American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-26

. + n Z = =.
AMERICAN Us. FRENCH PoLITENEss.-Th fol-
lowing paragraphs in reference to the politeness
of the French we find in the editorial cores
pondence of the Albany Evening Joarnats ~
"We had not been in France more than
twenty minutes before our ideas Of French po-
| likeness received shock. Frenchmen permit
ted ladies to Chamber into the diligence una g.
sisted, and com PEELED them to occupy the, poor
est seats when in the cumbersome vehicle. \. I
have never yet met with on American-not even
in the wilds of the West-who would not offer
q Indy the best seat in a stage coach But a
Frenchman does not carry his poiteness 80 far
as TO odiscommode himself for a lady, either in
4 coach, cor, or omnibus They may be polite
/ ip ballroom, but they are not polite In that
1 fbr which Americans are most celebrated, and
i which, IN my poor opinion, affords the most con-
elusive evidence not only of true politeness but
of goodness Of heart, A nation which has an
instructive veneration for Goods last, best gift
to man. and which manifests that veneration
by the most delicate attentions on all occasions,
cannot be far from the verge of civilization.
81 took particular notice of this characters
tic of what had been taught to consider the
most polite nation in the world. / have seen q
woman stand ten minutes at a railroad office,
+(Jostled on all sides by mustachiOed gentlemen,)
endea voring to procure ticket. No one seemed
to feel called upon to make room for her, or to
aid her in any way to get out Of the crowd. "
have seen another struggling to get into a car,
with child and satchel in her arms, surrounded
by q score of Frenchmen, who coolly watched
her fruitless Efforts but made no proffer OF as
sistance. / have seen others roughly pushed
back, that polite Frenchman might first make
his exit out of an omnibus. But did not see
any one offer to assist lady, either in her
ascent to or descent from any public convey
ance. | have seen ladies roughly jostled from
the sidewalks on the Observation-Disclosures, if any
where, you might look for politeness; and in
crossing from Dover TO Ostend, and from Bou-o
logne to Folkestone, II have seen Frenchmen
stretched out at full length on sofas, while
ladies could find no place to sit down. But l
never saw Frenchman discommode himself to
oblige lady. All this may seem apocryphal--
and 80 would have deemed it but for the evi-
dence Of my own senses. -....
| "Americans may be ignorant Of many of the
higher branches Of politeness; but if one of the
Universal Nation should treat woman as cava-
| lierly as Frenchmen treat them, there is not q
! backwoodsman east of the Rocky Mountains
who would not volunteer to pitch him into the
Mississippi t .r
s.Nor is this inattention induced by any want
of appreciation on the part Of the ladies. l
never saw gratitude more generally expressed
than when venerable Philadelphian, with
genuine Yankee promptness, extracted q lady,
1 with a pretty little responsibility from a
1 crowd ut N railroad station. When he had pro-
lcured cab for her, he held her little one until
she was seated. She thanked him in French,
not word of which, however, he would have
understood, but for her eyes. They were per-
fectly Ineligible. In reply to her thanks, the
kind hearted old gentleman said, /" It's all right
my girl; and just what any gentleman would
have done 'Anglais? inquired the little
French woman. Not by long shot. I'm
| Yankee all over"