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Simpson? 215

One of the most marked peculiarities of American Society is the total absence of all classes higher than those of the Merchant & professional man. One sees the working of this in many different ways. For instance it evidently elevates the unclear & character of the classes which they find themselves at the head of Society. It gives them a dignity & a bearing they wd not otherwise possess. If there is no one higher in society than a retail shop keeper, then by the force of his position he becomes brave & liberal, & his ideas become enlarged. I observed this at Denver where there is no higher class. And I think the same observations cd be made by anyone who wd go so far to judge for himself. These are good effects which the American system has upon those also who are most humbly placed. As they feel that they are theoretically, & in some respect practically, equal to those who are even the best placed in society, they endeavour not to disgrace, or altogether to fall short of their position. This is a strong stimulus among them to education & self-improvement. It is what has unclear the efforts of many who hae risen in life, & sustained them through many long years of patient industry, & laborious enterprise. I have no reason to believe a word of all that I ever heard of the offensive self assertion?, & obtrusive incivility of this class, for I never myself suffered from, or unclear any thing of the kind. Where an Englishman is the complainant, I wd be disposed to think that in most cases he had provoked the treatment he complains of, for no people are more careful about