New-York daily tribune., 1844-11-08
A glimpse at merrIo England.'

l.
GLIMPSE at merric England.'
Prof. E. WRIGHT, (known as the able and in
penious translator of La Fontcine's Fd6les) IN
his Letters to the Boston Chronicle, makes tht
following shrewd observations upon the state o.
affairs in England
Time, which tarries not for mcrtas, has
brought me to the close OF my look at England.
1t is very awkward to sum up and generalzs
when one has only begun to observe; therefore
understand me as giving gencrallz ttons ofihinga
as thew seem to me-what fly that lights
upon England for q twinking and is of, thinks
of it.
AS to the bounties of Providence substantial blss
sings and beauties l cannot conceive how more
could have been granted in the same space, than
ia the lot Of this, so far as nature has made It,
me,rie England After seeing the golden haf.
vests of the rich eastern counties and Yorkshire,
the meadows of the Thames, above all, the gar.
den valley of the Tweed the mines of Derby
shire, and another region to which the WISE do
not carry Goals; the bens and lochs of Scotland;
the pixies and fells and dales and meres of West
moreland the springs of Malvern; the valleys
of the Severn and the Wye-even taking nap
on the brow of the Wyndsc!ifie-snrcly have
right to say, "Avaunt, all geography; this
island is the very spot where the human race
ought to develop itself in all It's power and glo.
ry." But truly, the race, as mass, ls lar anu
painfully below what nurseilng OF republican.
ism. alphting on the " yndecliff1, and drinking
in the beauties of the wiue landscape, and know.
ing nothing more of E"gand, would ex.
pect to find it, There lis ignorance ard coarse
brutality, and sulen hopeessnest, aud haggard
wretchedness, far beyond what there ought To DO
in the m DIST OF such beaul.s and blessings
Yet there Is not Ii lilte, but great deal among
the human inhabitants, that ls, like the land.
scape, noble, and lovely, and glorious--snd that,
not in one Class bat in oil classes, from the high.
est 10 the lewest. And peep at history will
convince one, 100, that the race is here makinga
progress that is truly encouraging and sublime.
lnoeed, history wTItea this upon the landscape--
The old ieudal castles, now possessed by IVY aud
owls; the rulnous abbeys, the dlmly y-rememoered
battc fields anu Smithhelds," sre way. marks
that show how the race mas g'ne forward. Ihe
Alreds, the Shak-pearcs, the Hdmpdens, toe
Ncatons. the MIirone, the Howaros, lhs Yves
leys, the Hogarths, have not lived 10 vain. Their
mantes are worn worthIiy by men whom 1t
might be invidtous to meutOn now, but who WILL
shine as the stars by ana by; men who are doing
what Cromwell did, III wiser way. They have
approached in fact, nearer than in form, To the
desired goal. In enumeraIiDg the governing
powers of England, you have not done when
you have mentioned king, lords and commons.
Tne press is to be named, and that not at the
tail of the list. The press has outgrown the
power of what is called the government, to COZ.
troll it either by fear or favor. Look at the Times
newspaper with net revenue equal to that of
third.rate European potentate< Ministers have
III - Ia.o i @L< ,r ~. IL
berry. They look up TO it with fear and trem.
bling, and degree of humble obedience. II Is
the voice of the most vigorous intellect of Eng.
land, saying what will be most likely to fnd an
echoia the breasts of one hundred thousand In
dependent EngIishmen as they swallow their but
tered toast and boiod egg. Look at Punch, too,
wita wit and wisdom enough to insure hima
hundred patents of immortality. He governsa
great part of England, very much for its good
The Pecksnifs of the land take hints from him,
much to the benefits Of their dupes. Hence ono
may conclude that England is growing, and has
grown wiser, and, of course, happier. Yet II
one were to task himself to write down the folly
and humbug and unhappiness of England, It
would be difficult to decide where to begin, and
quite impossible to end.
England may be said to live under trinitycf
evil, kingcraft, priescraft and beeIcraft. In
this let me not be misunderstood to speak djs'e
spectfuly of that interesting daughter of Eve,
the queen, who with such exemplary patience
obeys the command imposed upon her aforesaid
mother, nor of the reverend clergy, nor yet O.
the noble brewers, many of whom write s'r Dc,
fore and bart after their names. They are ~
honorable persons hope and trust; but the
craft to which they were bern or bred, does
am sure, cost England immeasurable woes. "
that | had the eye Of prophet and could say
that there was visible in the dimest distsnced
the future, any thorough relief. AS it is, san.
gulne hope, without seeing any thing, guesses
that deliverance must come, somehow and A.
come time or other. The order in which the
evils press upon the country seem to me 70 %,
first beereraf, second priesteraft third kiag.s
craft Til the beercraft is removed-hn ING
people get the clear heads and strong heai1
which pure water eivss-in vain you hft at hs
others. Suppose you abolish the take, and titaas
aud give England cheap government, and hes
church and full suffrage, to what will it amouals
30 far as the masses are concerned? Piecisey
to more beer and consequences Of beer! mJ
be mistaken; truly have found warm and ssa-
Gus promoters Of thorough Temperance, but tney
seem to be regarded as the madcesi IF iaaa.icS
Nine men out Of ten Of tbs lab1rlng classes so;
far as have beea able to observe, and hays
been quite inqusilvs, have no. the alightea osats