American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-09-16

uuSt thiec per cent. from his descriptions OIL lie
and manners.
About one third of the book consists of the nara
tive OF our authors pilgrimage through England
and Wales, and the other Two thirds of critical
description OF our manners, morals, CUSTOMS laws,
judicial and civil establishments, elections, taxes,
charities, arts, drama and literature. He takes a
wicked pleasure in drawing parallels between our
Parliament and the Congress of the U. States, our
king and their president, our taxes and their no
taxes, our starving farmers, and their well fed la
borers and though he is both an American and al
republican, contrives to be sngulary clever, wit
|ty, and amusing. He not only says that there isl
more honesty and diligence i'll Congress than in ourl
Parliament, which we would place to the account of
American ignorance but after witnessing many
debates, he maintains there is eloquence dig
nifty and order. He has respectable knowledge of
our history and antiquities, yet such Is the force of
American prejudice that he cannot discover thel
beauty and virtue of rotten burghs snecures, tthes
and standing armies, which, according TO some mod
ern authorities lie the root of all that is excellent
in the constitution. He is infinitely sportve up
on the superatives OF vast and grand and stupen-
dous' bestowed by English tourists such hlocks
as Snowden, such creekS as the Severn, little
garden cascades fifty feet high. He complains bit
terly of the four or FIVE different tongues spoken in
England, which rendered his English useless to him,
and forced him to hire an interpreter, whom he
u
merry upon the Coronation, at which he was pres
emit and has something very piquant upon the hap
piness OF ration where the Ministersof Finance de-
clares taxes to be blessing He is so ungenerous
as to judge OF the spirit OF our government from
Il the Manchester tragedy, the six bills, OLIvER's
plot, HONE & CARLIsLEs prosecutions, the Queens
funeral, and various other small acts at home and
abroad. His indignation is provoked by the We
nality OF our Reviews, and he describes with great
ku h1rl
sellers, who employ inDumerable arts TO putt off an
J author and procure him run for the season. The
hook is written with great talent. The author has
1.-THE acuteness Of SIMoND without his lastidiousness
4 with great grasp of intellect, and greater bold
ness and decision of character. His style is
clear, nervous, Astounding in figures and illusions
FULL Of vivacity, but easy, flowing, and unabored
e He cannot be long unknown and when he comes
forth, will be entitled to take his place among the
most powerful writers of the day III either CONT
nent In the United States the work cannot fail &c
: become prodgously popular. He has avenged
S the injuries of England in style which must turf
0 the laugh against us in America and would probe
John Bulls self-love 10 the quick if it could reach
" him. We neither adopt nor commend all the au
q thors opinions-far from itbut we think IT woul6
be we'll to put this book into Johns hand, Tor th'
e correction Of that inordinae national pride, which
1t blinds him 10 his own defects, and makes him s.
y likely to happen for without special license iron
the Attorney General mo printer would put his nam
'e to the work. To have our whole system, with a.
al lis ancient and grotesque accompaniments, anao
mixed by most sagacious, able and thorough repuo
TX lican, who writes without the fear OF prosecute
re before his eyes to have all the sublime parts G
our constitution tested by the hard and rigid rule
De democratic utility, is evidently species OF polite;
cd torture, altogether at variance with the moder
h. rules of civilized disputation. The Americans ar
d, HARDY enough to reprint all the bels we manuat
lc Iure upon their national character and government
ly But this is rule it does not suit US to follow. Gu
1t, lting out, however few passages about King
helLords and Commons in which the author has Wis
a IDLY INDUCED his prejudces, rather than exercise
otlhs judgemnt, the book might be reprinted
us London, and have good effect. The follow
UT ing extracts WIKI give an idea OF the authors MAJ
us ner.
nu "A good taste in the relish for dramatic eXhil
'Iitions is beyond doubt great criterion OF Il
state of morals: and whenever see the stage cot
y" verified into bear garden for drunkards, wild beast
49, puppet shows and pantomimes, take ii for gran
ed the audience must be pretty much on par WI
100 the exhibition. Above all, when people, ca
" led well educated and polite, fond OF Sect
~ murders, madmen, and extraVagant caFcatures
- every human passion represented on the stage u
,as sure sign their taste approximgtes TO that oil 4
49, mob who are most outrageousy addicted 10 ~
~ lining after executions and funerals.
WV 81 used often TO go to the theatres here, until
-, ie.rew Tired of their abou,inatons-fh drama
art is certainly at the lowest ehb in this cou"Sl
,ad owing to variety of causes. The first is the
~ difference Of the fashionable world, who, one and
he prefer to go to sleep at The Italian opera, to si
ar out one of Shakespearcs best plays; the seco
IL cause apprehend he the higotry OF consider
we joie Po'tio" "i ''ia' ei"''' "''1' 49, - :.
He my spectators W '1e e ,',,' ,y;,I ~,
Ito the play because they told that II is iDl'
oin al and many for other reason, shHn because II
w.; no longer fashionable. Itactuay snlacks OF II