The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-08-14
From the Philadelphia Inquire,

The following letter from the Rev. DR. Durbin, da-
ted Florence is net without interest Every thing
from that source Is pleasing at all times to tins com
munity but the remarks Of the Rev. gentleman IN
relation to " Dickens Notes on America" will be
fully appreciated The publication Of this letter
would probably have been withheld, but for the gross
ISLANDERS contained in Martin Chuzzlewit and ex-
tracts from Boz's" Notes:
FLORENCE, ITALY, Nov. Is, l843.
NV Dear Sir: Since wrote from London, we have
visited Hamburg, Berlin Halle, Lelpsic, Dresden,
Vienna, Venice, and are now at Florence, on our way
to Rome. You are aware this is the capital oI US
cany, and well entitled to be called the Athens OF
Italy, for the scholars and artists she has Produced
and still chershes by her fine Libraries and unrivalled
galleries of paintings and sculpture Or these WIN
not ,l0,o speak nor will | at present mention her
churches, nor the magnificent Mauso.eum OF her
Medci, which has been in of erection Tor TWO
centuries nor the tombs of Dante, Calico, Michael
Angelo, Alferi and others, in the church OF Sante
Cruce for am not in very religious or poetic mood,
nor have been since stepped into booksellers,
(Morinis) yesterday, to buy book, and heard some
Englishmen conversiDg, among other things, upon
Dickens Notes on America, which was then at the
Custom house, and would be delivered in the course
of the afternoon One of them referred to our run
ming mad after every literary or noble person who
visited our country, and said, "the Americans are
fools, particularly the people of New York..
The truth is in this respect we are foolish, and
THO Hiot nave liidt VIC SIiOuu oMdit
under Boz's lash, for the eager kindness showed
him. But his american Notes. are worse than
could have anticipated There is scarcely one un-
qualified truth in the book and what traces of truth
are to be found, are disposed and expressed to
be falseooods to all intents and purposes It is a
thousand times worse than Mrs Troliope's because
OF ITS greater authority; and it is embttered by two
double distilled ingredients: In the first place,
ne does not mention the attentions paid him, be-
cause would seem too dishonorable and revoting to
IN H.,
where ne spreads his unmitgated SANDERS
And then again, in his dedication he offers as an
apology, that his "friends in America can hear the
truth when it is told good humoredly and in kind
spirit II these pages contain his "good humor'
and "knd spirit, heaven save us from bis bad humor
and cruel spirit But why did he not speak of the
natural fertility and magnifcence of the countryside
political freedom and general good condition of the
people? But this was not the work he came to do
What American can read his notes our Capital and
congress, and then hear him call Washington Irving
his "dear FRIEND without painting for revenge? Ir-
wing ought to be esteemed recreant to his country if
ne remain even the friend of this Infamous sanderer
after reading his foul pages
The truth is, as his dedication indicates he did not
go to America to study her institutions and see what
IS good there, as an honorable and liberal man would
have done but he went like an unclean bird to find
what little carrion he ght to prey Upon and return
ed to disyorge his foul meal for the purpose of crafty
ing the morbid appetite in England and thus promote
the sale Of his book. Hence he could see no part of
the country but stagnant pools Of water and cold
stumps," and 20 part of New York, but the "tombs
and the " Five Points," through which he prowled
with such success and delight, as indicate his in
stincts and habits and from whence he returned to
the festive board, and like another Judas sat smi-
lingiy down among those whom he was preparing to
stab in the tenderest part-their country Doubtless
aso his PENAL pen found its reward for describing
young and vigorous country, to destroy the inu-
ence OF her example upon the people of Eng land and
turn the tide of emigration to British colonies
On the continent but little is known Of the United
States, except what comes through English channels
and the English press takes care to retail only what
suits 1t, and with such color and commentary as will
most plausiby blacken and destroy our character
From these English papers the continental journals,
even IN Paris derive their information of American
affairs Yet Notwithstanding this disadvantage our ex-
ample has facilitated, if not produced the semi-liber-
y OF Europe, nearly destroyed its hereditary nobility
except in England and Austria and even stripped it
there oil much Of its elevation and respect in the eyes
Of the people. The great effort now making every
where IN Europe u.s. to counterac these new influences
in favor of the sovereignty of the multitude of which
the United States is the only example they fear and
TO sfe gradually the sense and desire of the people
with respect to constitutional government (promised
them at the paciication of Europe in 1885, and the
chief means are, to misrepresent our condition and
to describe it thus misrepresented as the result Of
institutions, and to ntoxicate the people with shows
and public amusements, and thus divert and satisfy
them This last is the plan on the continent where
gardens, music operas and theatres are sustained by
the government treasury; while in England the most
effective means IS to mirepresent for which the 90
vernment, and the Bank of Australia of "Cey.
Ion" &C. got up to facilitate emigration hher can
well afford to pay literally such and so peeuiiaylv
popular pen as Charles Dickens 1t is absolutely
treason against humanity for the citizens of our re-
spectve countries to visit each other simply for the
purpose OF destroying the characters of our respec
tive States What was the indignation of the British
people, upon the publication Of the Glory and
Shame of England" by citizen of the United
States. Yet that book is truth and purity itself COM
pared with the infamous semi melo-dramatic romance
OF Boz, emitted American Notes for General Crcu-
iation The words for general circulation mean lit
Tie more IMAM at first appears and disclose the true
intent OF their rapid spread in Engand-their repub
iicaton m Paris and their distribution over the con-
tinent They will do our country more harm than
all The books which have been published for the Ia 4
twenty years, because Dickens affirms them to be
h1n literally, ard fair specimens of the United States
and such IS his popularity that they will have univer
sal circulation, though TO the detrnent of his rcputa
ton as an author and man but he seeks not this,
as he has received his quidpro quo. J. F. DURBIN
MELAscHoLr.-Drowned, on Feb. J. at the Falls
OF The Willamette river near the Methodist Mission