The New York herald., 1845-08-04

AMERICAN TRAVELLERS IN EURoPE-Quite q
number of our Hferatews-poets, editors, and scrlb-
blers Of all dimensions-are at present making
the tour OF Europe; and every packet brings us any
quantity of their Impressions" each outdoing the
other in the evidence which he presents ofa terrible
spasmodc effort, 10 say something startlingly new
about the Queens box at the opera-the grufness oi
| John Bull, when snoozlng in railroad car-or the
| extremely slovenly manner In which my Lord
Thingumbob wears his cravat. Amongst the rest,
Mr. ~ p. Willis has crossed the Atlantic, and his
arrival in London has, we perceive, been duly an
nounced by our highly respectable contemporary,
Punch We had, however, been previously aware
Of that interesting fact, from the publication in a
little penny paper. in this city, of letter from Mr.
Willis himself, informing the western world that he
was actually in the British metropolis-that his
brain was in working condition-and that there is
to be seen daily in the streets of London a huge
ear, covered with mammoth placards, which moves
by some mysterious power within, neither horse
nor driver being visible-tolerably exact type of
some snowy bipeds, that keep the world wondering
how the devil they manage to 81 get on
These letters of Mr.. Willis are very trifling and
puerile They do not rise at all above the level OF
one of your most common place penny-a-ners. The
years ago, had good deal of spright-
illness and originality, and some often anu
sngly descriptive of men and manners in
the old world He now appears to have
fallen INTO the old route, pursuing 1t too in
manner that painfully reminds US of jaded hack
Bedev it and cayenne ii as he may, it is quite evil
dent that Mr. Willis letters, about which the Bri-
gadier" poet endeavors, with such astounding ener-
aka ha ba.b &c !,
written tor the old Mirror" without any thing OF
their piquancy and flavor
And yet what wide, attractive, and profitable
field of Investigation, does the European world
present. at this moment, to the eye of an intelligent
and philosophic observer! Look at England, for
instance, whose shores the waves of m ighty re-
volution are daily making rapid advances. He who
could patiently, impartiay. and calmly examine the
present social condition Of the British pecple-as.
certain and compare with accuracy and candor the
elements OF their strength and weakness--and with
the enlightened prescience of philosopher, trace
out the shadows which coming events are casting
upon the broad domains of that great empire, would
indeed, perform a work, which would be instructive
and valuable in the highest degree. On the CONT
nent OF Europe, again. the materials for an intelli-
gent and practical pen, are abundant on all hands
In France, in Germany, In Switzerland, in Italy
great social, political, and religious changes are in
progress, in faithful narrative OF which, the whole
of Christendom feel the liveest interest But instead
OF attempting any thing like this all that our dstin-
guished American tourists IN Europe appear to be
capable of doing, is to inform us that the Queen
of England is quite pretty girl" "and to blackguard
Mr.. Polk for sending Louis McLane to represent
the government of the United States at London