The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-07-21
RECOLLECTk0xS
OF
VI II X Z G @.
BY wADDY THOMPSON.

Kindness and Courtesy Society oil
Dinner Parties and Entertainments
Mexican Ladies wanting in Beauty
Do not dance well-Charity-Routine
of daily lile-Costliness of Dress-in
the stree.s-Women generally smoke
a day in the country.
Notwithstanding the general prejudice
which existed in Mexico ag. inst me when
| first went there, was treated, although
somewhat coldy, always and by all
classes with the most perfect respect. In
this particular the higher classes OF all
countries are very much alike, but l
doubt whether there is any other country
where the middling and lower classes are
so generally courteous and polite. There
is no country where kindness and cOur-
Iesv are more certain 10 meet with prop
er return. Ii may be that three hundred
years of vassalage 10 their Spanish mas
tiers NAV have given the Indian population
an habilual Difference ana respect for
race which they have always regarded as
superior one No people are by nature
more social, none less so in their habits.
II is not the fashion 10 give entertainments
of any sort. And what | regarded as a
little remarkable, the members of the
Mexican cabinet, most of whom were
men of fortune and had ample means at
hand. not only never gave entertainments,
even dinner parties to the members oil the
diplomatic corps, hut never even invited
them to their houses.-when invited TO
such parties however by any of the for
eign ministers, they never failed to ac-
ccpt the invitation. With anv other peo-
pie there would be a seeming meanness
in this. But such was not the case. No
people are more liberal in expenditure OF
money. General Santa Anna had two
very large dinner parties whilst was in
Mexico, and two or three balls. but |
heard OF nothing else Of the kind, except
at the houses of foreign ministers. Santa
Annals dinners were altogether elegant,
AMI he presided al them with great Dig
nty and proprisiv. On sIoh occasions
he was JOYOUS and hilarious. The COM
pany, without an exception, had the ap-
pearance and manners of gentlemen; ! sat
next 20 him on these occasions, and his
aides-de-camp, who were not seated at
the table, would occasionally come to his
seat and say some playful thing To him.
was much struck with the style and in
tercourse between them; marked by an
afeciionate kindness or his part, and the
utmost respect, but at the same time free
dom from restraint upon theirs.
His halls were very numerously V attend
ed. The company was bv no means
select. In fact | saw there very few
of the ladies belonging TO the aristocracv;
hut verv MANY others who had no bnsi.
ness there. This, however, is unavoida-
bic in a revolutionary country like Mexl-
co. Every President holds his power by
no other tennre than the caprice OF the
army, and he is forced, therefore, TO con-
ciliaie it. If corporal. who has married
the daughter OF the washerwoman of the
regiment. has risen TO the highest station
in the army; his wife cannot be sighted
with safety--and such cases have occur
red.
wish that l could in sincerity SAY
that the ladies oi Mexico are handsome.
They are not, nor vet are very uglv.-
Their manners, however, are perfect;
and in the great attributes OF the heart, af-
fection, kindness, and benevolence IN all
their forms, they have no superiors.-
They are cminently graceful in every
thing but dancing. That come not nv
nature as wa have the authority OF Dog
berry that reading end wiring do: and
they are rarely tsughtto TO dance, and still
more rarely to practise it.