Europe; and when the
tone of foreign criticism was changed, by acts and opinions of his which
should have banded the whole American press for his defence, he was
assailed here in articles which either echoed the tone, or were actual
translations of attacks upon him by foreigners. The custom peculiar to
this country of "quoting the opinions of foreign nations by way of
helping to make up its own estimate of the degree of merit which belongs
to its public men," is treated in this letter with caustic and just
severity, and shown to be "destructive of those sentiments of
self-respect and of that manliness and independence of thought, that are
necessary to render a people great or a nation respectable." The
controlling influence of foreign ideas over our literature, fashions,
and even politics, are illustrated by the manner in which he was himself
treated, and by what he considers the English doctrines which have been
broached in the speeches of many of our statesmen. It is a frank and
honest book, which was unnecessary as a vindication of Mr. Cooper, but
was called for by the existence of the abuse against which it was
chiefly directed, though it seems to have had little effect upon it. Of
the political opinions it contains I have no more to say than that I do
not believe in their correctness.

It was followed by _The Monikins_, a political satire, which was a
failure.

The next publications of Mr. Cooper were his _Gleanings in Europe_.
_Sketches in Switzerland_, first and second series, each in two volumes,
appeared in 1836, and none of his works contain more striking and vivid
descriptions of nature, or more agreeable views of character and
manners. It was followed by similar works on France, Italy, and England.
All of these were well received, notwithstanding an independence of tone
which is rarely popular, and some absurdities, as, for example, the
imputations upon the American Federalists, in the Sketches of
Switzerland. The book on England excited most attention, and was
reviewed in that country with as much asperity as if its own travellers
were not proverbially the most shameless libellers that ever abused the
hospitality of nations. Altogether the ten volumes which compose this
series may be set down as the most intelligent and philosophical books
of travels which have been written by our countrymen.

_The American Democrat, or Hints on the Social and Civil Relations of
the United States of America_, was publis