Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-12-21
Corresponoente. O.


New York, Dec. 3. 1853.
DEAR AMERIcAx'-The enclosed
letter. written by an Engiishman. in
America. toa lady of distinction in
England. fell into my hands. (I need
not relate hov, and l transmit it to
you for publication. John Bull makes
very free with our "institutions, and
exhibits his prgudiccs in very Eng
lish fashion. ENEAS.
New York, N. Y. U, S. A.
/ Nov. 4th, 1855.
Ny DEAR LADY CLARA
l have been something
OF traveller. and have seen n good
deal Of that famous old Elephant---the
world. In the great Menagerie Of
Life l have been SO fortunate as TO se-
cure "front seat and have enjoyed a
fine opportunity Of seeing the old fel-
low ego round the ring have seen
the usual assortment Of Monkeys and
Harlequins That help to Gil up the pro.
gramme, and propose to make up a
budget Of some Of their tricks for the
laudible object Of contributing 10 your
amusement. | am now in that part OF
the show yclept america. Of which
you have heard so much and know SO
little.
And now for an item on the weath
er. Oh invaluable topic We Eng.
Iish folk know nothing about Jolly
weather, We only see the pathetic ex
pressions Of Madame Natures features.
With us she is always weeping, refus-
ing to be comiorted, here she Is as ge.
nial as the Goddess vitula. With us
she is an srtist who "does landscape
in sccter coiors--here she dips her pen.
Gil in sunbeams. and puts Claude Sor.
rinc and Rembrandt to shame. Ol
the rcsplendent weather Of this New
World is beyond compared every day,
bright as golden coin. is dropped
down from the great weather mint
There are no counterfeits, no leaden
days guided by bright morning. the
golden days are without alloy, none OF
your pineh-6eck weather. my dear.
am desperately enamored OF America
it is true she is young Amazon.
half savage. but. as one of her grand
Eloquent orators expresses IL Goods
chez: a donper." Her primevial forests,
her lordly rivers, her limitless prsiries.
her awful cateracis. illuminated by the
most gorgeous light that was ever
poured from the windows Of Heaven.
make more noble and magnificent
picture than the oriental Hashush
dreamer ever beheld in his most res
plendent hallucinations. When Prov.
idence stretched an unseen hand
across the ocean and lured Columbus
to meet his destiny. could il be- that
the splendid imagination OF that hero
foresaw this radient vision as ho guided
his heaven-directed barque over the
unknown waters? Oh glorious des,i.
ny! oh ravishing visionl Is not Col.
umbus poet? Is not his ldyllIum
chanted in the great forest and prai-
ries aud cateracts of America? Par.
don nay enthusiasm. y on cannot under
stand it until you have behcld what
am beholding.
You hare seen trees---little dwaffs
that would not make limb for nm
American forest giant--you haze seen
the Thames. that wonder of English
riyers--which the lordly Mississippi
could swallow at a draught, and not
know it--you hare seen Scotch water
falls. that you might catch in your
apron and run away wish--you have
seen pretty grass-plates and the sun.
shine-fhrough a 1og-but the forests
and the rivers. the prairies and the
waterfalls Of America transcend the
bounds Of your widest imaginings.
And now you would like to know
something of the people who inhabi'
this charming country. You would
like to be informed IL the women are
as handsome. and the men as brave
and the children as precocious rs you
have heard and read about? l have
been here but short time. and my
opinions are, perhaps. premature. but
such as they are. you are welcome to
them.
The women are pretty, but they ART
the worst dressed angels in the world,
The extreme Of the picturesque and
gaudy is the paradise Of female taste
over here. Broadway. of a fine day,
blooms gorgeous as q tulip bed. What
would you think to see a lady prom
onading Hyde Park. rugged in flesh
colored CATERS, scarlet aud gold col
ored robe. figured after the pattern OF
her favorlte bed quilt, with diamonds
and feathers and laces in profusion?
Yet such an aspiration here, is the
rule--not the exception, and causes
no wonderment except to the uninitia-
ted like myself The most brilliant
silks. and flashing jewels. and gorge
ous flowers and costly plumes those
luxurious offspring of wealth; sacred
to the drawing room and gas light,
flaunt in the face of day aud sadly Of
fend my sombre English eyes. When
| see a fine woman on the street. thus
illuminated, and defying daylight. l
think Of Betty forgetting to turn of the
gas. and Monsieur Sol. in the morn
ing when he looked into the drawing
room window behoIding a rival.
You have heard great deal about
American independence and American
gallantry: In fact the exaggerated
idea these people entertain Of their
dearly cherished freedom, and the gas
sy parade Of resistance they show at
every imagined invasion of this sacred
citidel, has betrayed them into spirit
Of bragadocia that has become ma
tional characteristic. All obstacles
they encounter on "the British" to
annihilate whom. il is only necessary
to call the spirit Of 49," (which like
certain other "spirits" don't always
"come" when you do "csll for them"
Every man Of them has 18th Of Ju.
ly" in his personal history, which he
isforever celebrating" greatly to his