The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-20
From the London Times, Sept. 2.
The Smartest Nation In all Creation.

ahead. We nd our great Exhibitions real
new "smart" speculation, which did not turn
out failure, which exceeded every bodys hopes,
and which brought about no revolutions at all.
As it turned out, even the extra policemen might
have been dispensed with, and 10000 visiters OF
all classes have congregated and dispersed daily,
without as much disturbance as attends a CON-
mon country fair. Moreover, the dollars have
really come tumbling in amain. Wesay it with
out any malice, or any wish to create annoyance
but the fact is, that even the hyperboical conjec.
lures of American irony have fallen short of the
truth in this interesting particular. IL pas cal
culaied that zoe should realize $2,000,000, ,ohereas
zoe haze got orer 100000 atthis very moment,
,oih sic good ,oseks before us STILL And all this
is in hand, too, and in solid coin, so that We
fairly walk away from our rivals. u he true tri-
umph Of American genius would be to transfer
these winnings, by some brilliant counterstroke,
to the soil of Columbia Mr.. Barnum, we OBJ
serve, is actually among US, and his presence,
like that Of Napoleon in the field, is always
cminous of business. Still, although the royal
commissioners seem sorely embarrassed with
their specie, and although their friendly advisers
among the public are almost as much at fault,
we have not yet heard of any disposition herein
towards Mississippi bonds.
On the other hand, it is beyond all denial that
every practical success of the season belongs to
the Americans Their consignments showed
poorly Mt first, but came out well upon trial.
Their reaping machine has carried conviction to
the heart of the British agricrlturist. Their re-
volvers threaten to revolutionize military tactics
as completely as the original discovery Of gun
powder. Their yacht takes class to itself OF
all The uictories erer ,oon none has been so trans.
cendant as that Of The New York schooner. The
account given of her performances suggests the
inapproachable excellence attributed to Jupiter
by the ancient poets, who describe the King of
the Gods as being not only supreme, but having
none other next to him. "W hats first -" The
America" .What's second ~" Nothing."-
Besides this, the Baltic, one of Collins line of
steamers, has "made the fastest passage yet
known a.ross the Allan ic," and, according to
the American journals has been purchased by
British agents FIR the purpose of towing The
Cunard ressels from one shore of the ocean to
the other" Finally, as if to crown the triumphs
of the year, Americans have actually sailed
through the isthmus connecting the two CONT
nents of the New World and, while English
men have been doubling and grudging, Yankees
have stepped in and won the day.
So we think, on the whole, that we may afford
to shake hands and exchange congratulations,
after which we must learn as much from each
other as we can. As for yachts, zoe hare no doubt
that By neri August erery ressel Of The CORES
squadron UiH be trimmed 10 the uery image Of The
America; there is no doubt that our farmers
will reap by machinery, and the revolver, we
fear, is too attractive an embodiment Of per-
sonal power to be overlooked BY European mis-
chief makers. In fact, while acknowledging the
virtues of this ingenious instrument we must
express our suspicious that its principal effect
has been hitherto to promote murder. OF
twenty assassinations in California or the west
ern States, fifteen at least will be found, on ex-
animation to have been perpetrated with re-
vovers. The invention supplies both tempta-
ton 10 the offence and certainty in its execution
for it must be bad shooting, indeed, if one shot
does not tell out Of five. If it was once thought
advisable to stigmatize "life preservers as
weapons importing no honest purpose, We
hardly see how repeating pistols are TO escape
similar reproach. They were, no doubt, found
serviceabe in I" frontier action" but The inven-
ton cuts two ways, and we very much question
whether Mr.. Colts discovery has not cost the
Americans more lives thar the Mexcans Some
readers, perhaps, may detect the hand Of retribu
ton in these matters, and the idea is still more
extensively suggested by story of one of the
papers just arrived. A pack Of bloodhounds,
kept for hunting runaway slaves" fell in with
the children Of neghboring proprietor, killed
them, and devoured them. The conclusion of
the tragedy is truly American. The distressed
father" We are told, 10 lded his rd,, and shot"
not himself, but "the owner Of the dogs"
through the heart.
A weekly contemporary, in bohestindignation
at the perversity OF our juries, and the lawless-
ness of sublimated law, seems almost inclined
TO think that the faults Of the two systems are
not so unequal as they seem, and that perhaps
little independent jurisdiction lodged in the
hands Of individuals might correct that tendency
10 outrage which courts of justice appear un.
qualified to punish. II man may murder his
wife or poison his child with practical IMMUNITY,
why should not posse Of citizens be trusted
with similar phwers! We forbear from enter.
ing upon this argument, but we recommend all
these circumstances 10 the careful notice Of
those gentlemen who annually strive TO exempt
murder from its penalty. There Is manfesty
an instructive sense of justice In the human
breast, which will not endure to be outraged
either by the theories Of sentimentalists, or the
negligence Of law, and, where great crimes are
left UNPUBLISHED, there soon arises n disposition
among the re)ple, to administer code of their
own.
We trust, however that we may borrow the
line Of the America, and even the use of Dir.
Colts patent, without being seduced iuto in.
stitutions" Of Lynch law and homicide. There
are other features, to, Of life IN the States,
which are held up for our imitation. Mr.. Cob.
den is anxious that we should copy the Ame-
ricans in our newspapers, and naturalize The
spirit Of transatlantic journalism among English
writers. This would effect remarkable ch1nge,
there is no denying. Asa specimen, We subjoin
a report from a fashionable watering place,
formed after American ideas Of propriety and
taste. Just now the Americans, like ourselves,
are betaking themselves from town and city to
mountain springs or seaside sands, and the re-
porters Of the daily journals follow in their train
TO thsse popular retreats. What would our
"inammas" say to s.ei a sketch from Cowes
or Bri 'hton, as that transcrib fr0m The Ne,o
port Ne,os into The NeD York Herald for Eu.
rope
Since my last there have been large number
OF arrivals nj this house, and among them many
beautiful and accomplished ladies', There are
several here whom have noticed for week o,
two. bUt have not rot asoertained their pafnaa