Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-03-21
National Observation-Disclosures

Every Englishman and almost every American
speaks lightly of the French character, or rather
of the personal carriage of Frenchmen. An
English workman is generally uncouth, and he
has little of the POLISH of the French-he is sulky
surly, and often distant even with his own wife
and children after his days labor, he seldom or
ever joins in the festivities of home-his egotism
causes him to undervalue his wifes society, and
therefore he spends his evenings either in indo-
lent absence from thought, or at the ale-house :;
he never avoids quarrel from polite manner,
but rather seeks to sustain his ground by vehe-
ment stubbornness. If the English had the
nervous activity of the Fnench without their
politeness, they would destroy each other like
the e Kilkenny cats" The Partisan mechanic
will walk out of an evening with his wife and
children, and when two or three families meet on
the Boulevards, nothing is more common than
to see the elder of the party playing some musi-
cal instrument for the children to dance, and
thus the lighted heart of the Frenchman is sent
happily to he'd
If two Englishmen accidentally run against
each other in the street, they each demand an
explanation of the other, or at least look sukilv
at each other, and pass on growing like two bull
dogs Two Frenchmen under the same circum-
stances would each bow and ask pardon. Real
offence is necessary to make Frenchman quarrel
The slightest suspicion of offence will embroil an
Englishman. A Frenchman away from home
and asked how he likes the cookery, may posi-
bly, remark than it is different from what he has
been accustomed to, and that he has not yet
habituated himself to the change. An English
man on the contrary always insists upon it that
they do not know how to cook out of England,
and that it is all wrong. Every Englishman
thinks he can whip two Frenchmen, and every
Frenchman politely differs from him in opinion.
The beauties of nature and of art are respected
in France flowers may be exposed and not
plucked, works of art exhibited and never de-
faced, the poLstesse protects them. If daisy is
within arms length Of fence in England it is
pulled, and even then not to be preserved but
to be picket to pieces =" The roast beef of Old
England has been sung most enthusiastically
by thousands who did not taste beef once month.
An unfortunate Englishman cannot or will not
accommodate himself to his new estate, while
even the members of the royal family of France,
when exiled. would readily teach children's
schools. Counts have been BARRIERS here, in i'm
tation of their own Wallets when at home. An
Englishman will despise broken-down gentle
man if he cleans his own boots. The politesse Il
France causes every citizen to cultivate his tasi
for the beautiful, while the less polished English
man calls all ornaments gee-gG1os.
Which of these two characters should Ameri-
cans emulate or is there a middle course, a
happy medium to be attained Americans
abroad have the reputation of being fault finders
and of resembling the English in this particular;
avoid extremes and follow the moderate course,
should be our motto.