The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-14

ORR National CHARAcrEE-Fus AND Fsorra
or 1852 The social and political manners Of tho
Anglo American race, at the present day. are almost
as peculiar, strange, novel, and uninscllgble to
Europeans, as were those Of the aboriginal race Of
Americans when Columbus and his followers first
planted their feet on the shores OF this continent,
nearly four centuries ago. And yet it seems but
natural that the inhabitants of the New World
should have their own peculiarities and traits OF
character Distinguishing them from Tho mortsls oe
the Old World, even though they descended from
the same stock We have completely outgrown the
comprehension Of Europeans-they are completely
bewidercd by our eccentrcities, and cannot UNDER
stand the funny phases of our national character
We are, in fact, perfect puzzle to their duller in
telects; and they cannot make out our social lat-
tudc and longitude, by any of calculation or
analysis We present to them such wonderful COM
binations of folly and wsdom-piety and irrehgion
philosophy and humbug-sovcyity and drollery-
patriotism and nonscnse-c0mnercial greatness
ard social littleness-stoicism and exeitability-s
that to them, at the present day, as
little understood as are the inhabitants Of
the wonderful city of the Axtccs in South
America They cannot, by any exercise Of their
reasoning powers, comprehend the fwoye with
which We enter into the most opposite pursuits
of money making, politics, religion, socialism, f-
natiesm hero worship, theatrcals, fun, and drolle
ry They don't know how mako such an
exquisite mflange of socnl habits by the admxture
of qualities so apparently homogeneous When %
Fanny Elsaler, with Chcvalier Wixon for her ma
| mayer, comes from Europe to cut capers and
| dance pirouettes, the cold calculating Yankees
lay aside, for the time their business habits put on
| their funny humor, and kick up as much fun and
excitement in honor Of the fair 9anscmsc rs they
! do on fourth Of July anniversary. If Tom Thumb,
Joyce Heth, the Feee Mermaid, or the Woolly
Horse from the Rocky Mountains, are advertised
| for exhibition in Barnum's menagere, the public
swallow the bait with a most voracious and lud-
crous appetite, and the ingenious manager hauls in
| his nets with great take. If Jenny Lind conde-
sends to visit professional tour attracted by
the great field which present for operations, the
same manager, with sanctimonious face, iAtimates
that she is an angel Of philanthropy, and the ex-
| element grows into such a mania that concert
ticket becomes valuable half dozen ounces Of
gold DUST If Kossuth, and Knkel, and Lola Monies
seek shores political refugees, apostles of
liberty the avGnt-coWi9s of European republican,.
ism, the victims and deades enemies Of Jesuitsns
the cauldron Of excitement is Immediately set boil
ing, ovaions got up in thor honor, and the dol
lars contributed with the most reckless extrava-
gance, to pay for their oratorcal or dancing exhi
btions to promote their grand designs, and to send
them on their way rejoicing. Norm ,nim and Ro-
chester knockDgs, Presidential elections and
European ntervention the lower law and the higher
law, by times receive the attention Of the public
who have always three four Of these exciting
subjects before them, and are, therefore, always
kept well stocked in fun drollcy, fanaticism, and
humbug.
Who has forgotten the famous log cabin campaign
and hard-cidcr revelry Of $780, when Gen. HARRISON
was elected President Of the republic Since those
rolcking days, however, we have had very few po-
tical saturnalias in our Presidential elections. But
luckily we have every prospect this year of return
of these funny scenes, in the contest for the spoils
in which Gen. Scott figures as the great {" fuss and
feathers" Of the occasion. He, IN al probability
will be the exclusive candidate OF he wings All
probably viii be elected by OF those cxubcrans
species of trolc and drocry in which the American
people delight to indulge occasionally He may ,s
seated in the Presidential chair by just such dis
play Of righteousness, the part ofthe great Amc-
rican people, characterized their doings of n SINH
lar nature in past years. as, for instance in the cas-.
OF Gen Harrison-when they could not refrain from
perpetratng the capital joke of clectpg him-and
such as they constantly exhibit in their social no
iitical, and religious matters The cognomens or
fuss and feathers, and the :" hnsty plate of soup.,
by which the General is known, will only tend to add
greater zest to the joke, and increase the popu-.
larity, for the time being, of the man who bear.
these funny designations.
No wonder that the dulpated Europeans should
be lost in amalement and their nelects utterly be-
"ildered, when they attempt to solve the problom Of
Americanism. To them it is an enigma as dark as
the fabulous Sphynx ever propounded. We arc a.
far ahead of them in all sublunary things as we are
in our knowledge oftho spiritword thanks to Judge
Edmonds ard the host Of spiritual mediums.