American Notes For General Circulation

My readers have opportunities of judging for themselves whether the influences and tendencies which I distrusted in America had at that time any existence but in my imagination. They can examine for themselves whether there has been anything in the public career of that country since at home or abroad which suggests that those influences and tendencies really did exist. As they find the fact they will judge me. If they discern any evidences of wrong-going in any direction that I have indicated they will acknowledge that I had reason in what I wrote. If they discern no such indications they will consider me altogether mistaken-but not wilfully.Prejudiced I am not and never have been otherwise than in favour of the United States. I have many friends in America I feel a grateful interest in the country I hope and believe it will successfully work out a problem of the highest importance to the whole human race. To represent me as viewing AMERICA with ill-nature coldness or animosity is merely to do a very foolish thing: which is always a very easy one.