The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-18
ths Jusm.pAis Enquirer.
EnglsnA a1d America.

The Boston Journal makes the following re-
| marks, which are sustained in their facts by
every observer Of passing events and reader OF
English books Of travels, reviews, periodicals
aud newspapers
"rhe prociv,y OF tho English papers for
| copying and dwelling upou the aiffays and muir
ders. lynchings and robberes which occur ia the
United States. has been frequently remarked
SO also he's the tendency Of British writers to
dwell on the peculiar les, real or faneied, of
American character A bloody aisral in Arkan-
sas is quoted picture Of American life 4; the
rough but cordial manners Of the back wood -
man are adduct Ms evidence that courtesy and
politeness are unknown traits OF character in the
American; the repudation Of some thinIy popu-
lated State, strugg Cling under load Of debt. Is
regarded as an evidence of the habitua di,hon-
esty OF all Americans; u shrewd unscru oul Gus
Yankee pediar is pointed out as fair specimen
of the Ango-Ssxon; an isolated case of inhu-
manity in Shareholder is quoted in illustration
Of the birbarous treatment of their slaves by
the Southern planters In short, individuals are
taken as types of class isolated events AS fair
illustrations Of life aud manners. Such is the
superficial view taken by the English press of
American life.
"Nhy there should DO tendency on the part
OF English writers 10 look upoa the dark side Of
American society, we will not pause to inquire.
II we in this country have not become COM
pletely Indifferent to ,ese misrepresentations--
IT we have not grown caIous and case hardened
-nsensbe to qibes and taun.s, it is not becsuse
we have not endured them 10 70 enough Many
years have elapsed since it became fashionable
for cockneys and brnzen-faced female travellers
to libel and traduc American character Whether
Jealousy of the increasing extent, power, and
prosperity Of the United States is not the main
cause Of this intolerance, we leave to our read
ers TO determine"
The American people can afford to bear all
these jibes and jars-their unexamped progress
in civilization, enterprise, science and literature
her acknowledged superiority in the practical
application OF the principles Of government to
the Development of the power Of man,-men-
tally, morally and physicalIy--and her unexam-
Piled prosperity, gives the lie so ralpably to the
ISLANDERS of the toadies of n mushroom aristoc
racy, and senseless oyalty, that an American
citizen feels it unnecessary to notice the rawlings
of besotted and ignorant pretend RS Were our
people disposed to retaliate. it would be easy to
abstract ample materials from the writer's of their
own country, parliamentary reports, &c. The
rotten body polite, sends forth fntd smell
which procIaims to the world, that the whole
English system is afflicted with gangrene and
must sooner or later prove mortal A late Brit
ish journal spe,ks thus of portion of English
society:
"lf it were required to draw strong picture
of man, morally and socially degraded by
misery, the savage tribes of distant zones would
in all probability be selected to sit for it vet
such darkly shaded originals, such painful reaIi-
ties, need not be sought in remote lands Let
the street beggar, or the London thief be follow
ed to his home, Gf he have one) and mankind
will be seen existing in degradation MS great,
enduring misery MS sharp, as tho South Sea Is
landers and the South Africans in their worst
aspect"
This is picture Of English society, drawn by
the pencil of British artist Yet these people
sneer at American manners. Alas, for their
sense of modesty. Thousands of these de
graded and miserable beings are annually
shipped to this country. More than halt the
crimes committed in our sea-boarl cities, is the
work of these degraded emigrants, but it is all
set down to account of savage Americans by
British writers, who are as igno ant of ficts as
they are destitute of honor and honesty Such
of these en- igrants as are not beyond all hope of
redemption, are soon in the condition of worthy
citizens, respected, esteemed and honored us
oarselves--such as British oppression has made
fends of, are either vagabonds at large or crow d
our prisons, work.houses and hospitals There
must be something in our laws and society of
very preservative quality, for thousands of
bad emigrants become quite respectable people
here. The secret is-here the field of honest
enterprise is open to all, and the emigrant who
has spark of self-respect left, avails himself of
the hope and struggles to ascend in the scale of
society.