The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-07-14
American Enterprise.

An Englishman of fortune, and oil some I'M
portance in his own country, visited the United
States about year since, and made tour over
the whole country, for the purpose of forming an
opinion of his own, irrespective of those uttered
by the horde of Maryatts, who have so much
slandered and belied us, on our national charae-
ter and on institutions. He visited the North,
the South, the East, and the West-spending
more of his time in the last mentioned part OF our
country than in any of the other portions. lie
arrived in New York recently, and sought the
residence of an American merchant, to whom he
brought letters of introduction from his cores
pendent in England.
After he had somewhat rested himself, and
while h e was enjoying glass of generous wine
in the parlor of the American merchant, that
gentleman asked the English traveller to state
to him his impressions of the country he visited.
The Englishman, more honest than the majority
of his countrymen, expressed himself delighted
with our majestic rivers and our vast inland
seas was peculiarly eloquent the vast re-
sources of the United States, and the facilities it
possesses Of being the greatest country the face
ofthe world. Now. said the merchant, tell me can
didly what isyour opinion of American character.
After emptying his wine glass; however, and
recovered himself, and said :--"Well, to tell you
the candid truth, am puzzled about it. have
not yet made up my mind on the subject. i see
great deal in it to admire, but cannot say that
admire it as whole. Another years travel
might, perhaps, indeed am almost sure it would,
induce me to admire ii in toto. AT present am
prepared to say, that you Yankees, as we call
you in England, are very enterprising people.
You will make the dollars, come what will. If
a steamboat blows up on the Mississippi, some
one of your nation will the very next day pub
lish to the world the virtues of a patent
safety valve, which will effectually pre-
vent recurrence of the disaster, if every
vessel will have one attached. Last winter
vessel was lost in the Sound, and 10 and behold,
the papers next day were eloquent about newly
patented life preserver. No sooner is the want
of thing felt than the thing required is invented
and patented and paraded with certificates at
tached, inevery part of the country. In addtionto
this said he, "your ton is only twenty hundred
pounds, whereas ours is twenty-five hundred
and forty suppose you Yankees did not wish
to be troubled with the odd numbers. Yes, on
the whole you are a very smart and enterprising
people,"
admitted to the Englishman that his description
of American character was true to the letter, as
far as business Is concerned; but he wished TO
know his friends opinion of the American cha
racter in social point ofview. The Englishman
could not answer, and gave as his reason that he
had not had opportunity of forming al opinion
of il in that respect. But is not the English
mans opinion Of us in business point
of view, nearly right? We confess we
think so. Invention and industry are ever
wide awake in the United States. No sooner
is one channel Of enterprise opened, than
it it is sought out and occupied insanter by in
Vulnerable candidates for fortunes favors-many
of whom reap the rewards of their exertions,
while the less fortunate ones look about for
other channel.
We have been induced to write thus much, by
the alacrity with which new business has been
opened by the establishment of line of steamers
between this country and France. The first Of
the line was not made fast to our wharf, when
out comes an advertisement, that Ostrander &
Co., No. 10 Wall street, were making arrange
ments to establish an express line by the French
steamers, between this city, Paris, and the inter-
mediate points, and that they will now receive
orders for books, newspapers, or any other MIC
macs in their line Of business, and will execute
them with promptness.
Was not the Engishman right Another
word II is this spirit Of energy and en-
terprise, which has made this country what IT is.
Let us encourage it, by all means