No. 211.
Mr. Cramer
to Mr. Evarts.
Copenhagen, March 2, 1881. (Received March 25.)
Sir: An interesting German work has recently come to my notice. Its title (translated) is: “North America: Its Cities and its Natural Wonders; its Scenery and its People.” I consider the appearance of this work in Germany, and a translation thereof in the Swedish language, a hopeful sign of the times, as regards the dissemination in that country and in Scandinavia of just and correct views concerning the United States. For since my residence abroad I have noticed with pain that, with some noble exceptions, the secular press of Germany and, to some extent, of Scandinavia, has been unfriendly, not to say, hostile, towards our country. Three principal reasons may be assigned therefor:
- First. The reflex influence of our republican institutions upon the people of those countries. The United States has demonstrated four things to the nations of the earth: 1. Its power to maintain itself as a nation while passing through the terrible ordeal of war; 2. Its capacity to assert and maintain itself as a first-class power without a large standing army; 3. Its great prosperity while following different principles of state-craft from those followed by European political “doctrinaires,” 4. Its ability, without having recourse to heavy national taxation, not only to meet all its financial requirements, but also to reduce its national debt from $40,000,000 to $60,000,000 per annum, and that at a time when a number of European governments have to contend with an annual “deficit,” notwithstanding the enormous taxes they have imposed upon their people. In spite of the press, the people of Germany and Scandinavia somehow get to know these things. It sets them to thinking. They naturally infer that civil and religious liberty—republican institutions—are highly favorable to individual and national prosperity. This creates in them a desire to emigrate to the United States. Many thousand of the thriftiest, most energetic, and intelligent Germans and Scandinavians have already found a home there, and many thousands [Page 389] more are annually flocking thither. What is Germany’s and Scandinavia’s loss is our gain. Nor is this all. Among those who are unable to emigrate from want of means republicanism is gaining ground, step by step, engendering dissatisfaction with large standing armies and consequent heavy taxes. Is it a wonder that under these circumstances the so-called conservative press of these countries becomes alarmed, assumes an unfriendly attitude toward our country, and publishes all kinds of bitter things against it, while the socialistic press denounces us because we are not radical or revolutionary enough in its eyes?
- Secondly. The German press is unfriendly towards our country because our protective tariff prevents Germany from flooding our markets with its manufactured goods. Like its British colleague, the German (and to some extent the Scandinavian) press has heretofore denounced our tariff as a financial, commercial, and industrial heresy, while our country quietly, but energetically, attending to the development of its mineral, agricultural, industrial, and commercial resources, reached under this supposed heresy an unparalleled degree of prosperity. This fact has, however, opened their eyes, and a considerable number of German journals are now advocating the adoption of a similar tariff for Germany by pointing to the United States as a proof of its great success in securing a revenue, as well as in aiding the development of the industries of our country. They begin to learn from us, though with no friendly spirit, what we have long understood and practiced, viz, that a people cannot become prosperous by laws and police regulations, restricting individual liberty and enterprise; but that a commonwealth must always see its best riches in the number of its well-educated, healthy, and well-to-do citizens, in the number of its arms to work, brains to think, hearts to love the family and the country, and in opportunities for them to develop what is in them.
- Thirdly. Second and third rate literati, unfit for any position in their own country; newspaper reporters unable to grasp large subjects and given only to chronicle gossip, and students having failed to pass the required examination in their respective professions, have not unfrequently emigrated to the United States, in the hope of rapidly making a splendid career. Having failed to do this also, they wrote gloomy letters to an already unfriendly press, denouncing the people and the country which, in the eyes of millions, are unexcelled by any other in the world. They failed from a lack of a proper knowledge of the English language, or of tact and practical common sense, or from their inability to adapt themselves to their new surroundings; but unwilling to admit their faults, they attribute their failure to our country and people, and many of the German papers are only too glad to print their diatribes against us.
But the times are changing. There are honest and honorable students, men of character and ability in the “Fatherland” who visit the United States to see things as they are, to learn our language, our manners and customs, our methods of work, our trade, commerce, and industries, in short, to thoroughly understand our country and people. Such a gentleman is the author of the work mentioned at the beginning of this dispatch (Mr. Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg). A “nobleman” by birth, and equipped with a thorough education, he traveled through and studied our country, using and enjoying every facility to become thoroughly acquainted with our people, their mode of life in cities, towns, and villages; with our schools, colleges, and universities; our agriculture, trade, and commerce; our natural scenery, wonders, and resources. The results of his extensive observations and studies are [Page 390] embodied in the stately volume referred to (822 pages and 300 illustrations). This work cannot fail to disseminate in Germany and the Scandinavian countries just and correct views concerning our country and our people.
The publisher of this work (Mr. Gustav Weigel, of Leipzic) is also publishing, in German, a “German Emigration Gazette,” the design of which is to collect and disseminate just and correct information concerning the agricultural, industrial, and commercial interests of the United States, that is, just such information as is needed and wanted by those who desire to emigrate to our country.
These are hopeful signs of the times. They indicate a desire, on the part of the German and Scandinavian peoples, to become better acquainted with our country and our people, and to obtain reliable information of what is of universal interest in the western hemisphere. They also indicate that the future emigrants to the United States will belong to the intelligent, industrious, and well-to-do classes; a class of people that will find there ample room and opportunities to develop what is in them, as well as to assist in developing our immense resources; and thus contribute not only to their own wealth, but also to the wealth of the country.
I have, &c.,