The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-31

siasm of a warrior at Msrengo or Austerlitx,
their recent conquests over indigo their battlea.
their triumphs, their defeats, in the conflict with
the people OF the East, or the blue Of Prussia
There we're cotton and fax spinners, fanatics in
their craft who detailed to us, with all the forms
of an epic, the various transformations OF cotton
and wool tina. one, with ..e s.ael Of his neigh
Dor, produced inimitabIe neatness and delicacy |;
and altogether, on the eve OF the great struggle
about to commence, were seized with the tremb-
ling and emotion which is felt by tragic poet
at the fatal moment when the three knocks have
been gwen and the curtain wrinkles up with
cold shiver
The night was spent in this fashion, each
talking of his art, and without wos1 OF poll
tics. At sunrise we went dowrfto the seashore
and there saluted the vanquished traces Of 80
many kings and 80 many monarchies that had
sessed those oblivious sands on their arrival or
at their depature and when at last the ocean
consented to take US, it fell out that the heavens
showed themselves 80 kindly, and the waves so
merc,ul, the horizon 30 vast, and those coasts
of France and England so clear, that each con-
graduated himself that ne was presei-t at this
magnificent spectacle Of the waters, the heavens
and the earth in such p rfect harmony Already
we had arrived, when it seemed scarce moment
again, l apprise you of general confusion OF
sports and packages Yes! passports ut
Dover. But of late it was the triumph Of Eng
land over the foreigner landing on her shores
that he was not asked for his credentials (see
papiers.) Thou hast official vouchers, friend
so much the better for thee but for our part
thew arc no concern OF ours: HE thee to and fro
arrive, depart az thou wilt, thou art the mas
ter of thy movements. Now, between ourselves,
be it said, the Ere Gilman, ut the bottom Of his
heart, felt profoundly Inundated at not being
asked by England to exhibit SEES papiers.
This time! however, the traveller landing from
France will no longer be exposed to this humi-
liating exemption from showing his passport 1t
is asked for, and moreover it is scrutinized,
copied into register, which register you are re-
quired to sign, and certificate is handed to you
which you are to present, on quitting England.
to the custom house officer at the port of en-
barcation Such are the provisions OF the Alien
act, and all this would be without any great
harm if the ceremony of the certificate and the
ceremony of the custom-house were not so to-
dious to undergo While you are signing, and
opening and shutting you trunk, the tain, which
waits for no man, sounds its imperious whistle,
and you arrive, after running yourself out OF
breath, Just in time to see it vanished in the
distance. These are the laws Of the custom
house and ofsteam; obey them you must. From
Dover you start at 6 in the evening and reach
London at 10, whereat you are astonishef,
seeing that it has taken you one night, one day,
and half another night to perform 10 hours
Journey, after expressly taking, with very laud-
able if not sklful precaution, the train by which
the mail bags are despatched. Prospectuses
may be clasesd with revolutions-they are not
always to be relied upon; the promise is beauti-
full and vast, but the result mediocre; neverthe-
less once arrived in London, and in possession
of that plsguey baggage which julius Caesar
justly calls impedimentum, we are easily consoed
at the deceptions of the prospectus.
shall not describe my stupor, or more cor
rectly my awe, directly found myself in the
midst of this immensely and Of this tumult, Of
this smoke and OF this fog. So may objects NOV
ing backwards ard forwards and the hubbub Of
so great city, produced upon me the effect OF
a dream. i seemed to be sleeping with my eyes
open. Nevertheless, strange to say, was not
seized with that utter despair which | have al
ways experienced upon finding myself alone,
left entirely to myself in foreign town. and
whether it was that the French house, where
found kindly asylum, or that the anticipated
emotion at what was about to see, had pro-
tected and guarded me against the first assaults
of this despair, have not had much fault to find
with my inward frame Of mind. And when
morning came-a pale and gloomy aurora, bear
ing yet in her unkempt hair, q few stray feeks
of the snow fallen on the eve-l emerged bra.
vely from my den, and walked through one or
two of the long thoroughfares of the sleeping
city, The city slept, wearied with ambition and
with toll, drunk with its smoke and with its
. FL bop ,,t;o ,hopf
are certain to find on their awaking, the laws,
the habits the belief the customs, and the riches
of their fathers Heaven alone, and few po-
licemen, watched over the sleeping city, and
meanwhile on all sides, from the farm and the
market garden, the days provisions were on the
road In another moment the whole population
will be awake, and afoot like one man here no
one halts, and every one says to himself what
M. Arnault said to NJ. Nicolle when the latter
advised him to take little rest ere death came
Rest" said NJ. Arnault, "can you think OF
snch thing, Sir? Have we not all eternity for
rest 2"
At midday, in tolerable burt of sunshine
we at last found our way through that marvel
Ious Hyde-Park, to the famous Crystal Palace
which is at this moment the general rendezvous
of the whole world. In spite of ones self on
approaching this solemn meeting place of the
results of so many and such various labors, one
is seized with that deep and painful emotion
which overcomes the spirit of man at the APP
proach of some portentous event. A poet has
well said that it was in it. elf spectacle to con-
template, wall behind which was being de-
bated some important cause, on which the at
tention of the whole human race was directed !:
how much more must all the strength of our
vision, all the penetration of our minds, be i'm
PEELED towards those brilliant walls shelteing
beneath their diaphanous shadows those old
trees astonnded at the new part they are made
to play. You see from afar--that is, provided
the sun be proptious-a kind of Louvre, like to
the palace Of the sun which the poet sings Of
''Rega soils erat sublimibus alta columnisl"
Around this fairy palace spreads the sward Of
this enchanted park, and already the charmed
eye catches glimpse of these collected won
ders. You enter--you are received in fairy
region bv an elm of many centuries a cotempo
rary Of Queen Elizabeth and never did worth
Ter guardian appear at tn gates of great TEN
pie. From the summit of this old tree whose
every branch has sheltered new generation.