A GREAT FRENCHMAN ON FANTASTIC CARICATURE AND PROFOUND REFLECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 15

A GREAT FRENCHMAN ON FANTASTIC CARICATURE AND PROFOUND REFLECTION.

(Daily Mail.) - M. Boutmy's '" The English People," just r published by Mr Fisher TJnwin, would have *- attracted general attention even without the "Sponsorship- of Mr Bodley, as one of the "most interesting and informing works on this country which -has ever appeared from a foreign pen.-' All peoples are curious -to' know what their neighbours think of them, and we English^.™ so exceedingly well'pleased .-with ourselves that we oan endure without ■gany impatience .th© btu'njf'and often brutal critioism-of M. Boutmy. ". • _ To read him, one would ' oh occasions suppose that the English were a race' of feroeious^savages, ruled by an ogre, dwell- \ ing in. a cave at- Highbury, and subsisting ' chiefly on the flesh ol Frenchmen. 'So deep-- and _ enduring an impression has Fashoda apparently produced on the French .mind, though we have long since forgotten the incident, and have even effaced* the name from the -map as a compliment to ' our * neighbours. , -- \ <', ■But w-hile at*. times., almost* puerile;- M. Boutmy is more often profound, and^seema 1 .- to have seen deeper .-into— some, phases, of our political life than- even, lEngHshmen. Take" -fbt exarriple'liis "account*" of the position of the British "monarchy": - - - ' ,-■ It^is the'\form •- of . government which, is - m«st -inteMigibfe to ~ the • 'massf&s,^ Cthe!- "only one; that is, 'visible. • Itvcbnveys-ifrp ,thpse. -; ■who-,fchiiilc r oaly v 'tfeo»iglf s'ensations-^-and -U their nuaifoer is, still very" large — a direct ~\ - and. simple -^demonstration of authority. ■ • MONARCHY" AND EMPIEE. - f-^-Axjd our^ royal house is planted firmly Ja ' -*he-^afFeG^ion» and traditions of the nation, ' . •e*'he 'show®* by this fine metaphor : '' There is the same difference between our monarchy- joi . July (Louis Philippe) and the monarchy, of Queen Victoria, so analogous iii many respects a3 there is between the , capital oi a "cdlumm. which arisea, slerider.- and_ alone, from the emptiness .of a. Jiorizontal platform, 'and ths immovable summit of a mountain, whioh in endless, undulations of lesser chains and little hills,,; extends to the, very horizon before the plain begins^ * With tbe developments of the -Empire the" monarchy has obtained new functions in.Jshe State; it is - rijow -.the.. " author and symbol of national unity.'-' The young nations of / Canada and -Australia would never, submit to- the authority of the" 600 odd gentlemen ■ who -form the House-of Commons ; yet they - gladlyvacknowlfe'dge allegiance' to the. ooin- _. "m on' dynasty, whose -past i«"-their- past : .... ' Every Englishman who proudly purveys -' the' immensity of tlier BritishuEjspire feels _. -^jSoia.% /royalty ■" largely ■ contributes '.to "the -,_• of lathis/ extraordinary, fa\jrici'. . ' --(jajdT'th* feeling- awakens-/aW 'vague''-'cori- ;- z fieious-ness of' hisr- debt" \.to»^t|jis., institution. ~^^ -in -the' past. ' z 's -- ;^ ~:-^-~\' . • ~'^ •>''-* V-" " THEyENOLieHifi*r. ,~\--_ -J J - - - The North American^ eolonaes, says 1 - M. Boutmy, imagined that ibehind' P-arliajnen't j . they^cpuid hear "even the scunpi,o£ this^maSion ' r -witha swa^er; "'Ouf--Ajmericaii l sufi-- ' j^»?fe,''- and glaryin'g in the fact- that .they-/'.-t^eare a. people who could be taxed- it will. ? /- TKe' . strength- of ' the -Eni'slisn^^ngship is ' .reinJorced by the 'fact that the King is also • tK»,head of tho ChurjpK; the oVer&row of "the 1 Church would, -ift'" his helief; 'mean that " rojjdty '_„w ould •,losey' much *of the extraordinary esteem, power, and- influence *'it» Jha» enjoyed for three -centuries in itsptheo"oratic role as" guarantee of the' imperial autonomy so dear to- every British subject." -Examining the 'character of .the individual i Englishman, M.; Boutmy ■ discovers in him/ j "as th© . element;, an . impulse to | effort and. action for, its .own sake. Every- j -where the 'English are addicted to sport, t *i»a "-spo^t is more than a diversion; it- is the- satisfaction of a physical' -Deed,- as imperative ashynger 6r thirst." The same . intensity is carried into' business : .; \- THe business man ' begins his ivork im- .. mediately;, giving' it " his whole attention.' - He- dpes^riot- raise hisjiead, as a French- . 