The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-01-24
London.
a q

Peel and RmsseR-Queen Vidoria--Arts aud
Literature DocntaH Of Dickens.
sit down to fulfil my promise OF writing to you
upon my arrival in England, and as i know your
readers have no objection to little occasional
English chit chat, shall, without any formal lite
rary effort, put my communication in fit shape
| for publication.
After a residence of nearly fifteen years in the
United States, found myself upon returning to my
native country, completely stranger (apart
from the associations of kindred) as much sur
prsed and bewildered by the novelty of all saw
in our great metropolis, as though had been
wanderer from your far west entering it for the
first timc instead OF native here, and to the
:" manor born" BY degrees, however, this feel
ing began to wear away things, at first strange,
trivial incidents seemed to aid in dissolving the
mists that absense had spread over memory. The
vagabond Snowman, with his dancing dogs, or
highly educated monkeys, member Of that class
| whose absence Dickens seems TO have considered
so serious drawback upon your American civil
cation, was the very counterpart OF him had seen
AYE, at the same corner Of the same street years
by gone. Fashions had changed in Bond street
or st. James's, but the cut OF the slownlan's gar
ments was unaltered. His face wore still the same
half cunning half vicious leer-nor was it an inch
less thickly encrusted with CRIME than OF old.
Familiarity too, upon my ear, fell the many cries
OF London" sounds OF which, III their INFINITE va
riety Of discord, the most skiltul mimic could con
| vey 1ut very Inadequate idea The accent and
| the tone being alike sui generis the indigenous
product OF Cockaigne.
But | will not trouble you with any further de-
scription OF my own feelings. but proceed to such
matters may prove Interesting 10 your readers.
In the world of politics there is little worthy of
note. Sir Robert Peels government, despite the
concessions it has made has still great difficulty in
petually clamorng at, and reproachng the admins
tration, about the affairs of Ireland, but fail to offer
any practicable plan for improving them. The
ministry have at length as you will have seen by
the papers, adopted coerclve measures to repress
the repeal agitation. and have thereby given Mas
ter Dan and his tail, an opportunity OF setting up
wall Of tyranny and persecution, OF which they, do
certainly, whatever his other accomplishments
may be, as complete a master OF the noble
science OF humbug in all its phases, as any man
in his self espoused cause of the Ignorant excitable
, and creduOus people Of Ireland His trial, and
that Of his associates. is hourly progressing and
has afforded u rich field for legal squabbles and
slang-whanging. Dan made desperate effort at
the outset to bamboozle the Queens counsel, but
those functionaries, knowing that they had to deal
with customer as cunning as a fox, and slippery
an eel, had sharpened up their wits 20 extra.
ordinary edge for the occaslon-and were not to
be done The opinion is pretty general that the
trayersers will be convicted, one Of the results OF
which will be that the parties will be ever after
ineligible to sit in Parliament, or hold any Office Of
public trust. For the rest, the penalty cannot ex-
coed fine and Imprisonment, as they on trial
for sedition, which is simply misdemeanor, not :"
the capital offence OF treason. Dan IS numerically
caricatured just now. must describe to you the
last brochure of the kind by II. B., a famous artist
in his peculiar line. 1t is called ";rhe Fate OF
Milo" andls very happily conceived. The ancient
Crotonian is represented by the modern agitator,
and the. attempt at the rending OF the tree is OF
course the endeavor to dissolve the union. In
both cases the exploit was that of an old man who
had outlived his powers, but was led by his vanity
to suppose that, because he had once been strong,
he must still be powerful, and in both cases the re-
sui, was failure In tins sketca the history +
and Ireland united, and the silly person who at
tenpts to separate them, finds the fate Of him who
bound" In short, the new, like the he old Milo,
. caught in a trap Of his own making. The latter
we are told, "fell the forest providers prey" and
: H. b., to show how similar catastrophe awaits
: tlemen in wigs and bands, to fill the place OF the
wild beasts of the old history. A body OF her Ma
iesty's troops are advancing from another quartet
is we'll preserved, aud his big bulk is evidently de-
!. signed from nature, but the most striking part II
the look of despair in the countenance of the sill,
old man when he finds he has mlscaculated hi'
u powers.
}. But truce to Dan, and politics. must, how
!, ever, mention it is whispered among the knowing
ones, that coalition is likely to take place between
y Sir Robert Peel and Lord John Russell This Ii
. strange, if true; but in these times nothing. how
ever, marvellous in craftsmanship can be consider
ed in the light Of an ilnposslbiliy. Lord John is
positively opposed the existing plan OF duties, SC
j that should there prove any truth IN the rumor, we
T. may look for change at the next session.
You will see that the Queen has been making
royal progresses after the manner OF her prececes
sor, Elizabeth, who always by that sage mode OF
comforting an honor, prevented the rich among hel
noblesse from becoming too wealthy. Her MaJes
y being classical scholar, doubtless, remembered
= the Grecian Sage's advice as to cutting OH the
heads of peoples grow ing too high. do not, how
ever, believe, that the fair Victoria ever thought
j., diminishing the purses, and OF course the powe
- of her various hosts She is young, lively and In
; tegent, and of course wished naturally to sec
,e something OF the land she is called to rule. -
;, away she went, and delecable affair she made
it. Whether the establishment OF the French Court
when they beheld her during the dog days. arrayet
in bright scarlet warned her against such niaWrai
ton know not but certain tbs, that during her lat
u peregrinatlons, her dresses were, as / am inform
ed by lady quite a,' tait in such beautiful and be
y blue silk and ruby velvet peesse, are among tn,
= many named; and as she is dazIlingly, fair, will
= well formed features, we may reasonably infer sh
ton Manor, Chalsworth and Belron Castle, al
though the mistress OF the first Lady Peel,
still reigns an acknowledged beauty. the sccon'
duchess OF Devonshire, once boosted the most St ia
duchess of Rutland, her most finished patterl
OF grace and loveiness,
There are no exhibitions OF modern painting
now open save the designs tor the contemplated
frescoes, to adon the new Houses of Parliament
It is matter Of much doubt whether that style o
art is suited TO the climate Of this counryowins
to the damp exhalatlons which cover all wall
= through great portion OF the year. The plan has
Is however, been Of great benefit to the artists OF Eng
y land in developing their genius in the highest de
n partment Of art; and John Bull has hitherto done 81
g. little for his artists and authors hat less ability tina
Of is shown in these designs might convince him tina
x with little practice, every thing may be attained
ii here that has been so long tme-honored on tn
crumbling walls of Pisa or any other part OF Italy
Nafto ,pl lpr
90 both by the immortal masters of the oden time
OF and the more recent voarcs OF the divine arr, Wi
not venture to say Perhaps on another occasion
did collection. Literature, am told is begnnin
to look up during the present publishing season. an
w especially that tho ANNALS are reviving., Mrs