottenboroughs,\"itsLittleSarum。Meanwhilethat\"armyofspies\"throughwhichtheKaiserboastedthatheruled\"supreme\" here,andwhich,thoughheisgone,isbynomeansademobilizedarmy,butaverybusyandwell-drilledandwell-conductedarmy,isverygladthatourboysandgirlsshouldbetaughtfalsehistory,andwilldoitsbesttoseethattheyarenottaughttruehistory。 Mr。CharlesAltschul,inhisadmirableenterprise,addressedhimselftothosewhopresideoverourschoolworldalloverthecountry;hereceivedanswersfromeverystateintheUnion,andheexaminedninety-threehistorytextbooksinthosepassagesandpageswhichtheydevotedtoourRevolution。ThesebookshegroupedaccordingtotheamountofinformationtheygaveaboutPittandBurkeandEnglishsympathywithusinourquarrelwithGeorgeIII。Thesegroupsarefiveinnumber,anddwindledownfromgroupone,\"Textbookswhichdealfullywiththegrievancesofthecolonists,giveanaccountofgeneralpoliticalconditionsinEnglandpriortotheAmericanRevolution,andgivecredittoprominentEnglishmenfortheservicestheyrenderedtheAmericans,\"togroupfive,\"Textbookswhichdealfullywiththegrievancesofthecolonists,makenoreferencetogeneralpoliticalconditionsinEnglandpriortotheAmericanRevolution,nortoanyprominentEnglishmenwhodevotedthemselvestothecauseoftheAmericans。\"Ofcourse,whatdwindlesistheamountsaidaboutourEnglishsympathizers。IngroupsthreeandfourthisissoscantyastodistortthetruthandsendanyboyorgirlwhostudiedbooksofthesegroupsoutofschoolintolifewithaveryimperfectideaindeedofthesizeandimportanceofEnglishoppositiontothepolicyofGeorgeIII;ingroupfivenothingissaidaboutthisatall。TheboysandgirlswhostudiedbooksingroupfivewouldgrowupbelievingthatEnglandwasundividedlyautocratic,tyrannical,andhostiletoourliberty。Inhiscarefulandconscientiousclassification,Mr。Altschulgivesusthebooksinusetwentyyearsago(andhenceresponsiblefortheopinionofAmericansnowbetweenthirtyandfortyyearsold)andbooksinuseto-day,andhenceresponsiblefortheopinionofthoseAmericanmenandwomenwhowillpresentlybegrownupandwillprolongforanothergenerationtheschool-taughtignoranceandprejudiceoftheirfathersandmothers。IselectfromMr。Altschul\'scatalogueonlythosebooksinusein1917,whenhepublishedhisvolume,andoftheseonlygroupfive,wherethefactsaboutEnglishsympathywithusaretotallysuppressed。 Barnes\'SchoolHistoryoftheUnitedStates,bySteele。ChandlerandChitword\'sMakersofAmericanHistory。Chambers\'(Hansell\'s)ASchoolHistoryoftheUnitedStates。Eggleston\'sAFirstBookinAmericanHistory。Eggleston\'sHistoryoftheUnitedStatesandItsPeople。Eg- gleston\'sNewCenturyHistoryoftheUnitedStates。Evans\'FirstLessonsinGeorgiaHistory。Evans\'TheEssentialFactsofAmericanHistory。 Estill\'sBeginner\'sHistoryofOurCountry。Forman\'sHistoryoftheUnitedStates。Montgomery\'sAnElementaryAmericanHistory。Montgomery\'sTheBeginner\'sAmericanHistory。White\'sBeginner\'sHistoryoftheUnitedStates。 Ifthereaderhasfollowedmefromthebeginning,hewillrecollectaletter,partsofwhichIquoted,fromacorrespondentwhospokeofMont- gomery\'shistory,givingpassagesinwhichafairandadequaterecognitionofPittandourEnglishsympathizersandtheiroppositiontoGeorgeIIIismade。ThiswouldseemtoindicatearevisionoftheworksinceMr。Altschulpublishedhislists,andtosubstantiatethehopeI expressedinmyoriginalarticle,andwhichIhererepeat。