forjustaboutthisperiodthereweredraggingalong，intheBerlinandothercityjournals，accountsofGermantrialsforfraudandworse，surpassing，insomerespects，anythingwithinmymemoryofAmericantribunals。Thequantityoffig—leavesrequiredinsomeofthesetrialswasenormous;and，despiteallprecautions，somedetailswhichescapedintothepressmightwellbringablushtothemosthardenedAmericanoffender。Itwasbothvexatiousandcomicaltoseethesmug，Pharisaicalwayinwhichmanyjournalsignoredallthesethings，andhelduptheirhandsinhorroratAmericanshortcomings。Sometrials，too，whichatvarioustimesrevealedthebrutalityofsundrymilitaryofficerstowardsoldiers，wereheartrending;andespeciallyoneortwoduels，whichoccurredduringmystay，presentedfeaturescalculatedtoshockthetoughestAmericanrough—rider。ButallthisseemednotforamomenttowithdrawtheattentionofourTeutoniccensorsfromAmericanfollyandwickedness。OneofthemainchargesconstantlymadewasthatinAmericatherewasa"DeutschenHetze。"VerymanyGermanpapershadreallypersuadedthemselves，andapparentlyhadconvincedalargepartoftheGermanpeople，thatthroughoutourcountrythereexistedahate，deepandacrid，ofeverythingGermanandespeciallyofGerman—Americans。TheingenuityofsomeGermanpapersinsupportingthisthesiswaswonderful。OnoneoccasionapettysquabbleinaRomanCatholictheologicalschoolintheUnitedStatesbetweenthemoreliberalelementandareactionaryGermanpriest，inwhichthelattercametogrief，wasdisplayedasanevidencethattheAmericanpeopleweredeterminedtodriveoutallGermanprofessorsandtoabjureGermanscience。ThedoingsofeveryscapegraceinanAmericanuniversity，ofeverysillywomaninChicago，ofeveryblackguardinNewYork，ofeverysnobatNewport，ofeverydesperadointheRockyMountains，ofeveryclubloaferanywhere，wereservedupastypicalexamplesofAmericanlife。Themunicipalgovernmentsofourcountry，andespeciallythatofNewYork，wereanexhaustlessquarryfromwhichspecimensofeverykindofscoundrelismweredrawnandusedinbuildingupanidealstructureofAmericanlife;corruption，lawlessness，andbarbarismbeingitsmostsalientfeatures。
Norwasthisconfinedtothemoreignorant。Menwhostoodhighintheuniversities，menofthegreatestamiability，whoinformerdayshadbeenthewarmestfriendsofAmerica，hadnowbecomeourbitteropponents，andsomeoftheirexpressionsseemedtopointtoeventualwar。
YetIdoubtwhetherwehaveanyrighttocomplainofsuchattacksandmisrepresentations。Asamatteroffact，nonationwashessomuchofitsdirtylineninthefaceofthewholeworldasdoesourown;and，whatisworse，thereiswashedinourcountry，withmuchnoiseandperversity，agreatdealoflinenwhichisnotdirty。Manydemagoguesandsome"reformers"arealwaysdoingthis。ThereisinAmericaacertainclassofexcellentpeoplewhoseenothingbutthescumonthesurfaceofthepot;nothingbuttheworstthingsthrowntothesurfaceintheebullitionofAmericanlife。Ortheymaybecomparedtopeoplewho，withaPersiancarpetbeforethem，persistinlookingatitsseamyside，andfindingnothingbutoddsandends，imperfectjoints，unsatisfactorycombinationsofcolor;therealpatternentirelyescapingthem。Theshrillutterancesofsuchmenriseabovethelowhumofsteadygoodwork，andaretakeninGermanyasexactstatementsofthemainfactsinournationallife。
