New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-09-01
STANCES AT EUROPE. No. Xiv.
THE ENGLISH.

their many sterling qualities. The greatness
Of England, 1t is quite confidently asserted is
based upon her conquests and plundenngs-Oh
her immense Commerce and unlimited roieish
Possessions | think otherwise. Inc hhgnSh
have qualities which would have rendered 'hei''
wealthy and powerful though they had been To-
Gated In the center Of Asia instead OF on the
vestera coast Of Europe do not say that these
,m.,;,,es could have been developed IN Central
Al, I'm, II they had been they would have IN
.ured 10 their possessOrs commanding posiuon.
Personally. the English DO not attract nor shine,
but collectively they are race to make then
mark on the destinies Of mankind.
Il. the first place, they are emIneDty indus
,,ou, have seen no country IN which the pro
,ortion of oilers is smaller. | think American
labor is more efficient, day 10 day or hour TO
hour. than British; but we have the larger pro-
portion of -producers-petty clerks IN the
small towns, men who live by their wits, louog-
ers about bar-rooms, &c. There is here small
class of wealthy idlers mot embracing nearly all
the wealthy, nor OF the Anstocracy, by any
means.) and more numerous class of IDLE pau
pers or criminals but Work is the general rule,
and the idlers are but small proportion of the
whole population. Great Britain Is iull OF
wealth, not entirely but mainly because her peo-
pls are constantly producing. All that she has
plundered IN a century does not equal the new
wealth produced by her people every year.
The English are ominently devotees of Method
and Economy never saw the rule, A place for
everything, and everything IN It's place. so well
observed as here. The reckless and the prodigai
are found here as everywhere else, but they are
marked exceptions Nlne-tenths OF those who
have competence know " hat income they have,
and are careful not to spend more. Duchess
will say to mere acquaintance, Il cannot afford
a proposed outlay-an avowal rarely and reluc-
family made by an American even IN moderate
circumstances She means simply that other
demands upon her income are such as TO forbid
the contemplated expenditure though she could
Of course afford this If she did not deem those OF
prior consequence. No Engllshman Is ashamed
to be economical, or TO have II known that he
is So Whether his annual expenditure he
fifty pounds or fifty thousand, he tries to get hi.
moneys worth | have been admonlshed and
instructed by the systematic economy which is
practiced even in great houses. You never see
a1iehted candle set down carelessly and lett to
burn an hour or two to no purpose, as IL so COM
mon with us; If you leave one burning, some
one speedily comes and quietly extinguishes the
flame Said friend "You never see any pa
per IN the streets here you do In New York,
'(swept out of the stores, &c.) the English
throw nothing away" We speak OF the va,
parks and lawns of the Arstocracy as so much
.,aI
tentation but all that land Is growing timber or
furnishing pasturage-o both. The owner
gratifes his taste or his pride by reserying 1t
from cultivation, but he does not forget the main
chance. So Of his Fisheries and even Game
Preserves OF course, there are noblemen who
would scorn to sell their Venslon or Partndges;
but Game is abundant IN the hotels and refecto-
ries-too much so for half OF it to have been OBJ
tanned by poachng. Few whose estates might
weld them ten thousand year are content with
nine thousand.
The English are cminenty practical people
They have living faith IN the potency Of the
Horse Guards and in the maxim that Safe bind
is sure find They have a sincere affection for
roast beef They are quite sure the mob Will
do no harm If 1t is vlgtlantly watched and thor
oughly overawed. Their obStreperous loyalty
might seem Inconsistent with this unldeal char
acter bit i, is only seeming. When the portly
and well.to-do Brlton yoclierates God save the
Queen with intense enthusiasm, he means
God save my estates, any rents, my shares, my
Consols, my expectations The fervor OF an
Engllshman's loyalty Is usually in direct ratio
with the extent of his material possessions.
The poor like the Queen personally, and like 10
gaze al royal paeeantry but they are not ianat
really loyal. One who has seen Gen Jackson
or Harry Clay publicly enter Newton or any
other city finds II hard to realize that the acciama
tons accorded ON like occasions TO Queen Veto
ria can really be deemed enthusiastic.
Gravity Is prominent feature OF the English
character A hundred Englshmen OF any class,
torgathered for any purpose OF conference or
recreation will have less merrment IN the course
OF their sitting than score OF Frenchmen or
Americans would have In a similar time Hence
II is generally remarked that the English OF al
mos, any class show TO least advantage when at
tempting to ENJOY themselves. They are a.
awkward at frohc as bear at dance. Their
manner OF expressing themselves is literal and
prosac the American tendency to hyperbole
and exageeration CRATES harshly on their ears
They can only account for II by presumption
OF i'll breeding on the part OF the utterer For
ward lads and fast people are scarce and un-
current here. A Western screamer, eager to
tight OF drink, to run horses or shoe, for a
wager. and hoas,ng that he had the prettlesi
sister, the hkeliest wife and the ugiiest dog in
all Kentuck,' would be no where else 50 oui OF
place and ,neomprehensble as IN this country, NO
matter N what circle OF society
The Women Of England, of whatever rank,
s,udiously avoid pecularlties OF dress or manner