Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-09-08

their mode of living and their love Of ardent spi
rits, still fatally prevalent. l am speaking OF
travellers fare when say, that the tavern tables
are always well and plentifuIly supplied; but no
vands are thought so paatable as those that are
swimming in melted butter. A beef steak that
would be excellent if cooked an naturel. is al
most invariably spoiled. At breakfast the bread
and cakes cannot be too new, or too hot, and fresh
supplies arrive during the meal, which is usually
despatched with the most extraordinary rapidity.
At New York once had the table cloth whisked.
from under my plate by the impatient servants
The natural consequence is, an extreme preva-
Ience of dyspepsia in all parts Of the United
States, which Is not lessened by the incredible
quantity of soda water, sweetened with different
syrups, which is consumed by the Americans dur
ing the hot weather."
Mr.. V,gne describes the American inns as ge.
neraiy good and the landlords as remarkably CT
viii He says of the Mansion House Hotel in this
CITY,. would instance MIR Heads table at
Philadelphia as the best in the United States
There was a quiet, gentemanly style about it
which | never saw surpassed, or hardly equalled.
BY a table d'hote in any country. lprefer the
bedrooms of Mr.. Barnum, of Baltimore, and
those of Mr.. Gadsby, at Washington. He thinks,
taking it altogether, that the fremont Hotel ia
the best in the United States. In more than one
place. he animadverts upon American phraseOlo.
ev and pronunciation. We annex passage on
this head.
.'The American error is detected in the for
NAL and decided accumulation Of particular syl-
tables in several common words, and in the laugh
able misuse OF many others; and not in any mis-
prom uEciation of the language, generally. The
word engine, for instance, is pronounced engine;
favorite, favorite; European, European. &c. A
patois, or provincial dialect, such as is heard iD
the more distant counties in England,is unknown
amongst the natives Of the United States; and
the similarity of language to be heard in every
part of the Union that visited, could not but
attract my attention as an EnglIshman. To ira
vel By the mail for two or three hundred miles,
and 30 sit bsside 1oachman who spuke as good
English as the one with whom first started, had
certainly, at least thought SO, the effect OF
shore ning the distance
On his way to Harper's Ferry, the Barrister is
far from being very wise in his complaint OF the
preference which, as he noted the American gives
to rail road, canal, or the prospect OF fine
farm. over wild and picturesque scenery. There
is no civilized country, Of which the mass OF in.
habiants would not think and feel in the same
way, and "dispense with the mere romantic" TO
obtain the best of roads and other communica-
tons, and productive culture. This would not
impIy any want of due sensiblity to the beauties
of nature. Other British tourists have represent
ed the whole American people as devoid OF fancy
and feeling because the worthy folks resident
near the Falls of Niagara did not shew an equal
degree of enthusiasm and rapture with them
selves, when they ithc tUurists) first bched the
glorious spectacle. To argue from such cir.
cumstance is ridiculous.
There is no similar object of admiration, no
piece of scenery, no monument IN Great Britain,
or Europe, of which the neighborS manifest any
strong emotion. The number of Americans who
tourney from a distance TO contemplate the Falls
Of Niagara and Harper's Ferry. is considerable;
the Americans who visit Europe are as eager
sn search of the picturesque" as adventurous
and enthusiastic in scaling mountains, whether
those of Switzerland. Italy, or Spain, as any
other travellers whatever. No nation, perhaps,
can be said to love the spendors Of wild nature
so much, to frequent the forest and the remote
aud solitary waters. with SO much Loneliness and
so quick aud discriminating an eye, as the Ame-
rican.
Our traveller went from Washington TO Pitts
bursh. at which place he arrived on the 4th OF
,,uly. and heard a great number Of toasts at the
public dinner-"a more or less patriotic. but
most of them expressed IN very bombastic lan-
guaee." He observes that bis present Majesty
Of England. dubbed civilian the Reiormer,"
was app!auJe.l by the republicans as being more
glorious than William the Conqueror This was
a little premature. The journey from Pittsburgh
to Lexington pleased Mr.. V'sne. and he deemed
the capital Of Kentucky "the neatest country.
town. he had yet seen in the United States
He treats of the Kentucky land and relief laws,
with good sense.
The appearance and manners of the negro
slaves led him to the conclusion that they are
:" very happy race" description which he ex-
tends to those of the Southern States generally.
We, he thinks that their numbers constitute
piIie polifique. political sore, equally trouble.
some and lar more formidable, than the system
of Poor Laws in England. He mentions that,
at Washington. the sound Of the slave auction.
GERS hammer may be heard within short dis
lance of the capitol; and that. in Georgia, there
is a county called Liberty County, where the
slave population is to the whites as five to one
The Barrister imagines that, Z" fan inclination
to secede from the Union should be prevalent in
any of the Southern States, the danger they
would incur from their black population, would
be sufficient reason for their thinking twice on
LIT