Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-06-21
American Character.

An Cngiish writer, Nlr. Casey,) III
his work 1.-Two Years on the firm OF
Uncle SAM" just published in London,
gives the following analysis Of Ameri.
can character:
"Vicing with the Parisians in dress
the English in CONGREGATIONS as a
Du,chman-impu!slve ns an lrshman,
patriotic as Tell -biavc os Wallace
cool as Wcllington--and as royal as
Alexander there he soes-,hc Ameri.
can citizen.
In answering your questions, or spcn.
kim commo Ily, his style is that OF the
unccn, Spartan; but put him on stump
with audience OF Wings, Democrats, ana
Barnburncrs, anl he becomes a com.
pound OF Tom Lrbb AMI Dcmoslhencs,
:; fountain Of eloquencc, pass.on, sent.
mcnl, sarcasm, logic and drollery, al.
10 ..c,har different from anything known
or ina ,inci in the Old Worll States
Say anything (public men) uni'cI with
conventional phraseolosy he swings his
| rhc.orical mace, with vigorous rm,
pushing the anlagonis,ic principle Or
person into most v,llainous compound
Sec him nj diuncr-hc dispatehes his
meal with speed which leads you 10
suppose him not n rnmInntny amin al;
yet enjoying his cigar for an hour afier.
wards with the lus.o ana cunui Of ii
Spaniarl.
"Walking ri hi on, as if it were life
against time, with glass n, fever heat;
Yet taking il, cool in The most serious and
pressing manncr-a compound OF the
Ri man, Brummell ;nI Ffanllin
statesman unl labore!-on ho goes, di
vi led AMI subli>iicl in politics an! re-
lisiom-prolessonaIly opp 81 with {
kecrness of competition IN vain loOkcU
for in En-, ,lanl. Yet let but the nation
al ri. ..h,s OF liberty be threatened, an,
that vast nation s,aniS pyramid OF re
solve, united as with one man an hear
heal, hani AMI purse, burning with 10
man zeal to defend inviolatc the caas'
OF the commonwcal In.
$40 him who has lived among tn
: Americans, AMI lookci largely at til.
, theory and practice Of their government
AMI its executive, there remains no poa
siblc doubt that the greatest amount c
| personal security anl ( eclom has bee
/ produced from the history of all en-
| pires, it stands the nearest Of all cAr,hl
+, systems to pcrieclion; because iii bull
: on and cmbciies those principles whic
I God Hath proclaimed its attributes.
y 81 noiiccl tha: lko American sets les
y value On life than Europeans: tina, i:
i he does not think the loss Of life til
u greatest loss--;hc u.t ma,um. When
c .nan dies you see none Of t!.al scn,lmci
f. use tho best term can Think Of
f.. VII ch surroun Is such an evcnt in oih'
ii coun,ri $. The American is silcn.
II manner cmbarras,ine ly so at first, {!
T. I cmely accurate in his observation
!. human n,tuGe, and any man that car
= MT bear 10 be scru,inizoI hal better NJ
/. com here.
The American iu lses much by the c!
!. ani has most envlablc power of est
c nation. Your temperament, sprec
o looks AMI acts, are all taken in by hin
IS Il if you can get tablet Of his ju /
Ic ment, you will linl D remarkable d
IT gucrreorype of your exact worth write
lc thereon. They are all phrcnolosists a,
Ut physiognomiS,s, no, merely as phlos
10 piers. hu, as practical appliers of tho
i,.ductive sciences; an | beneath she
n, of positive lazincss or languor there
II an amour, Of energy AMI action, me
is tai AMI phys ca. perfectly surprisin
y They are not aversc to the higher bra
lie chcs Of science or literature; but tn
le ben all to u,ilit,, ana are as matte
H., the best ar,lhme,cians in the worl.. al
o this scicncc alone gives ii tcrsc matt
he of fact to their mental working; in in'
be when man wants to reflect on Prp
ri. sition, he says "Wait ill figure up