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307 Strange as it may sound, the traveller sometimes finds it difficult to carry on an argument with an American, on account of his complete ignorance of the subject upon which he will go on arguing; or, worse still, from his wonderful misconceptions, for some of which he may possibly be indebted to rural orators, & rural newspapers. I was in this way myself often reminded of what a well-known American Editor said to me; of course very much exaggerating the fact; still, however, his remark may have some grain of truth in it "that his countrymen were, & must long continue to be in matters out of their own unclear, & beyond their own country the most ignorant people in the civilized world."