LetmerepeathereoneexamplewhichIhavegivenmorethanonceelsewhere。Severalyearssince，aneffortwasmadetoimpeachthePresidentoftheUnitedStates。Thecurrentwasstrong，andmostpartyleadersthoughtitbesttogowithit。ThreesenatorsoftheUnitedStatessturdilyrefused，theirleaderbeingWilliamPittFessendenofMaine，who，believingtheimpeachmentanattempttointroduceSpanish—Americanpoliticsintoourcountry，resolutelyopposedit。TheStateconventionofhispartycalleduponhimtovoteforit，thenationalconventionofthepartytookthesameground，hisrelativesandfriendsbesoughthimtoyield，buthestoodfirmlyagainstthemeasure，andfinally，byhisexampleandhisvote，defeatedit。ItwasanexampleofSpartanfortitude，ofRomanheroism，worthytobechronicledbyPlutarch。Howwasitchronicled？IhappenedtobetravelinginGermanyatthetime，andnaturallywatchedcloselyfortheresultoftheimpeachmentproceedings。OnemorningItookupaGermanpapercontainingthenewsandread，"Theimpeachmenthasbeendefeated;threesenatorswerebribed，"andattheheadofthelistofbribedsenatorswasthenameofFessenden！Thetimewillcomewhenhisstatuewillcommemoratehisgreatexample;letushopethatthetimewillalsocomewhenpartyspiritwillnotbeallowedtodisgraceourcountrybysendingouttotheworldsuchmonstrouscalumnies。
AstoattacksupontheUnitedStates，itisonlyfairtosaythatGermanpublicistsandnewspaperwriterswereundermuchprovocation。SomeoftheAmericancorrespondentstheninGermanyshowedwonderfulskillinmalignantinvention。Mypredecessorsintheembassyhadsufferedmuchfromthiscause。Oneofthem，whomIhadknownfromhisyoungmanhoodasagentlemanofrefinedtastesandquiethabits，utterlyincapableofrudenessofanysort，wasaccused，inasensationalletterpublishedinvariousAmericanjournals，ofhavingbecomesonoisyandboisterousatcourtthattheEmperorwasobligedtorebukehim。Varioushintsofafoulandscandalouscharacterweresentoverandpublished。
Iescapedmoreeasily，butthereweretwoorthreeexampleswhichwerebothvexatiousandamusing。
Shortlyaftermyarrivalatmypost，lettersandnewspaperarticlesbegancomingdeploringtheconductoftheGermanstowardme，expressingdeepsympathywithme，exhortingmeto"standfirm，"declaringthattheAmericanpeoplewerebehindme，etc。，etc。，allofwhichpuzzledmegreatlyuntilIfoundthatsomecorrespondenthadsentoveratelegramtotheeffectthatthefeelingagainstAmericahadbecomesobitterthattheEmperorhimselfhadbeenobligedtointerveneandcommandtheofficialsofhisempiretopresentthemselvesatmyofficialreception;andwiththisstatementwascoupledadeclarationthatIhadmadethemostearnestremonstrancetotheImperialGovernmentagainstsuchtreatment。Thesimplefactwasthatthenoticewasinthestereotypedformalwaysusedwhenanambassadorarrives。Oneverysuchoccasiontheproperauthoritiesnotifyallthepersonsconcerned，givingthetimeofhisreceptions，andthiswassimplywhatwasdoneinmycase。Onanotheroccasion，telegramsweresentovertoAmericanpapersstatingthatthefirstsecretaryoftheembassyandmyself，onvisitingParliamenttohearanimportantdebate，hadbeengrosslyinsultedbyvariousmembers。
Thefactwasthatwehadbeenreceivedbyeverybodywiththeutmostkindness;thatvariousmembershadsalutedusinthemostfriendlymannerfromthefloororhadcomeintothediplomaticgallerytowelcomeus;andthattherewasnottheslightestshadowofreasonforthestatement。Asanexampleofthegeniusshowninsomeofthesetelegrams，anothermaybementioned。A
verycharmingAmericanlady，nieceofamemberofMr。McKinley’scabinet，havingarrivedontheNorwegiancoast，herchildrenweretakenonboardtheyachtoftheEmperor，whowasthencruisinginthoseregions;andlater，ontheirarrivalatBerlin，theywiththeirfatherandmotherwereaskedbyhimtothepalacetomeethisownwifeandchildren。AfewdaysafterwardatelegramwaspublishedinAmericatotheeffectthattheEmperor，inspeakingtoMrs。Whiteandmyselfregardingthechildren，hadsaidthathewasespeciallysurprised，becausehehadalwaysunderstoodthatAmericanchildrenwerebadlybroughtupandhadverybadmanners。
