Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-07-09

low Ahaptes |lokoI appeared q Be- prncI "a
Rse E was not any Of those faneiful prepare
% which are made SO pentifnliy il America to
graf lie thirsty palate It was evidently drink
The sake of its intoxicating effect And
yet lsaw but few people drunk, from which pre-
sumo hat an American constitution is powerful to
endure such applications. In the better class of
housessdfere were great demands for various cool
ing, and at the same time stimulating beverages.
Several Of them had heard. of in England-sher-
ry coblef had actually imbibed mint juhps l
had received tile report of-gin-sling was not an
unknown naine-but one term sounded quite new
to me, and that was when heard the demand for
g smash" subsequently discovered the compo-
site drink in question TO be mixture of brandy,
ice, lemon, mint, and sugar, the whole " smashed "
! (unde deriUdtun) by placing the glass lumber
within larger goblet of tin and shaking both
together. 1t is understood, palatable method
! of getting down brandy, that very considerable
portion Of the numbers who drink themselves out
of their existence in this city, do it by means of
| I" sInashers."
Ii the inside of the Chrystal Palace be but at
tracti the outside seems, it will not accommo-
date its visitors. The people were not only upon
the spot in vast. numbers; but the multitude re-
ceived hccessions every moment. Every ten min
utcs the cry was still they coma" each railway
stage that arrived discharging living load, pack
ed not only inside, but in front with the driver,
and behind beside the conductor. l afraid,
however, that it is the shantics that now possess
the attraction the Palace is the excuse, the others
the real inducement. ! was not then competent
to Judge of the character of the crowd, but from
what l have since seen of American life, have no
doubt there were very few of the better class of
the American citizens present. There were New
York rowdies, and there were Irishmen, citizens
perhaps, but still the Irish Of Donnybrook Fair
though little better costumed. There were of
course, Frenchmen practising the Sabbath breaking
which they had been brought up to in their own
land. There were the sojourners and the strang-
ers of every cline; but there were ve.y few decent
American citizens; the men of sharp aspect and
unwhiskered face whom I have since seen in their
offices and their stores whose quick and rapid ac-
ton and intelligence amaze the more methodic
European, and make him at first mistake the
brusqueness, which is NATURAL for studied imper-
Thence. Any absence, however, of genuine A
merican citizens was atoned for by the universal
presence of the genuine American flag. The stars
and stripes rose up before the view everywhere;
they foated from the gilI..d saloon which fronts
the great entrance of the Chrystal Palace and they
did not disdain the humble sianty of wood where
the rowdy "hquorcd" at three cents glass.
Everywhere the flag of the great Republic invited
It's citizens to come in, and get drunk under its
protection. 1t seemed to me pity that such a
gigantic scheme of drinking should have been
raised around what is meant to be temple of
beauty and art 1t will produce an Lnfavorable
impression upon the European visitor. To my
mind it seems that within New York and its vast
environs, there could not be found spot where
the stranger would receive less favorable impress
sion of American morality and American intellec-
tuality, than at "The Chrystal Palace on Sunday"
New Y, Rk, Wednesday, June 22.
The Dead Sea, with its heavy, dull, lead like wa
slant shoroc i
surface, mistaken by wave or ripple, is not more
quiet than are the political parties of the United
States at this time. All of those time-honored and
somewhat familiar figures of speech which typify
in editorial language political struggles as the up
heaving of the stormy ocean of party; the hoarse
din OF conflicting factions with banners thrown to
the breeze, DC, &c, have lost their significance,
appropriateness and truth.
fsuch language was now employed, it would
sound more ludicrous than the solemn paintives of
Mrs. Partingoob, or the thread-bare rhetoric of an
anniversary orator. To speak of political excite
ment among the masses at this time, is as absurd
as to aude to the strength of Hercules, the ambi-
ton ofCesar, or the sorrows of Niobe in the pres
ent time. There is not one bit of it in the land
1t is dead, gone with the leaves insects, and clouds
OF last summer. This apparent apathy, so general
anu PROFOUND Is without precedent in Thu intry
for here as IN all democratic States in every period
OF the worlds history partisan feeling, political ex
element and 6osterous discussions are the natu-
raj and inevitable results of free and untrammeletl
criticisms of men and measures.
There is in the present state of things deep
philosophy and meaning that cannot be accounted
for by that apathy reaction which invaribly fol-
lows a long and exciting political struggle. The
indifference ofEatigue does not explain it to our
satisfaction.
Why is the press of the Wing party silent, and
the talents their editors devoted to the discussion
Of the most trivial topics and insane common place
OF small-beer politics =! Why are the leaders of
the hungry pack of Wing orators-generally most
noisy when half famished, and most vtuperative,
reckless and unprincpled when in minoriy of op-
postlon-now more silent than the subordinate
ghosts OF the tragedies of shakespeare Why have !
not the long professions ofmartyrs, as they have
passed from the Departments to Hades, made no |
sign or uttered no complaints respecting the deep
damnation Of their taking off, and permitted their
blood to soak into the thirsty dust of the Dem
ocratic guotine, without becoming the germina- I
ting seed of the church Why has the great and
Intelligent Wing party, with its wealth, education,
editorial, literary and oratorical resources submit
ted without murnur, yell, snore, or at least |
. mild, gentle squeak, to the stern and uncompro-
missing dominion of their once derided and des-
pissed political masters? 1t is true that here and
there some discordant organ-grinder of the party
throws his handful of mud at the Administration, |
but his assaults pass unregarded by both parties. |
The proper and natural explanation of all this
places the Democratic party in proud and envia- |