Surelythepublishersofthesebookswillrevisethem!SurelyanypatrioticAmericanpublisherandanypatrioticboardofeducation,schoolprincipal,oreducator,willwatchandresistallpropagandaandothersinisterinfluencetendingtoperpetuatethiserroroftheseschoolhistories! Whateverexcusetheyoncehad,beittheexplanationIhaveofferedabove,orsomeother,thereisnoexcuseto-day。ThesebookshavelaidthefoundationfromwhichhassprungthepopularprejudiceagainstEngland。Ithasdescendedfromfathertoson。Ithasbeenfurthersolidifiedbymanytalesforboysandgirls,writtenbymenandwomenwhoacquiredtheirinaccurateknowledgeatourschools。AnditplaysstraightintothehandsofourenemiesChapterIX:ConcerningaComplexAllofthesebooks,historyandfiction,dropintotheAmericanmindduringitsearlyspringtimetheseedofantagonism,establishinfactananti-English\"complex。\"Itisasprettyacaseofcomplexonthewholesaleascouldwellbefoundbyeitherhistorianorpsychologist。ItisnotsoviolentasthecomplexwhichhasbeenplantedintheGermanpeoplebyfortyyearsofveryadroitlyandcarefullyplannedtraining: theyweretaughttodistrustandhateeverybodyandtoconsiderthemselvessosuperiortoanybodythattheirsacreddutyastheysawitin1914wastoenslavetheworldinordertoforceupontheworldthepricelessbenefitsoftheirKultur。Undertheshockofwarthatcomplexdilatedintoaformofrealhysteriaorinsanity。Ouranti-Englishcom- plexisfortunatelymilderthanthat;butnonethelessdoesitsavorslightly,asanynervespecialistorpsychologicaldoctorwouldtellyou——itsavorsslightlyofhysteria,thathundredsofthousandsofAmericanmenandwomenofeverygradeofeducationandignoranceshouldautomaticallyexclaimwhenevertherightbuttonispressed,\"Englandisaland-grabber,\"and\"WhathasEnglanddoneintheWar?\" Thewordcomplexhasbeeninourdictionaryforalongwhile。Thisfamiliaradjectivehasbeenmadebycertainscientificpeopleintoanoun,andforbrevityandconvenienceemployedtodenotesomethingthatalmostallofusharborinsomeformorother。Thesecomplexes,theselumpsofideasorimpressionsthatmatcheachother,thatareofthesamepattern,andthatarealsoinvariablytincturedwitheitherapleasurableorpainfulemotion,lieburiedinourminds,unthought-ofbutalive,andlurkalwaysreadytosetupaferment,wheneversomenewthingfromoutsidethatmatchesthementersthemindandhencestartsthemoff。The\"suppressedcomplex\"Ineednotdescribe,asourEnglishcomplexisbynomeanssuppressed。Knowntousall,probably,isthepoliticalcomplex。 Yearafteryearwehavebeenexcitedaboutelectionsandcandidatesandpolicies,preferringonepartytotheother。Ifthispreferencehasbeenverymarked,orevenviolent,youknowhowdisinclinedwearetogivecredittotheotherpartyforanyactorpolicy,nomatterhowexcellentinitself,which,hadourownpartybeenitssponsor,weshouldhavebeenheartandsoulfor。Youknowhoweasilyweforgetthegooddeedsoftheoppositepartyandhoweasilywerememberitsbaddeeds。That\'sagoodsimpleordinaryexampleofacomplex。Itsworkingscanbediscernedintheexperienceofusall。Inourpresentdiscussionitisverymuchtothepoint。 EstablishedinthesoftyoungmindsofourschoolboysandgirlsbyaseriesofreiteratedstatementsaboutthetyrannyandhostilityofEnglandtowardsusintheRevolution,statementswhichtheyhavetorememberandmasterbystudyfromdaytoday,tincturedbytheanxietyabouttheexaminationahead,whenthestudentsmustknowthemorfail,theseincidentsofschoolworkbeingalsotincturedbyanotheremotion,thatofpatriotism,enthusiasmforWashington,fortheDeclarationofIndependence,forValleyForge——thusestablishedintheregularwayofallcomplexes,thisanti-EnglishcomplexisfedandwateredbywhatwelearnoftheWarof1812,bywhatwelearnoftheCivilWarof1861,andbymanylessereventsinourhistorythusfar。