Walt Whitman: Europe views America

For a bit of perspective on how Europe has viewed America, we have this report by Walt Whitman from the Civil War. Things haven't changed all that much, I guess. Original post at Instapundit from his reader, Gregory Birrer:

I have been reading a little book I picked up while in Gettysburg recently, entitled, "Memoranda During The War" by Walt Whitman. It is a compilation of his notes from about 3 years worth of visits to War hospitals in and around Washington D.C. from 1862 - 1865. Toward the end he inserts some interesting political commentary (mixed in with a variety of topics) that sounds as if it could have been written today. Here's the piece:

Attitude of Foreign Governments toward the U.S. during the War of 1861-'65 -
Looking over my scraps, I find I wrote the following during 1864, or the latter part of '63: The happening to our America, abroad as well as at home, these years, is indeed most strange. The Democratic Republic has paid her to-day the terrible and resplendent compliment of the united wish of all the nations of the world that her Union should be broken, her future cut off, and that she should be compell'd to descend to the level of kingdoms and empires ordinarily great!There is certainly not one government in Europe but is now watching the war in this country, with the ardent prayer that the united States may be effectually split, crippled, and dismember'd by it. There is not one but would help toward that dismemberment, if it dared. I say such is the ardent wish to-day of England and of France, as governments, and of all the nations of Europe, as governments. I think indeed it is to-day the real, heart-felt wish of all the nations of the world, with the single exception of Mexico--Mexico, the only one to whom we have ever really done wrong, and now the only one who prays for us and for our triumph, with genuine prayer.

Is it not indeed strange? America, made up of all, cheerfully from the beginning opening her arms to all, the result and justifier of all, of Britain, Germany, France, and Spain - all here - the accepter, the friend, hope, last resource and general house of all - she who has harm'd none, but been bounteous to so many, to millions, the mother of strangers and exiles, all nations - should now I say be paid this dread compliment of general governmental fear and hatred?.......Are we indignant? alarm'd? Do we feel wrong'd? jeopardized? No; help'd, braced, concentrated, rather.

We are all too prone to wander from ourselves, to affect Europe, and watch her frowns and smiles. We need this hot lesson of general hatred, and henceforth must never forget it. Never again will we trust the moral sense nor abstract friendliness of a single government of the world.

Glenn says:

"Never again?" Apparently, we need to be reminded from time to time. European hopes for our descent were frustrated then by the greatness of the American spirit, which both ended the war and -- more importantly -- managed to build a great nation without bitterness. May it be so again. And may the Europeans who resent it continue to gnash their teeth.

Comments

[Brian]

Big ups to you and A Company and everyone who wears the uniform of our country for all your hardwork and dedication over there. Come home safe.

[Andrew D.]

Without bitterness, come on...try asking a Native American (if there are any left), a slave ancestor, ancestors of chinese rail labor, etc about bitterness. It is precisly that narrow mindedness and lack of peripheral vision that has impeded the real birth of the potential great nation.

[SteveH]

Native Americans? There are a lot "left". Quite a few are volunteers, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not blind to the past, they know you won't get anywhere by wallowing in it, either.

Both my wife's grandfather's came over from China to work on the railroads in the West. Their children were doctors, dentists, pharmacists, auto mechanics...and their children everything from doctors to ministers to stockbrokers to teachers to engineers. All knowing the family histories. None of them obsessing on what used to be.

When I was a child, our family physician and his wife spent years at Manzanar, a friend's parents at Tule Lake; he enlisted in the Navy in the mid-60s, retired a couple years back as a Commander, serving last as a Hornet squadron's maintainance officer.

You can marinate in bitterness, sure. Or, you can actually do something to change the way things were to what they are, and to what they may be in the future.

[Jeffrey]

Thanks so much for the Whitman quotes. I recall reading his Civil War diaries. Really moving. This passage unfortunately has not lost its relevance. At least as concerns the French. The British stand with us today, I believe. I hope the Trafalgar Square scene is an aberration.

Jeffrey

[bear]

Jeffrey, Thank you for the comments. From all accounts I've read, both from the "left" and "right" media, the Trafalgar rally was smaller than hoped for (70,000) and less confrontational than feared. Even The Guardian reported that the latest polls show the majority of Brits favorable to the war effort.

And for perspective, please keep in mind that the anti-fox hunting rally held at Trafalgar not so long ago, had 400,000 people turn out.

We must stay the course and win this war.
-bear

[Sergio]

I would love to read a post about the (new) French-made rockets or Saddam's (older) German-made bunkers. Sometimes I get the impression that France and Germany is not just frowning from the sidelines and wishing for our defeat, but actually working hard to make it happen. That sounds much more like an enemy than a friend, to me.

[Paul Stinchfield]

The permalink at Instapundit is
http://www.instapundit.com/archives/012576.php#012576

[bear]

Paul, thanks for the update. I've fixed the link.
-bear