New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-25


successive stages other peoples and nations II can
BE- said that America has childhood no juvenili,y
She was not luled az the cradle with the hgend with
the myihic song, with the murmur OF tales The
matursd az once and @! once wrestled with
stern reality. The lay, the popular minstrel, are
wanting in their existence. The hay, The song, pour
Ont Of the hear, ard the unrufed feehngs OF people.
They flow from the native falh. and the imaginative,
rnd6ted tender Iongings Of childhood and OF youth.
Tbus m. law becomes impressed on the heart II pene-
trste. sou and Imagination. Where II has once re-
souuded there II never die- away ana can di-appe~
only with the Disappearance Of the human family IRON
the earth The song sways over the heart unduat-
inc !, softly and playuly between deep earnestness
and sweetly moved feelings The song sottens ana ap
peascs the mot bitter and burning pans OF earl ana
sou as the embrace of mother soaces and apPeases
the suffering and weeping child When the thorny
and yheripg contast Of the world stlhes the puTes
pulsations Of ones nature when il fills the existence
with bitterness and despair the heavenly charm OF
.ong warns II again 10 hope and 10 iis
Almost every European people lives upon popular
laws; they form the most precious and ineihsustioe
,reasure Of the domestic hearth. Whether by the
stern severity Of the Purtanic rule, regulating and
absorbing feelings impressions, emotions or oy 'ne
srduous hardships OF existence pressing Fnulessy
on the primitive settlers North and>South IN the
United States, the vein of popular song was cut
through and dried up. From the first day, II never
more gushed anew Unwonted, nay unknown 10 the
American people 10 the American hearth, Is the sooth-
inc yorship of national and domestic legends tales,
traditions recolections Reveres rocked not the peo-
ple niseries and suferings longngs and love found
no vent in songs and melodies, those holy transmits
from the youth OF naton treasured not IN the
dead leaves Of books, but ever living in the memory
of successive generations. The bards of such-like
spontaneous outbursts sproued narneless from the
people; they left their songs resounding IN the
hearts and in the air. It their names reinanea nns
known and never have been catalogued. The
lays like the art of writing, were not born In acto-
res nor did they appear mediators OF commercial
intercourse. There must have been powerful or soft
emotions to be sung in ecstatc Inspirations ana emo
tions and actions to be preserved from obvon their
memory was 20 be transmitted TO cOmmng genera
tions. Thus appeared unknown mlnstrels; thus I'M
known is the name of the first inventor OF writing.
The lays Of unnamed mnstrels repeated by the people
inspired Homer, Ossian. the Niebelunger; the
sorg of :he people being one from among the many
everenduring sources OF poetry.
Poetical feelings and aspirations are, however, IN
born in the human mind in human nature. Poetry-
that sublime and pures reflection Of the spirit eevat
ing man above the animal world-poetry is dis
tributed although not equally, in all human beings.
The prevailing weaknesses and absurdities, which
even a less penetrating observer than the author
easily finds on the surface of American society, are
set forth in ridiculous light, but the intrinsic apt
ness Of his remarks will be recognized in spite of
their occasional caustcity. We take few OF these
wholesome seyerities at random:
TIE American seems TO be always in hurry and
excited.
For example: in the morning hours, when the New
York business population, old and yOung-aud I'll is
business in NewYork-pours out into the main artery
in Broadway, ard descends hurriedly - down town
netting in the world could stop divert the torrent
Even # Sevastopol had been in their way those men
would have run over it at one rush.
In cities as well as in the country, in streets - in
the fields in mansions cottages in large small
gatherings the Americans show adiherent aspect and
physiognomy from Europeans. Rather dusky than
radiant but rendered by the struggle TO enjoy
naturally the moment, and by the fear OF hurting I'M
agnary proprety, they give the impression that they
either do not care do not understand how to win
from life the cheerful congenial, exhiarating side.
At such moments the pang of severe duty seems TO
furrow their brow, rarely and only occasionally irradi-
ated with impulsve joyoasness.
As neither the lark nor the nightingale, 90 almost
never human song resOunds in American fields gar
dens or groves. Cheerfune.s is spontaneous I'M
puke is catching with Europeans OF all classes
Americanson the ayerage-eeern not to possess the
rich gift Of extemporizing pleasures Their enjoy
ments must be prepared deberated, but do not flow
from the drift Of the moment. Dance il for them
study, instead of being smiling attraction an uncon-
sCious rapture. IL reflects mental sultrlness has the
appearance Of a nervous excitement, of hoorious
muscular effort and task. Often likewise easy, cosy
talk in their gatherings is superseded by speeches by
exerons TO produce an effect to bring out themselves
rather than to enliyen, 10 charm their companions
The art or gift Of conversation, general in Europe
il not vet domesticated IN America.
In the immeuse majority Of American women, when
not marred-as il the in certain postons-by
attempts at kind of shabbygenteel notions, the ge-
ninl souiie breaks nightly through the apparently
nhexible crust spreads the surface, giving SOFT
tone and expression TO manners ideas and convention
alites. Then in them, as in all truly hghbred natural
European women the contrast between nnonence ana
prudery between genuine Unborn gentleneSs OF man
ners and affected composure preeminently dscern
10 Ias nj I0IO
hor when truly and frankly natural, either as the
devoted wife and mother as the independent self
confident, and in her purity and innocence proud gr
the American woman is hearty, simple, afectionate;
her impulses generous, spreading ameny over
conventional intercourse and relations The normal
state, the pedestal, the frame wherein the American
woman Of every social position rich poor, stands
out the best the simple informal intercourse more
than representation or the taking Of posures or airs,
be it in gaudy crowded saloons in luxurious boudoirs,
in country life, or in the simple cottage
Among all classes Of society, and precrninentiy
amorg women considerable confusion seems to pre-
vail in often mstaking the conventional ladylke man
per for true genuine womanho0d. The word lady Is
al-powerful and all-powerully used and misused IN
America. II il applied not IN mark certain distinct
position but extends TO morals character, dress be-
havior occupation, pleasures. II has almost super
seded the use the rignifcation of the word woman.
In its thus genernlized sense il is applied with equal
right and logic in the paror rs in the Kitchen IN the
mansion as the farm, to the luxurious and the idle,
az 10 the laborous and the plain But by its shabby
genteel sense ,hs lady and laGyke character stands
often in the way of ruhulness and nature stands III
the way even Of accomplishing many social, conven-
tions well real duties beside generating shaIns
affectaons and all kinds of spurious display defac-
ing genuine reality 1t is as an acid destroying the
suave perfume of ngenuousness discooring the fresh
est tints of richly blossoming flower
Although it is far more important 10 know
whether the structures of an intelligent foreigner
our social and political institutions are just than
18th