AndjustasaRepublicanwilladmitnothinggoodofaDemocratandaDemocratnothinggoodofaRepublicanbecauseofthepoliticalcomplex,sodoesthegreat——thevast——majorityofAmericansautomaticallyandeasilyremembereverythingagainstEnglandandforgeteverythinginherfavor。Justtryitanydayyoulike。AskanyaverageAmericanyouaresittingnexttoinatrainwhatheknowsaboutEngland;andifhedoesrememberanythingandcantellittoyou,itwillbeunfavorableninetimesinten。Themereword\"England\" startshiscomplexoff,andoutcomeseveryfactithasseizedthatmatcheshisschool-implantedprejudice,justasithasrejectedeveryfactthatdoesnotmatchit。ThereisabsolutelynootherwaytoexplaintheAmericanhabitofspeakingillofEnglandandwellofFrance。Severaltimesinthepast,Francehasbeenflagrantlyhostiletous。ButtherewasLafayette,therewasRochambeau,andthegreatserviceFrancedidusthenagainstEngland。Hencefromourschoolhistorieswehaveapro-Frenchcomplex。UnderitsworkingsweautomaticallyremembereverygoodturnFrancehasdoneusandautomaticallyforgettheevilturns。Againtrytheexperimentyourself。HowmanyAmericansdoyouthinkthatyouwillfindwhocanrecall,orwhoevenknowwhenyourecalltothemtheinsolentandmeddlesomeCitizenGenet,envoyoftheFrenchRepublic,andhowWashingtonrequestedhisrecall?OrtheFrenchprivateersthatalittlelater,about1797-98,preyeduponourcommerce?AndthehatredofFrancewhichmanyAmericansfeltandexpressedatthattime?HowmanyrememberthattheKingofFrance,directlyourRevolutionwasover,wasmorehostiletousthanEngland? ChapterX:JackstrawsJackstrawsisagamewhichmostofushaveplayedinouryouth。Youemptyonatableaboxofminiaturetoyrakes,shovels,picks,axes,allsortsoftoolsandimplements。Theselieundereachotherandaboveeachotherinintricateconfusion,notunlikecrosstimberinawesternforest,onlyinsteadofbeinglogs,theyareabouttwoincheslongandverylight。Theplayerssitroundthetableandwithlittlehookstryinturntoliftonejackstrawoutoftheheap,withoutmovinganyoftheothers。Yougoonuntilyoudomoveoneoftheothers,andthislosesyouyourturn。 Europeandiplomacyatanymomentofanyyearremindsyou,ifyouinspectitclosely,ofagameofjackstraws。Everysortandshapeofintrigueisinthegeneralheapandtangle,andthejealousnationssitround,eachtryingtoliftoutitsownjackstraw。Luckilyforus,wehavenotoftenbeeninvolvedinthesegamesofjackstrawhitherto;unluckilyforus,wemustbehenceforthinvolved。Ifwekeptout,ourluckwouldbestillworse。 ImmediatelyafterourRevolution,therewasoneoftheseheapsofintrigue,inwhichwewereconcerned。ThiswasatthetimeofthenegotiationsleadingtotheTreatyofParis,towhichImadereferenceatthecloseofthelastsection。Thiswasin1783。Twentyyearslater,in1803,occurredtheheapofjackstrawsthatledtotheLouisianaPurchase。 Twentyyearslater,in1823,occurredtheheapofjackstrawsfromwhichemergedtheMonroeDoctrine。Eachofthesedates,dottedalongthroughourearlydecades,marksaveryimportantcrisisinourhistory。Itiswellthattheyshouldbegroupedtogether,becausetogethertheydisclose,sotospeak,acoherentpattern。ThiscoherentpatternisEngland\'sattitudetowardsourselves。Itistobeperceived,faintlyyetdistinctly,in1783,anditgrowsclearerandevermoreclearuntilin1898,inthegameofjackstrawsplayedwhenwedeclaredwaruponSpain,thepatternissoclearthatitcouldnotbemistakenbyanyonewhowasnotwillfullyblindedbyananti-Englishcomplex。