Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-08-26
EVENING STAR.
EMERSON on ENGLISH c..p.cTrp


:" The first point which claimed his atten
ton and wonder, as il does that of ever,
american traveller, was the material perfec
ton which Is visible on the face of the conn
try, and the condition of the people Eng
land Is paradise of comfort and plenty Tb,
heids present the appearance of highly cul
uvated garden. One would think that the,
had been finished with pencil instead of /,
plow. Tho towns show q solidity of structur,
that speaks the industry of ages, Ever,
thing gives the impression of magui6cencs
and endless wealth The climate constantly
brings agricultural production up to the high.
| est point. There is plenty Of water, Of stone,
| ct potters' clay, of coal, Of salt, and Of iron
Ihe land naturally abounds with game I'm.
menSe heaths and downs arc paved with
quails, grouse, and woodcock, and the sbores
are amin ated by water birds The rivers a nd
| tho surrounding sea spawn with fish, The
people have great vigOr of body and endur
anco, They are bigger men than the Amer
! leans a hundred Englishmcn taken at ran
dem out OF tho street would weigh a fourth
more tnsn so many Americans. But tho skel-
| eton is not larger They are round, ruddy.
and handsome; the whole bust is we'll formed
anu anu mere is tendency to stout and powerful
! frames The beauty of English women is not
improved by this circumstance Their forms
arc apt 10 grow stocky, and, instead of tall,
slender figures, Of flowing shane, we find
stunted and thick set persons, and. as the
French say, with two left hands But. in all
ages, they are handsome race The fair
complexion, blue eye, and open and ford as
pect OF the English face indicate love Of
truth and fine perceptions. The Saxon man
is not tho wood out OF which cannibal. or in
qulsitor, or assassin is made. He is moulded
LOT law, clVllty, marriage, the nurture of chill
dren, Tor colleges, churches, charities, and
colonies The English hayo vigorous health,
and last well into middle and old ago. Tie
CID men are rs red as roses, and still hand
some. a clear skin, peach bloom complex
Ion, ana good teeth, are found all over the
island. They live well. Their dot is pienti.
ful and nutritious. They DO not work on wa
ter-cresSes Beef, mutton, wheatbread, and
mat liquors are universal among the first
class laborcrs- They have more constitutional
energy than any other people They love ali
sorts Of manly exercises They box. run,
Snoot, ride, row, and sail from pole 10 pole
They eat and drink and 1.-Two jolly in the omen
air, putting bar of solid sleep between iay
and day. They walk and ride as fast as thew
can, their heads bent forward like SO msnv
mad dogs. Both men and women walk with
lntatuatl0n. Hunting is the fine art OF every
we'll bred Englishman. They are the most
yGraciOus We people, of prey that ever existed.
Inc muscles OF tho men are almost as tough
and supple as those Of dogs and horses in
which they so much delight. If in every eff.
clent man there is first fine animal, in the
English race it is of the best breed. a veal
thy, juicy, broad chested creature, stecped in
ale and good cheer, and little overloaded
by his flesh
Connected with the high material deyelop-
ment Of the English nation, is their passion for
utility. They love al! the mechanical pow
ers, the Flanders draught- horse, the water
fall, and the sea and the wind to bear their
freight ships. Their toys are steam and GAL
vanlsm. They are heavy at the fine arts, but
adroit az the coarse-not good in jewelry and
mosalcs-but the best iron masters, colliers,
wool cOmbers, and tanners in Europe Their
success in agriculture, in resisting the ele-
mehts, in the manufacture Of Indispensable
staples, is miraculous. You dine with a gen.
tleman On venison, pheasant, quail, pigeons,
poultry, mushrooms, and pine-apples, all the
growth Of his estate. They study utility in
their building, in the order of their dwellings.
and in their dress. The Frenchman invented
the rufile, the English added the shirt lie
wears sensible coat buttoned to the chin, of
rough but solid and lasting texture They
have dihused the taste for plain substantial
hats, shoes, and coat throughout Europe They
look TO the essentials in their diet in their
arts and manufactures.
In trade, the English believe that nobody
breaks who ought not 10 break. The love Of
details, the not driving things too finely, con
stitute that dispatch OF business which makes
the mercantile pOper Of England In war,
they rely On the simplest means. They do
not like ponderous and difficult tactics They
adopt every improvement in rig, in motor in
weapons, but after all believe that the best
stratagem in naval war, is to lay your ship
alongside Of the enemy's ship, ard bringing
all your guns to bear on him until you or he
90 to the bottom. They do not usually shed
their blood for point Of honor, or religious
sentiment, and never for a whim-they have
no Indian taste for tomahawk dance no
French taste for a badge or proclamation.
But if you offer to lay hands on his days
wages, on his cow, or his right in common, or
his shop, the Englishman will fight 10 the
crack of doom. He concentrates all political
rights in the right to his ewn dinner The
questions Of freedom, Of taxation, Of privilege
are money questions. If capable Of larger
views, the indulgence is expensive, costs great
| crises, or accumulations of mental power
STEPPED in beer and flesh pots, they are hard
Of hearing and dim OF sight. Their drowsy
and politics and persecution: They cannot
well read principle except by the light of
fagots and of burning towns.
The English character is founded on n prac-
tical utilitarian basis. Their intellect is es-
sentially logical. They are jealous of minds
that have much facility Of association. They
are impatient of genius and of minds addicted
to contemplation. They cannot conceal their
contempt for sallies of thought whose steps
they cannot count by their wOnted rule. They
are impious in their skepticism of theory; in
high departments they are oramped and ster-
lie; but this practical logic has given them
the leadership of the world. Their universal
power rests on the national sincerity. Their
veracity is innate in their animal structure
They are blunt in saying what they think,
sparing of promises, and they require plain
dealing in others. They hate shutting and
equivOcatiOn: and the cause is damaged In the
public opinion, on which any falteripg can be
fixed. An Englishman hsbitually understates,
avoids the supcrlativo checks himself in COM
pliments, and alleges that in the French lam
guage one cannot speak without lying, They
love reality in wealth, power, hospitality, and
do not easily learn to make a show and take
the world as it goes. They are not fond of
ornaments, and if they wear them, they must
be gems Plain, rich clothes, plain, rich
eauipage, plain, rich finish throughout their
house and belongings, mark the English truth
They confde in each othsr-EngliSh believes
in English. In the power of saying rude truth,
NO man surnass them Their ruling nasSiop IN