Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-12-12
LETFER FROM FRANCE.
BY sIR. WEED.


BY sIR. WEED.
81 set down to write you a letter--only think
A letter from France, with French pens and
French inkm
We got into the docks at IL o'clock,
sEd set foot Oh the sell of "La Belle"
France amid tho gatherings Of men,
monkeys unG parrots, all in language a.
like unintellgible. lleel far more sem
sibIe than | expected, tho embarrassment
and modification and reproach Of being
ignorant Of a language which has become
so universal. My first impulse was TO
return, instead of attempting to travel do.
priVeG Oftwo Of the ssnSes--for deprived
lam, in all that can interest or instruct
-ofthe sense Of hearing and Of speech.
The cars and tongues of those who nei.
thSr understand nor speak French, arc
quite useless They are even worso off
than mutes, for they have language Of
signs. II ison such occasions as these
that We realize and lament the waste Of
time. A very few Of tho days and weeks
that have squandered, directed to the
requirement of the French language
would have now spared me the mOrtfica>
tion Of travelling through France virtual
ly deaf and dumb! But these regrets,
80 fer 80 my own enjoyment s;cOncerned,
are whololy unavdiling. Should others
howeverread this letter, let them be ad
monished TO learn The French language,
which can always bo done without inter.
ference with other studies. With such
4 knowledge Of French as may be acquir-
cd froih the books, q few days residence
in France, 10 accuslom the ear to it's pros
Dunciation, enable1 the student to speak
hueBily, and with ease.
There 10 scarcely anything worth a
Travellers attention at Havrs. am far
more interested here with the people
than the place. had only seen the
French individually. Here encounter.
ed them as Nation. We know tha
they are cOnstiutionalIy gay, polite andt
amusement seeking race but their Qay'
Ties, poliieness, and friVolity far exceeds
my expectations. YOuwill infer, on Ian
ding at HaWo, from the number of mon
kios and parrots upon the docks, that
these we're the main articles Of French
cOmmsrce. And in walking through the
streets, from the endless variety of gew.
gaWs and frppeTy display IN shop, windows
you would suppose that the French pee.
pie were given over TO levity aud light-
ness. As for the people themselves.
they seem TO be living without RESPONSE
biIity or care. In strolling through the
place. found nobody anxious OF thOughi-
ful-Robody miserable or evea unhappy.
And the few mendcants yOu see, come.
not with wo begons faces and piteOus
tale, but seek TO amuse you with the
tricks Of monkey, a white mouse, a
young alligator, or some fantastical con.
tr,Vance in meehan sm.
On landing at Havre a traveller begins
(sspecislly il ho comes from England) to
experience some Of the custom hsuse
AnnoyAneeS and exaeiODs which vex and
plague you throughout Europe. Our
party, fortunately, had nothing contra.
band but few cigars, on which they
made Us pay second duty; but the
"sssFehing operations" upon others we're
rigid and inquisitorial, A lady from Ire.
land who came here 10 educate her chill
drsn, brought a trunk foil Of clothes,
upon each and every article of which she
was required to pay duty amounting in
most csses, to more than the articles
would have cost her ready made, and
in oil cases, more than the material cost!
Havts ir spoken fas q modern town,
though founded some half century before
the discovery ofAmerics. II has dsriv-
ed moIt ;of It's commercial importance
from the trade Jith our country. There
are no castles or monuments here, and
but few historical associations. There
ere but few hours in twenty four when
large vessels csnget incr out of thedocka,
which are capsule Of recsiEiag $50 ships
rhsre are AmsriCan.OE English partners
70 most Ofihe shipping houses here; and
ihs kngIish language 10 more spoken here
than IN any other town in France.