The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-09-30

ly more accurate and better informed than lho7S
English travellers who pass for authorizes IN eF
! cry thing relating 10 America. Where ~ w.
err, there j. much truth mixed up VIVA nS
errors, and Sd much reason with his wrong lhu5
ments, that the worst Of pictures have still VeIl-
similitude enough to wound our national Nan'y
But be finds much in England to commend 49,
bis praise has the merit d discrimination Iie
seems, too, to describe our faults and vices iuIy
as much la pity and sorrow as in scOrn or anger
He is honest enough indeed 10 tell his brother 70
whom the letters are addressed, that he had peer
much beset by the blue devils both in Englhbu
and on the Continent, and warns him to deddos
three per cent. from his descriptions OF lie anu
manners.
About one third az the book consists Of the
narrative Of our authors pilgrimage through III
gland and Wales, and the other ~ thirds OF d
critical description of Ourmanners, morals, Gus
toms, laws judicial and civil establishments cleo
tons, taxes charities, arts, drama and Literature
He takes a wicked pleasure in drawing parallels
between oar Parliament and the Congress o. the
United States, our king aud their president, or,
taxes, and their Ro-taxes, our starving farmers
and their well-fed laboareFs and th5ugh Tx 4
both an American and republican, contE1yes 10
be singularly clever, witty ard amusing. he hot
only says that there is more hOHestyand diligence
iin Congress than iii our Parliament, which We
rance but after witnessing many debates, he
maintains there is more eloquence, dignity and
order lie has a respectable knowledge OF our
history and antiquities, yet such is the force az
American pre- iadice, that he cannot discover the
beauty and virtue of rotten burghs, srecures,
titheS and standing armies, which according 70
some modern authorities, lie at the root "a all
that j. excellent III the Constitution He il inh-
nitely sportive upon the superatves Of vast and
4 E~~L
tourists on such hlocks as Snowden, such creeks
AZ the Severn, little garden cascades fifty feet
high. He complains bitterly Of the four or FIVE
different tongues spoken in England, which rem
dered his En- fish useless to him, and forced him
10 hire an interpreter, whom be calls professor
Ot languages. He y irTeverently merry upon
the coronation, at which he was present, andhas
something very pigtGnt upon the happiness Of
nation where the Minister Of Finance declares
taxes to be blessing. lie Is % ungenerOuS Es to
judge Of the spirit Of our government from the
Manchester tragedy, the Six bills, divers plot,
Hone and Carlisle's prosecutions, the Queens
funeral, and various other small acts at home and
abroad. His indignation il provoked by the We
nality Of our Reviews, and he describes with great
force the decisions pTactised on the public by
booksellers, who employ innumerable arts to
puff Oft an author and procure him ran for the
season. The book is written with great talent
his fastidiOusness-witha great grasp of intellect
and greater boldness and decision of character
Ills style j. clear, nervous, Astounding III figures
and illusions, full OF vivacity, but easy flowing,
and nnlabored. He cannot be long unknown,
and when he comes forth, will be entitled TO take
his place among the most powerful writers Ofthe
day in either continent. In the United States
the work cannot fail to become prodgiously pop
ular. He has avenged the injuries of England in
style which must turn the laugh against us in
America, and would probe John Bulls self-l0ve
to the quick il ii could reach him. We neither
adopt nor commend all the authors opinions
far from it-but we think it would be well to put
this book into Johns hand, for the correction OF
that inOrdinate national pride, which blinds him
to his own defects, and makes him 50 insutIera-
bic to foreigners. This however, is not likely
to happen, for without a special license from the
Attorney General no printer would put his name
To the work TO have our whole system, with
all its ancient and grotesque accompaniment,
anatomical by most sagacious able and thor
Ough republican, who writes without the fear of
prosecution before his eyes; 10 have all the sub
lime parts Of our constitution tested by the hard
and rigid rule of democratic utility, is evidently
species of political torture, altogether at vari-
ance with the modern rules of civilized disputa-
ton. The Americans are hardy enough 10 re-
print all the lbels we manufacture upon their ma
tional character and government. But this is
rule il does not suit lis to follow Cutting out
however, few passages about King, Lords and
Commons in which the author las visbly in
dulged his prejudices rather than exercised his
judgment, the book might be reprinted in Lon
don, and have some good effect
ITO Be concluded ia our neal