Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-02

an unusually large attendance OF stockholders test
the hospitality OF Danvile.-Dan. Reg.
| The day of the Stockholders meeting will un-
fortunately be the day before the general election
on the fourth Thursday in October, and unless it
can be changed there must be very small at
tendance. The difficulty might be obviated by
its being understood that the Stockholders in Dan
vile will meet on the 22nd, and adjourn from day
to day, until the following Monday, October 27th)
by which time the Stockholders from every poinl
might be present after voting in the elections on
| Thursday.
First Impressions of England and its People, by HUGH
| MILLER Boston, GOLD Il LINCOLN Richmond,
| NASH d WooDHousR.
| We have rarely read more entertaining book
than this. The author has risen from the occu-
patton of a sone-mason to the highest distinction
as Geologlst, and his name is identified withmany
| OF the most important geological discoveries
His style is peculiarly vigorous and is remarkable
Tor great copiousness of apt illustration. He de-
scrlbes, perhaps, tooSmuch of what is "under the
earth for readers not familiar with the general
principles of his interesting science, but his 'im-
pressions" of English scenery, English towns, and
English people, are told exceedingly we'll 1t is
interesting to observe the perfect identity of his
religious snd moral sentiments with those of the
Presbyterians of this country. The following
remarks upon the characteristics of the English,
as contrasted with the Scotch peasantry, are far
sample of Mr.. MilIer's manner of writing, and
present the subject in very striking view:
"Nothing in the English character SO strkingIy I'm.
pressed me as It's immense extent of range the
intellectual scale 1t resembles those musical instru
mens OF great compass, such as the planoforte and
the arpscord, THAI sweep over the entire gsmu fiom
the lowest the highest; whereas the intellect
ual character of the Scotch, like instruments of
narrower range, such the harp and VIOLIN lies more
in the middle of the scale. By at least one degree it
does not high; by several degrees it does
sink so low; There is an order of English mind to
which Scotland has not attained: first stand
! In the second rank, foot-breadlh behind the
foremost OF England's second-rank men, but there is
front rank of British intellect which there stands
no Scotchman. Like that class OF the mighty men
| OF David TO which Abishai and Benaia belonged
great captains, who went down into pits in the time
| of snow and slew lions, who lifted up the spear
against three hundred at once, and PREVAILED
they attain not with all their greatness, to the might
| OF the first class. Scotland has produced Shak-
speare Burns and Sir Walter Scott united would fall
short of the stature OF the giant of Avon Of Milton
we have not even representative. Scotch poet has
been lnJudicousy named as not greatly inferior; but
shall not do wrong to the memory OF an ingenious
young man, cut Oft Just he had mastered his pow
| ers, by naming him again In connexlon perllous.
He at least gulltless of the comparison; and it
would be cruel TO involve him in the rldicule which
1t is suited to excite. Bacon is exclusively unique
as Milton, and as exclusively English and though
| the grandfather of Newton was Scotchman, we
have certainly no Scotch Sir Isaac. question, in
deed, whether any Scotchman atains to the powers
OF Locke: there Is as much solid thinking in the
Essay the Human Understandings greatly as it
has become the fashion OF the age to depreciae it,
and Notwithstanding its fundamental error as in the
works OF all our Scotch meaphyslcans put together
1t s, however, curious fact, and worthy certainly of
careful examination, as bearing on Tile question of
development purely through the force of clrcumstan
ces, that all the very great OF Englandall its
first class men-belonS to ages during which the
grinding prosecutions OF the Stuarts repressed Scot
fish energy, and crushed the opening mind of the
country; and that the weight removed
like a pavement slab from over flower bed than
sraigthway Scottish intellect sprung up, and attained
to the utmost height to which English intellect was
rising at the time. The English philosophers and
literat of the eighteenth century OF a greatly
lower stature than the Millions and Shakspeares Ba-
cons and Newtons OF the two previous centnries they
were second class menthe talest, however, of their
age any where; and among these the men of Scot.
land take subordinate place. Though absent from
the competition in the previous century, throu the
operation of causes palpable IN the history of the
tlme we Ind them quite up to the mark of the age ia
which they appear. No English philosopher for the
last hundred and ity years produced greater fevo,
more powerful influence opinion than David
Hume, or did more to change the face of the mechan-
ical world than James What. The History of ENG
and produced by Scotchman is still emphaticalIy
the English Hlsory; nor, with all It's defects, is it
likely to be superseded. Robertson, fnferior in
counrymen is al least inferior to none OF hIs English
contemporaries. The prose tictloHs OF Smoett have
Kept their ground quite well those of Fielding
and better tan those OF Richardson. Nor does Eng
land during the century exhibit higher manifestations
OF the poetic spirit than those exhibited by Thompson
and by Burns. To use homely but expressive Scot
ticsm, Scotland seems to have lost her BARN time of
the grants; but IN the alter BARN time of merely tall
men, her children were quite tall as any of their
contemporaries.
''Be this it may, however, it is unreasonable
that England has produced an order of intellect TO
Mshieh Scotland has not attained; and it does strike
that the Enosh seonineXlon with the fact
stand lover intellectual level than the scotch
nave had better opportunities of knowing the COM
mon people OF Scotland than most men; have lived
among them for the greater part of my life and be-
long to them and when in England made it my hu-
slness to see as much as possible Of the common
English people. | conversed with them south and
north, and found them extremely readv-for. as I
nave already had occasion to remark, they are much
ranker than the Scocth--to exhibit themselves un-
hidden. And have no hesitation in affirming that
iheH minds lie much more profoundly asleep than
NOSE OF the common people of Scotland. We have
no CLASS north OF the Tweed that spends with he
class OF ruddy round taced vacant English, so abua-
daht IN e rural districts, and whose very phvsiogno-
my, derived during the of centuries from un-
taught ancestors, indicates intellect vet unawakentd
Inc ren-cuVe haolts OF The Scottish people have set
lrstafnp on the naonal countenance What strikes
the Scotch traveller IN this unwakened class of the
English IS their want of curiosity regarding The nm
exciting and the unexaggerated-thngs so much on
the ordinary level to be neither prodigies nor
shows. Let him travel In the rural districts of the
Scotch Highlands, and he will fad the inqusltiye el
ement all Ia state OF ierment regarding HIMSELF
lie hads every Highlander he meets adroit of fence
IN planting upon him many queries can possibly
be thrust IN, andn wording off every query directed
against himself. The wayslde colloqUy resolves IT,
Sell INTO sort OF sword-and-bucker match; and he
must be toferably cunning in thrusng and wardine |
VINO proves an over-mach for the Highander.''
The steamer Pampero, which has been made to play I
SO Conspicuous part in the late Cuban expedition was