Thesimplefactwasthat，whilehespokeofthechildrenwithpraise，therestofthestorywasmerelyasensationalinvention。
OneofthemarvelsofAmericanlifeisthetolerationbydecentfathersandmothersofsensationalnewspapersintheirhouseholds。Ofallthedemoralizinginfluencesuponourpeople，andespeciallyuponouryoungpeople，theyarethemoststeadilyandpervasivelydegrading。HoraceGreeleyoncepublishedatractateentitled，"NewThemesfortheClergy，"andIwouldsuggesttheevilinfluenceofsensationnewsmongeringasamostfruitfulthemefortheexhortationsofallAmericanclergymentotheirflocks，whetherCatholic，Jewish，orProtestant。Maywenothope，also，thatMr。Pulitzer’snewCollegeofJournalismwillgivecarefulattentiontothissubject？
Astopublicquestionsthendemandingattention，thefirstwhichInowrecallwasabitofinternationalcomedy，servingasapreludetomoreimportantmatters，andworthmentioninghereonlyasshowingamisconceptionveryabsurd，yetnotwithoutdangers。
Onemorning，asIhadjustsatdowntomyofficework，therewasusheredin，withdueceremony，ayounggentlemanoflightcolor，Parisiantothetipsofhisfingers，——inaccent，manner，andgarb，——whowasannouncedasthecharged’affairesofHaiti。Hewasevidentlyunderdeepconcern，andwassooninthemidstofasomewhatimpassionedstatementofhisbusiness。
Itappearedthathisgovernment，likesomanywhichhadprecededit，afterajoyouscareerofproclamations，revolutions，throat—cutting，confiscation，papermoney，andloans，publicandprivate，hadatlastmetacheck，andthatinthisinstancethecheckhadcomeintheshapeofaGermanfrigatewhichhaddroppedintotheharborofPort—au—Prince，runoutitsguns，anddemandedredressofinjuriesandpaymentofdebtstoGermanyandGermansubjects;andthecharge，afterdwellingupontheenormityofsuchademand，pointedoutthedutyoftheUnitedStatestoobligeGermanytodesist，——inshort，toasserttheMonroeDoctrineasheunderstoodit。
Theyoungdiplomatist’sstatementinterestedmemuch;itbroughtbackvividlytomymindthedayswhen，asacommissionerfromtheUnitedStates，IlandedatPort—au—Prince，observedthewreckandruincausedbyarecentrevolution，experiencedthebeautiesofapaper—moneysystemcarriedoutsologicallythatamarket—basketfullofcurrencywasneededtobuyamarket—basketfullofvegetables，visitedthetombsofthepresidentsfromwhichthebodiesoftheiroccupantshadbeentornandscattered，sawtheringtowhichPresidentSalnavehadrecentlybeentiedwhenthesupportersofhissuccessorhadmurderedhim，andmusedovertheruinsofthepresidentialmansion，whichhadbeentorninpiecesbybombsfromapatrioticvessel。Myheartnaturallywarmedtowardtherepresentativeofsomuchglory，anditseemedsadtoquenchhisoratoricalfireandfervorwithacoldstatementoffact。Butmydutywasplain:IassuredhimthatneitherthePresidentwhosenamethefamous"Doctrine"bears，northeSecretaryofStatewhodevisedit，northeAmericanpeoplebehindthem，hadanyideaofprotectingoursisterrepublicsinsuchconductasthatofwhichtheGermanscomplained;andIconcludedbyferventlyexhortinghimtoadvisehisgovernmentandpeoplesimplyto——paytheirdebts。
Itgavemepleasuretolearn，somewhatlater，thatthisveryprosaicsolutionofthedifficultyhadbeenadopted。
ImakehastetoaddthatnothingwhichmaybesaidhereorelsewhereintheserecollectionsregardingsundryequatorialgovernmentshasanyreferencetooursisterrepublicsofSouthAmericareallyworthyofthename。NocountrieswereinmytimemoreadmirablyrepresentedatBerlinthantheArgentineRepublic，Chile，andBrazil。Thefirst—namedsentasitsministerthemosteminentlivingauthorityoninternationallaw;thesecond，agentlemandeeplyrespectedforcharacterandability，whosehousehold...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：