, 1843-09-09
From the Philadelphia Inquirer
Rev. DIR. Durbiu and Boz

without interest. Every thing from
that source is pleasing at all times to
this community; but the remarks o.
the Reverend gentleman in relation
10 Dickens Notes on America, viii
be fully appreciated. The PubIica-
nor - h.is letter would probably
havsESn w;a,Eeli. Ent for the gross
SANDERS contained in Martin Chuz-
levitt, and extracts from Boz's Notes:
FLoRrHcr. Italy, Nov. Is, 1912.
NV Dear Sir-Since ! wrote from
London we have visited Hamburg.
Berlin, Halle. Leipsic, Dresden.
Vienna, Venice. and are now at Flo
renee, on our way to Rome. You
are aware this is the capital Of Tus-
canv. and well entitled to be called
the Athens of Italy for the scholars
and artists she has produced, and still
cherishes by her fine libraries and IN
.rivaIled galleries of paintings and
sculpture. Of these | will not now
speak; nor will at present mention
her churches. nor the magnificent
MauSoleum of her Medici, which has
been in course Of erection for two
centuries: nor tie tombs of Dante.
Calico, Michael Angelo. Alferi, and
others, in the church oi Santa Crucc,
for | am not in a very religious nor
poetic mood. nor have | been since !
stepped into a booksellers Morini's
yesterday to buy 4 book, and heard
some Englishmcn conversing. among
other things. upon Dickens Notes on
America, which was then At the Gus
tom House. and would be delivered
in the course Of the afternoon. One
Of them referred to our running mad
after every literary or noble person
who visited our country, and said,
"thc Americans are fools, particular
~ the people of y. York"
The truth is. in this respect. we
are e,olish. and from the frst ! have
anticipated that we should smartun-
der Boz's lash, for the eager kindness
we showed him. Bot his American
Notes are worse than | could have n
ticIparcd. There is scarcely one IN
qualified truth in the Book; and what
traces Of truth are to he found are so
disposed and expressed as to he false
hoods TO all intcnts and purposes. 1t
is 4 thousand times worse than Mrs.
TroI}ope's because of its greater au-
thoritv; and it is embittered bv two
double distilled ingredients: In the
frs, place, he docs not mention the
attention paid him. because il would
seem too diShonorable and revolving
TO speak of our kindness TO him. on
the sane pages where he spreads
his unmitigated SANDERS.
An then again, IN his dedication,
he offers as m apology, hat his
"friendS in America can hear the
truth when it is tod good humoredly
and in a kind spirit" If these pages
contain his good humor and "kind
spiriI,n heaven save us from his bad
humor and cruel spirit. But why did
he moi speak Of the natural fertility
and magnifcrnce of the countryside
political freedom and general good
condition of the people?--But this
was not the work he come to do
What American can read his notes
on our Capitol and Congress. and
then hear him call Washington Irving
his "dear iriend.' without painting for
revenge? Irving ought to be esteem
ed recrcant to his country, if he re-
main even the friend Of this Infamous
sIanderer. after reading his foul pages.
The truth is, as his dedication indi-
Gates. he did not 20 to America to
study her institutions, and see what is
good there, as an honorable and lIber-
al man would have done; but he went,
like an unclean bird, to find what lit
tie c~arrion he might to prey upon,
and returned 10 dlsgorge his foul meal
for the purpose Of gratifying the NOR
bid appetite in England, and thus pro-
mote the sale OF his book. Hence
he could see no part of the country
but "stagnant pools of water" and
sold stumps," and no part Of New
York, but the "tombs," and the Give
Points" through which he prowled
with such C and delight, as IN
dictate his instincts and habits, and
from whence he returned to the fes-
tive board, and, like another Judas,
sat smilingly down among those
whom he was preparing to stab in the
tenderest part--their country. Doubt
less, also, his vENAL pen found its re-
ward for SO describing Il young and
vigorous country. as 10 destroy the
.aD,,onna nj har av,p,pla pnNp thn