The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-10-08
EngliShmen and Frenchmen.

Englishrrleu and Frenchmen.
Tho two countries lie very near each
other-they almost touch-but IN morals and
manners they are antipodes. In their rell-
oion. in their laws, in their agriculture, in
their architecture, in their politics, IN their
society, in their drama, in their press, in their
whole daily life, motion and being there is
not one solitary point of resemblance. we
can scarcely imagine that the EngEshman
and the Frenchman sprang from the same
original stock We do not wonder that they
have been so many times at war. we only
wonder that they have ever been at peace
The contrasts between them are inexhausti-
HE The Enclishman, averse to Innovations
worships God after the ceremonial OF Pro
testant Church, while the Frenchman, devo-
ted to change, is faithful to the Catholic forms
of the religion of his forefathers. Should
England tomorrow announce her adhesion
to the Holy See, we should not be surprised
to behold France, in the next twenty-tour
hours, grimacing with great earnestness IN
the surplice and cassock OF Canterbury
The morality of Englishmen is stern, rigid
self denying; that of France has more lndul-
gence for human frailty The woman who
falls in England can never recover, though
her after-life were river of pure, pententlai
tears The frail French woman suffers but a
temporary eclipse, and her accomplishments
and graces are not lost to society on account
of her misfortune. In England they marry
from love, in France from convenience ana
vet the marriages in both are happy. Eng
lishmen are grave, taciturn and awkward;
Frenchmen the embodiment OF courtesy and
grace. In war, the Frenchman excels IN the
brilliant and dashing charge, pouring down
upon his adversary like the ocean billow,
when impelled by the tornado; whilst the
Englishman's forte is the steady and stub
born valour, which resists, like the rock OF
Gibraltar, the aggressive food and dashes 1t
back in spray and foam. The Englishman is
plain, practical, matter of fact, methodical
and business-hke the Frenchman magma
tive, poetical, practical, brilliant and piquant
They are unlike even in their benevolence
If you are sick, the Englishman will sit up
with you all night; the Frenchman will send
you fragrant bouquet The English love
commerce and the useful arts-their genius
is creative; that of the French is destructive,
and military glory is their master passion
England delights in the mastering of the blue
deep; the Frenchman afoat is always sea
sick. The Crystal Palace is the pet of Eng
hshmen OF th3 present day; the French ma
zen Wcuid not give up the cooked hat of the
little corporal for all the Crystal Palaces in
the glittering universe. As they do not live
alike, neither do they die alike The Eng
Iishman meets his last enemy with a grave
fortitude; the Frenchman shrugs his shsul-
ders, and with dramatic gesticulatons and
heroic sentiments, waves graceful adieu to
his friends, and retires deferentially from the
stage Of life,
The antipathies of the two races are ire
concilabe. The solidarity of the peoples
will never be illustrated in them. 1t is a
chronic delusion in England that on one pair
OF English legs do walk three Frenchmen.-
You may convince the rural Bull, or Bull the
cockney, that the moon is made of metal, ant
was manufactured in Birmingha,ns befu'
you can persuade him that one Enghshmal
is not equal to three frog eaters. Ih
Frenchman, in his turn, though not quite >
vain glorious, is sure that France could swan
low England in q ma ment, but for the qualin
ish waves which roll between Yet both ar
brave as were ever Roman and Greek
The married women of England are distar
and reserved, and the girls gay and confden
In France, the young lady is shy and tint
as nun, whilst the married woman is FREE
sovereign and independent. The very house
are dissimilar; the French lightsome and 10y
ons; the English dark and dismal.
What delightful people are the Frenc
socially; SO full of bright, sparkling, yet ami
able life-the brilliant, bubbling, effervescin
champagne of humanity. How gruff, friei
and repulsive does Bull appear in comparj
son--a mountain covered with snow. In
within are volcanic fires
In politeness, certainly, we must give tn
palm, where it has always been bestowed t
the gay and gallant French The English
man visits Franee-his enormous shirt COLA
\ ms beardless lip, his straight forward wall
excite no comment. If there is smile, 1t
"'1hih the modth, and the dignity of Bull r
ceives no detriment. But let a Frenchms
visit London-he win be followed by
crowd; here broad and significant err;
meet his sye, and there sec.sional roa