The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-04 00:00:00

HIGH WAfll AT LONDON BRIDGE.

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To-MOltacm—Maridat, 41. I Altersoon, 40. 44a.

LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 4.

MUCH as has been said and written in glorifica-
tion of the people of the United States since
General GRANT took Richmond, no author or
speaker within our recollection has ventured to
praise their way of amusing themselves. Original
and inventive as they are, they have not given us
ono new game ; they have no sport that can be
called national. Nor, capable as they are of
adapting to their circumstances whatever they find
suitable in the practice of other countries, have
they naturalised the best sports of this country,
which they study so much and know so well. Of
mild amusemeuta they have given us only the reli-
gious " revival meeting, " which is but of limited
utility; and what theyborrow of us is of even more
dubious value. With the exception of the yacht
race, which they have treated on a simple prin-
ciple by magnifying its dimensions, is there any-
thing they have taken from us besides horse-racing
and the prize fight ? These pursuits, however,
are adopted by too small a portion of the com-
munity to be considered in estimating the na-
tional character. The truth seems to be that the
Americans do not take kindly to amusements.
The greatness of the future which they expect for
their country, while it nerves their energies, in
some sort also oppresses them, and they live
in that strenuous mood which Mr. MArritew
ARNOLD tells us is nut favourable to the culti-
vation of " light and sweetness." A difficulty
to be conquered seems essential to the American
idea of enjoyment. We hear nothing of
cricket in the United States, no utility directly
connects itself with that sport, but thou-
sands in their great cities take delight
in organizing themselves to put out fires.
The consequence of this inaptitude for
simple recreations is that such popular amuse-
ments as exist are, to a great extent, in the hands
of the very lowest class of the people—lowest,
we mean, in respect of character; for the great de-
velopment of horse-racing which is now taking
place, and which has given New York the Jerome
Park, is prometed by people in possession of
ample funds. Just now the newspapers of New
York are complaining of the frequency of prize
fights. Tho rage for those entertainments is
epidemic.. The " ring," the New York Times
tells us, flourishes more than ever in America, and
our contemporary makes an urgent request that
this "good old British institution " may be
effectually broken up. In this country we some-
times find that a practice or tendency is resisted
all the more easily when it has first been called
American ; and if in turn our cousins think that it
will be easier for them to put down the American
P.R. if it is first discredited as a British institution,
we have no objection. Either American reporters
are more graphic than those of our own sporting
press, or a prize-fight in America is even more
revolting than it is in Kent, for the great battle
between BARNEY AARON and COLLYER for the
championship, which was fought a few weeks ago at
Acquia Creek, was one of the most brutal exhibi-
tions which it is possible to imagine. The fight
took place under the presidency of Alderman BILL
Milleizzit, of Philadelphia, and was made up of
sixty-seven rounds, lasting two hours all but five
minutes. When the men were on the ground,
the Alderman made a little speech, which was
loudly applauded, and the principals then pro-
ceeded to business. COLLYER presented, we
are told, a magnificent physique, but
AARON seemed to be in better training.
The men's hands looked the colour of turkey's
feet, having been tanned with some chemical
preparation to make them tough. AARON showed
great skill in sparring, and the yell was deafening
as, in the first round, he drew blood from Cot-
LYIER'S left temple. " His strategy," we are told,
" was splendid," and consisted in delivering a
blow and going down on the grass to avoid a re-
turn. COLLYER fought boldly, following his ad-
versary into every corner for an hour and a
quarter, and keeping his temper to the last. His
friends hissed AARON for his cowardly tactics ; but
those of Amon; derided COLLYER on account of
his swollen face. The spectators who, to the
number of a thousand, surrounded the ring,
entered cheerily into the humour of the scene, and
encouraged the men by their exclamations—" Hit
"him for his sister ;" " hit him for ANDY
" JOHNSON ;" "hit him for me ; hit him for your-
"self." By the fiftieth round the men's faces were
purple, and AAYON'S nose was " smashed flat, and
" spread out all over the left side of his face."
Their left cheeks are said to have resembled pieces
of raw beef more than anything else, and the more
the combatants were disfigured the more excited
and exacting did the lookers-on become. " Kill