The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-30
Literary Notice.
TRAvELs IN THE UsIrrp States, &C., during ls4S
and 1850. BY the LADY EMMELIEE STUART
WORTHY. New York. 1851.


TaAvELs THE UNrrp States, &C.. during ls4S
and 1850. BY the LADY EmmELIsE STUART
WORTHY. New York. 1851.
This volume bears upon its front the winning
traits of candor and impartality. Lady wortley
appears 10 have 'panted and placed herself on
Americas soil with oommendabe determination
oignore the narrow minded prejudces of previous
vsitants and this she has for the most part main
tanned her purpose batting those but harm
less manifestations of penchant satirize pro-
clivity which abe would fan ''bridle and suppress"
She presents the United States in fairy like as
pect; and, "haud ignara fut.ui' p deeply i'm
pressed with the imposing grandeur of the future
which lies open to US; nor does she forbear to pay
a merited tribute to the restless energy of Ameri
can enterprise:
And. then, what noble, enterprsing people
they are What miraculous progress and i'm
provement is visible on every side i'm the United
States. One town We came through, Buffalo, was
not many years ago, was told, mere Indian
yillage-it 10 now mighty city. Albany is also
a magnificent town; the streets are strikingIy
broad and straight--the troftoirs are about the
width of Dover street. The steamers on the Hud
son are perfect palaces, and fairy palaces TO boot
being the most delicate and finished radations Of
art and fancy you can imagine; larger than the
far-iamed Great Britain and apparently lighter
than the rainbowed coracle of nautical sylph-a
floating island OF painting marble, gliding, stained
glass; velvet hangings, satin draperes, mirrors in
richly carved frames, and scuiptured ornaments,
with beautiful vases of flowers, Chinese Tampa of
various Understandable fantastic forms, arabesques
chandeiers-in short, you might fancy Yourself in
Haroun Alraschid's palace"
Immediately on landing in America her curios-
ity is impelled to that almost irresistible load star
of attraction, Niagara; to it she hastens with the
eager delight of painting fawn who hears the
sweet murmurings OF a purling brook This
"stupendously magnificent scene" fully contem-
plated, and described with rather lavish expen-
dture of ink and paper, our fair authorizes, with
the same alacrity, hastens away to other fields Of
observation. From the cursory glance given to
this country we do not think that she lay claim
TO very profound insight into its manners, GUS
toms, institutions; indeed there is little in this
volume that would have escaped the random gaze
Of more superficial observer. We do not praise
the book 80 much for its intrinsic worth as the
good humored candor and impartiality that per-
vades it; for, otherwise, it is a mongrel mass of
heterogeneous travel-talk and sight seeing, a
ceaseless round Of raphsodizing and apostrophiz-
ing; yet we confess there is much in this wondrous
land to touch the poetic sensiblities of stranger
and in the tenderer perchance these irrepressi
bic outbursts may find palliative.
Lady Wortley reiterates those hum drum strains
of meagre praise and redundant abuse, which the
whole captious cohort of Englishmen, from Dick
ems down. delight to lavish upon beautiful me-
tropols but,
Omnibus hoe vtium est cantoribus."
Lady w. extends her tour through Mexico and
part of the western coast of South America. To
follow her through the meanderings Of this part of
her travels were tedious task, and one doubtless
repellent to our gracious readers. We blame Lady
Wortey for not expressing the greater portion of
what che has given US; had she done 80, it would
niallibly have bettered the fate of her book, and
perhaps relieved that wearisome sameness which
pervades and characterizes its pages
We have risen from the perusal Of this volume
with the calm conviction that comparatively moth
ing has been added to meagre stock of informa-
ton. We recommend the book, as we have al
ready said, for its generous tone and rigid impair
tiality-virtues rarely combined in our beer be-
mused progenitors, who, it would seem, are wholly
inadequate to the right appreciation of any thing
that is not English, thoroughly English cap-a-pie.
w. A. M.