Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-11-24
AN AMERICAN ABOMINATI0N,

One trait more, though with the risk of disgust
ing some and offending mOre-though l will hope
not.* An Englishman, | believe, rarely chcws,
and, compared with the American, rarely smokes;
but whether he does not secretly practice both
these Nominations | am not prepared to say
But with both these provocations, If il be so, one
thing he never does, is, to spit. That fact draws
q line of demareation between tho Englishmar and
the American broader and deeper n thousand.fOld
than any other, in politics, government, laws, Ian
guage, religion. The EH9}ishmaR ncrei SpRS. Or
if he does. he first goes home, shuts, himself up in
his room, locks his door, argues the necessity Of
the case; if necessary performs the disagreeable
duty and returns to society with n clear conscience.
The American spits always and every where;
sometimes wien it is necessary; always when 1t is
not. 1t is his occupation, his pastime, his business.
MANY do nothing else all their lives, and always
indulge in this singular recreation when they hare
nothing cl:o to do. Sometimes, in a state of mo-
mentary furgetfulness, hc ntermits, but then, as
if ho had neglected n sworn duty, returns to it
again with conscience-smittcn viG0r. lie splits at
bone and abroad by night and by day, awake ana
asleep, in company and in solitude, for his own
amusement and the ediiication Of a splitting com
muuity. On the freshly painted or secured Goor,
on The clean deck of a ship or steamboat, on par
Tor floor, covered whether with ingraiued, Brussels
Wilton, or Turkey, even there he voids his rhcumi
upon the unabsOrbcnt canvas, so that one may see
where numbers congregate, the railroad cars to
u III IlDlt why's tllll Oic' ht IhiiiAo anu
pews Of churches are not safe. The foot pave.
mcnt of the streets, the floors Of hotels, Ct Con
gross halls, arc foul with it; and in railroad cars ii
must always be necessary for a lady to shorten hcr
garments, as if about to walk in the deep mud OF
the street. or the snow and water Of spring, it she
would escane dc6lcment to either her dress
OF her slippers. AS the power Of direction Of tht
human misscls is by no means unerring, notwith
standing so much practice, ones own person nnd
all pare of his person are exposed to the random
shots of this universal foe of American civilized
life; and often lie finds on different parts of his
dress proofs abundant Of t~he.company he has kept
The only single spot absolutely secure Is a man
face; and that would not lie, were it not for The
fear of a duel.
That there is not the shadow OF exaggcration ir
this description, coarse as it is, and coarse as j
las been my intention to make it; all Americans
and all travellers who have been within an Ameri
can hotel, steamboat, or rail-car-all will testify
And the result Of all is, suppose, that we are the
freest and most enlightened people on the faco o.
the earth But for one, republican rs l am ii
principle, / think, on the whole, | would prefer tbs
despotism Of Austria, Russia, or Rome, to the
freedom, if | must take with it the spit, of Ameri
ca. 1t is vice enough to tempt one to forsweaI
home, country, kindred, friends. and religion. l
is ample cause for breaking acquainti nee, friend
ship-for a divorce, In q word, it is our grand ma
tional distinction, il we did but know it. There
are certainly parts of the country comparatively
but only comparatively, free from this vice. Here
at the North there is much less than nt the West
and South, though here enough Of it 10 disgust on
with his race. In proportion as general refinement
prevails, the custom abates, At the South, NJ
carpets, no rooms, no presence affords protection
Here, in the best rooms, the best society, there il
partial exemption, though not often enough, from
the presence of that ingenious, fearful patent, thu
brazen, china, or earthen bor.
Would that my country could be induced t.
pause in this its wonderful career. Pity s,ln,
public effort could not be made 10y way Of genera
convention, or otherwise, for the abatement Of this
national mi~schief-certainly as worthy of attention
as very many of our political and moral reforms
The advice Of the London surgeon Abernethy. tt
an American sea-captai;, was at any rate useful t.
us all, and pregnant with good medical philosophy
j"Keep your saliva in your mouth to help digest
your food with" said ne, and not spit it all oyel
my carpet UWiom Hare.
-
n am perfectly willing to be ostracised on the
score of taste for introducing this topic, if by call
ing a~ttention to it, it may Je the means of redeem
ing n few even from a habit which makes ouI
whole country a by-word and an offensc all ovcl
the civilized world. | am sorry to say, that in re
! gard to this practice hardly n gentleman in hi
manners is anywhere to be found. One meets per
: sons constantly at public places, in public convey
ances, with the dress and outward aspect of wei
! bred men, many whom you kn0n to come under
the category of what is called tho best society
7 with whose personal habits, rs you are unfortu
nately obliged to sit beside them in some rail.car
you can be filed only with an unconquerable dis
! gust.