'man 'would, .to -watch a" fly or to follow 3» out a, thought which distracts him for the moment from _ 'what he has in hand. "There is not the slightest interruption in : bis assiduity, nor 'relaxing of his application., to -the -task he- has determined to accomplish. .' - • _- ' ' ~ ADANGEK. '\ - Even the much-abused working man finds ! favour m his sight : j He" is. an "admirable woiiking machine ;"J . -he brings, to his work, not- only, a far .greater'amount of energy "but also' a "far i - , .capabilily,^than,-. for instance,'. a,n x ; Irishman Tor ''Gerimap. Tfc x is .because^the-;: , ' moments nis^ictiyity are .much ' closer' ! together— i.e.^, there are .no vacant iht«r- N ! yals, 'no naif .-"seconds occupied, by a sorfc^ of- j stoppage* while_'- the 1 thougtite^wander,"- '- "•" j But he thinje's there is -danger of ' this - habit of ' exertion being x - relaxed. Wealth, -has accumulated; laws have been made •which, favour the' idle, and worthlesSj and ' upon the^ distant --horizon- he sees the peril! of such a policy of misplayed philanthropy j as is now ruining Australia: . ; I fear the attempts of a policy philan-J thropical and reformatory, optimistic and' credulous, busy . and meddlesome, which. : will not recognise the 'necessary quota of ' imperfection ' in* everything human, invents remedies for eiyery ill, and makes use of the State to produce a small amount of material advantage, dearly bought .by the simultaneous^ expenditure of the vital force of the individual, far more_r. than the effects of a- directly tyrannical and rapacious policy. Th© personality, of the- individual English- \ man is " violent ' and brutal," though he j possesses a- vein of sentimentality. His are chaste, his family- large ; he loves j isolation, whence the detached house,' which ! ,was 10 years ago the feature of London j -üburban life. He " has -'no pity nor sym- i pathy; he is even deficient in good 1 manners j and- good temper.' Heiis mot a gentleman, 'and for tJus. reason. ther€ is a- distinct class of "gentleman in .England into, which it .is only possible- to rise by- two or- three generations ;,of effort; because tlse English -genius as sJo'w'and by no means supple. Tin. Franc& a peasant's -son rises 1 in ;one generation -to the upper class. cAKicATtraE. In^the, political world, an amusing caricatnr« is given us of Mr .Chamberlain's .personality. ' He .is " reckless and " cynical . lik-s 'a comet which, coining within the radius of a brilliant and fixed constellation, has involved it in a headlong flight." With equal enthusiasm he has embraced restricted Radicalism and extravagant

Tm,perlalism ; the two —manifestations of contemporary democracy. It is this identity of the man with himself, this perpetuity of tenacity and force, even . wheri^ applied to objects unworthy in themselves, which are the cause of his extraordinary influence 1 and inexplicable good fortune. We are treated to an absurd legend of Mr Chamberlain solemnly setting to "work to defeat and ruin France, after forcing her to war. Clearly the author is not aware that Mr Chamberlain has always entertained a sentimental affection for the French, that be is himself a closo student of French literature, and that his son, our present Chancellor of. the Exchequer, completed his studies in Franoe at one of her greatest sohools. This portrait is eimply mirthprovoking. So also with Lord Kitchener. We are seriously informed th'af " he gave orders that no prisoners were to bemad© in the Soudan, and -that every ' Dervish who fell into the hands of his troops was to be massacred without- pity" ; while it is alleged with an utter ignorance of fact that the English used dum-dum bullets in the Boex^ war. t The repetition of these eilly fables sugIgests that M. Bdutmy is. not always as careful of his facts 'a'® 'he .should be. Yet it cannot be f de<nied , thai; he has given the - world' an extraordinarily" interesting book.—