New-York daily tribune., 1845-01-22

And ctayo His blessing over all thy ways,
With strength, and guidance for thy ai:erdsJ
From the London Aihe1auD
american Manners and 5ritisn Sratics'
ssr MRS. nousrorS
The following extracI We have carried 70 some
length, because of the cood sense and Importance
of the remarks which it contains. Such friendly
and reasonable estimates are the proper antldois
10 the rancorous feelings generated by the un
philosophc statements OF writer's aiming at point
and attaining ynlgurity. They are the more I'M
portant, because the charge against which they
direct themselves lies, too, we arc very sorry 10
say, 1T the door of writer's of far higher class
from whom msrc thoughtful views might have
been expected. Itisimpossibe To say what lamen.
table political Consequences such ldle throwing
of paper-pellots may ultimately involve. Natioas
are never philosophers in their aggregate charac-
ter ; and all history shows that national suscep!i
bilities cannot, for length OF time, be played
On with impunity. No thinking reader can iaIl
to sec that such observations as follow contain
more Of the truth, than reports that put the ac-
cidental for the ossential-a part for the whole
the merely formal for the fundamentally true;
ahd wo are willing 70 give our part to tHc clrcu-
lation of arguments that answer the tritilng OF
those social phIenulogists $50 TO spea!O who
fippantly appreciate all the moral and intel
lectual status of a people, by the casual bumps
on the surface Of is society Of to-day:
at struck me, however, that the manners oi
the Americans were deficient in that real dignity
which CONSISTS in finding ones own place IN SO
ciety and keeping it. In such e society as exists
in America, all stations are i'll defined; nor can
there over be standard of good breeding, where
IN GRADES
society for ever fuctuating. Much, therefore,
is left 70 the intutve tact and natural good sense
of each individuol but tho peculiar sensitive
meas of the Americans renders them perhaps Il!
qualified to manage these delicate matters wei
This is particularly 10 be remarked when they
are brought in contact with foreigners. The
American who, in his own country, and towards
his own people, is courteous and pohto,-nelthei
vain-g glorious, nor apt u tako cfience,-becones
in Europe, or amongst Europeans, Cronl this
very want of knowing his stat,on,) abrupt, rude,
h and offensvely boastiul. Ho lives in conslan,
q fear Of trensgres.ing those rules of etiquette Of
n which lie greatly overrates the Importance; and
q fearful OF not being enough considered, ana
q aiming at achieving trivial and unworthy l,'.
portanoe, he ceases te the manly, indepen dent
S character for which nature and education in
tended him. = The English are too apt 10
arc ungenllemanlike; ihus srrogatipg TO them
selves the right Of deciding upon tho manners o.
whole nation. But lei US ask, On what grounds
they claim this exclusive Censorship We have
Iadmit, SIT up for ourselves standard of refine
ment, and sapoir fare, very different from any
thing we are likely 10 meet with In tho Unltet
States; but does it, therefore, follow ,hat W.
must be right; or that, allowing that our habit:
are more refincd, there are not advantages IL
their democratic state of society, which NOR;
than countcrbalance those Of which we are 81
proud Originality, and absence of a.
iectation, ere the essential characteristics o
American mannera; speak OF the gentleman
OF the United States, when iii his own country
Whatever is original, and natural. carries witt
1t certain respectab.lity but directly this ii
lost, Indifferent limitations tako its place, and th'
initiative American, Ike every one Else in simi
lar circumstances, becomes ridiculous Iht
manners of the Auercans in general, however
are no, bad; and il eau only be alleged agains
them that they have no artificial manners at all
This, In our estimation, is grievous fault; anc
il must be admitted, that infinite pleasure Ii
taken by our countrynen in turning into ridicu'e
the pecuhafities of psoPle. OF whose rea, excel
lencies they a7o too prejudtced 10 Judge impar.
TALLY. That the ridicue is returned by the
Americans, and with interest, and of;en with
as much legitimate food 10: its exercise, there i.
no doubt. The manners and habits of tho Eng.
hsh differing 80 essentially from their own, are
not likely 10 escape with impGnlty; aud whilst
tac members OF oar arlstOcratc community are
laughing contemptuousy at the want OF c2urdy
breeding displayed by the Americans, the lattei
are still less lenlant 10 our devotion to trivia
etiquette, and what they consider cur servie adu-
laton OF rank and station. After all, what can
be the motives which induce two great nations
to be constantly attacking each other IN this
puerile way2 They are ON different sides of the
wide Atlantic surely there IS room enough in
the world Tor both. The hostile feeling existing
between the countries Is kept alive by the con.
stans attacks OF authors many of whom are ig-
norant Of tho nature of really good society
These people cross the Atlantic, from Tue East
and West. A clever, but possibly an underbrcd
Eoglish writer, making tour OF the States, sees
absolutely nothing of good American society.
and publishes & book crltlcisng that OF which he
or she is totally unqualified TO give an opinion.
This work is tGen seat across the Atlantic, rs
faithful picture OF the habits and national char
acterishcs OF . great nation. Upon this, there
follows sqpib after squib from either site. The
great features of national character ara ds.c.
gardsd, and the points of attack are small per-
sonal defects. faults OF language, and coarsencss
OF behavior. Animosity is excitsd in both na.
tions-for who can deny that ridicule is harder
to bear than abuse One OF the principal
charges brought az g4inst our lriea6s across the
Atlantic is, that they are in the habit OF boast,
ing, both OF themselves and their country, in an
offensive and inciscsiminate manner. IF We
were not endowed with considerable share OF
pride ourselves, we should not complain so much
whom we meet with 1t in Others; for ihat Which
renders The vanity of others insupportabe, is
tina, j. wounds our cwn. The Americans are
proud, and justly SO, OF their sotearnsd freedom,
of the liberal constitution OF thei, county, and
of the place in the scale OF nations N which their
own exc,tions have placed them. IL is untortu
nate, however, that they Cannot bear their honors
h.,t Il, ir,inru In thair r,rn md thar