ThispatternrepresentsapreferenceonEngland\'spartforourselvestoothernations。IdonotaskyoutothinkEngland\'sreasonforthispreferenceisthatshehaslovedussomuch;thatshehaslovedotherssomuchless——thereisherreason。Shehaslovedherselfbetterthananybody。Somusteverynation。 Sodoeseverynation。 Letmebrieflyspeakofthefirstgameofjackstraws,playedatParisin1783。OurRevolutionwasover。Thetermsofpeacehadtobedrawn。 Franklin,Jay,Adams,andLaurenswereournegotiators。Thevariousimportantpointswereacknowledgmentofourindependence,settlementofboundaries,freedomoffishingintheneighborhoodoftheCanadiancoast。 WehadagreedtoreachnosettlementwithEnglandseparatelyfromFranceandSpain。Theywereourrecentfriends。England,ourrecentenemy,sentRichardOswaldasherpeacecommissioner。Thisprivategentlemanhadplacedhisfortuneatourdisposalduringthewar,andwasFranklin\'sfriend。LordShelburnewroteFranklinthatifthiswasnotsatisfactory,tosayso,andnameanyonehepreferred。ButOswaldwassatisfactory; andDavidHartley,anotherfriendofFranklin\'sandalsoasympathizerwithourRevolution,wasadded;andinthesecircumstancesandbythesementheTreatywasmade。ToFrancewebrokeourpromisetoreachnoseparateagreementwithEngland。WenegotiateddirectlywiththeBritish,andtheArticlesweresignedwithoutconsultationwiththeFrenchGovernment。WhenVergennes,theFrenchMinister,sawtheterms,heremarkedindisgustthatEnglandwouldseemtohaveboughtapeaceratherthanmadeone。BythetreatywegottheNorthwestTerritoryandthebasinoftheOhioRivertotheMississippi。Ourrecentfriend,theFrenchKing,wasmuchopposedtoourhavingsomuchterritory。Itwasourrecentenemy,England,whoagreedthatweshouldhaveit。Thiswastheresultofthatgameofjackstraws。 Letusrememberseveralthings:inourRevolution,Francehadbefriendedus,notbecauseshelovedussomuch,butbecauseshelovedEnglandsolittle。IntheTreatyofParis,Englandstoodwithus,notbecauseshelovedussomuch,butbecauseshelovedFrancesolittle。Wemustcherishnoillusions。Everynationmustloveitselfmorethanitlovesitsneighbor。Nevertheless,inthispatternofEngland\'spolicyin1783,whereshetakesherstandwithusandagainstothernations,thereisadeepsignificance。Ournotionsoflaw,ournotionsoflife,ournotionsofreligion,ournotionsofliberty,ournotionsofwhatamanshouldbeandwhatawomanshouldbe,aresomuchmoreakintohernotionsthantothoseofanyothernation,thattheydrawhertowardusratherthantowardanyothernation。Thatisthelessonofthefirstgameofjackstraws。 Nextcomes1803。UpontheLouisianaPurchase,Ihavealreadytouched;butnotuponitsdiplomaticside。InthoseyearstheEuropeangameofdiplomacywastrulyportentous。Bonapartehadappeared,andBonapartewasthestormcentre。FromtheheapofjackstrawsIshallliftoutonlythatwhichdirectlyconcernsusandouracquisitionofthatenormousterritory,thencalledLouisiana。Bonapartehaddreamedandplannedanempireoverhere。Certainvicissitudesdisenchantedhim。AplantoinvadeEnglandalsohelpedtodeflecthismindfromestablishinganoutpostofhisempireuponourcontinent。Forushehadnolove。Ourprinciplesweredemocratic,hewasacolossalautocrat。Hecalledus\"thereignofchatter,\"andhewouldhavelikeddearlytoputoutourlight。AddingtonwasthentheBritishPrimeMinister。RobertR。LivingstonwasourministerinParis。InthehistoryofHenryAdams,inVolumeIIatpages52and53,youmayfindmoreconcerningBonaparte\'sdislikeoftheUnitedStates。YoumayalsofindthatTalleyrandexpressedtheviewthatsociallyandeconomicallyEnglandandAmericawereoneandindivisible。