Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-08-31
From the Philadelphia Enquirer.
REV. DIR. DURBIN AND BOZ"
FLORENCE, ITALY, Nov. IS, 1872.

we have visited Hamburg, Berlin, Halle,
Lepsic, Dresden, Vienna, Venice, and
are now at Florence, on our way TO Rome.
You are aware that this is the capital of
Tuscany, and we'll entitled TO be called the
Athens Of Italy, for the scholars and artists
she has produced, and still cherishes by
h,r fine Libraries and unrivalltd galleries
of paintings and sculpture. Oi these |
will moi now speak, nor will ! At present
mention her churches, nor the magnificent
| siausoleum OF her Medic, which has been
lin course of erection for two centuries;
1 nor the tomos of Dante, Calico, Michael
angelo, Alferi aud others, in the church
Iof S MIA Cruce, for am not in very re-
lligious or poetic mood, nor have | been
! sinceI stepped into bookseller ., Morini's,
Yesterday, TO buy book and heard some
Englishmen conversing, among other
things, upon Dickens Notes on America,
which was then at the Custom-bouse, aud
would be deliyertd 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, sthe Americans are fools, particular.
ly the people Of New York."
The truth is, in this respect we are fool
ish, and from the first | have anticipated
that we should smart under Boz's lash, for
the eager kindness we showed him. But
his "American Notes" are worse than |
could have anticipated. There is scarcely
one unqualified truth in tho book; and
what traces Of truth are TO be found are
so disposed and expressed as to be false.
hoods to al inten:s and purposes. II is
thousand times worse than Mrs. Troll
lope's, because Of its greater authority
and il is embittered by two double distilled
ingredients in the first place, he does not
mention the attentions paid him, because
| it would seem too dishonorable and revolt
| ing to speak Of our kindnesses to him, on
the same pages where he spreads his un-
miiga;ed ISLANDERS.
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 end in kind spirit" If
these pages contain his "good humour"
aud "kind spirit" heaven save us from
his 6ad humour and cruel spirit. But why
did lie not speak Of the natural fertility
and magnifcence ofthe conntry-.he po-
itical freedom and general good condition
of the peoplel But this was not the work
he came to do. What American can
read his notes on our Capital and Congress,
and then hear him call Washington Ir.
wing his "dear friend" without painting
Tor revengel Irving ought to be esteem
cd recreant to his country, If he remain
even the friend Of this Infamous SANDER
er, alter reading his foul pages.
The truth is, that his dedication indi-
Gates, he did not 60 to America 20 study
her institutions, and soc what is good
there, as an honorable and liberal man
would have done; but he went, like an
unclean bird, to find what little carbon he
might TO prey upon, and returned to dis
gorge his foul meal Tor the purpose of
gratifying the morbid appetite in Eng
land, and thus promote the sale of his
book. Hence he could see no part Of the
country out "stagDant pools of wnter"
and "od stumps," and no part Of New
York, but the "tombs, and the Five
Points," through which he prowleG with
such success and delight, as indicates his
instincts and habits, and from whence he
returned to the festive board, and, like
another Judas, sat smihngly down among
those whom he was preparing to stab in
the tenderest part; their country. Doubt.
less, also, his penal pen found its reward
for so describing a young and vigorous
country, as to destroy the Influence OF
her example upon the people OF England,
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 En-
glish press takes care TO retail only what
suits it, and with such color and common
tary as will most plauslbly blacken and
destroy our character. From these En-
glish papers the continental journals,
even in Paris, derive their Information OF
American affairs. Yet, Notwithstanding
this disadvantage, our example has iaclli-
taied, if not produced, the semi'liberty OF
Europe, nearly destroyed its ered,ary
nobility, except in England and Austria,
and even stripped It there OF much of It's
elevation and respect IN The eyes Of the
people. The great effort now making cv-
ery where in Europe is, to counIeract
these new influences in favor OF the SOW
ereignty of the multitude, of which the
United States is the only example they
fear aud to stlfle gradually tho sense
and desire OF the people with respect to
constitutional government, promised them
at the pacificaiion OF Europe in 1917
and the chief means are, TO mlsrepresent
our condition, and to describe 1t thus ms
represented, as The result Of our Ins,iti.
tons; and to intoxica,e the people with
shows and public amusements, and thus
divert and satisfy them. This las: is the
plan on the continent, where gardens mu-
sic, operas and theatres are sustained by
the government treasury; while IN Eng
land the most effective means is to misFep-
resent for which the government, and the
"Bank of Australia" of ''CeylOn," &c,
got up TO facilitate emigration thither, can
well afford to pay literally, such and so
peculiarly popular pen as Charles Dick.
ems. II is absolutely treason agains, hui
mainly for the citizens Of our respective
countries 10 visit each other, simply for