Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-12-16
A scotcbman,s views of Americans.

James Stirling, travelling Scotchman, has re-
Gently published in London, book, entitled LET
tiers from the Slave States" from which we take
the following:
THE AMERICAN FACE.
s,Some say the AM ri ans have no physiogno-
uy-a or, at uiztak I think. 20 me their phys
ioenouy seems most STRONGLY marked, bearing
deep impress OF that intensity hich Is the
of their heug. The features even Of the young
are furrowed with lines Of anxious thought and
determined will You read upon the nation
brow the extent Of it. enterprise and the intensity
of its desires Every Am, ricau looks as If hiseFes
were g-Ting into the far West and the far future
Nay his mental physiognOmy is determined ny the
same earnestness Of purpose, The American new
or PLAYS, not even the Anne Tican chhd. ne cares
nothing for thCsa genes and sports which are the
deI0It of the ENGLISH man. He is Indifferent to
tn ulay either Of mini or muscle. LABOR Is lis
elem. ut and his only relaxation from hard WORK is
fierce excitement. Neither does ne laugh, Inc
Americans imagine, are the most serious people
In the world There is play even IN their fancy;
FIR nch VIII is he sparkle of the diamond that daz-
AIS p salon; the Ann rican Imagination Fishes its
sheet-lightuing over hall a world.
"Tbe same terrible earnestUe-s is. I am perEUa-
ded at the bottom OF that liz health which is so
rious curse to American life. No doubt other
things climate, stnulants, sedentary
occupations. and so iorth-but the deepest rooted
cause of American disease is that over-wOrking of
the brain and OveT-eXcite ment Of the nervous sys
ten, vhch are the necessary cons, ounces Of their
intense activity. Hence rvous dysUepsia with
consumption insanity and all its brood Of fell dis
orders in its train. III wore, the American works
himself to death"
ExTRAvAGANC OF AMERICAN WOMEN.
'eThr ladies' of New Orleans, like their sisters Of
New York, are great dressars; indeed the dresses
of American women generally, at least Of the
rich c,as- are something fabulous in expense, TAX
ing ITO consideration the rank and fortunes OF the
yvearprs am their husbands The dresses Otladies
in New Orleans am told, (and by New Orleans
peopI J often equal IT rchns IS and expense those
OF our crowned beads IN Europe. What do you
think of a creole ladys dress powdered over with
diar onds ?-her husband probably cotton bro
keri
sLadies here think nothing of expanding a large
proportion Of the profits of years trade in
few rTesses. OF course We must suppose that
this is, in most cases, done with the knowledge
and approval of the husband. II works, or spec
ulates, and his wife wears the spolia opti"a.
"There is some excuse, or, at least, explanation
of this. 10 us astounding exravagance IN the cir
cumstances explained above of American house
keeDipg As a rule the inhabitant of an Ameri-
can city does not keep house. He has 10 OppOr-
tunity tn reiOre, of displaying his wealth, our
pargeuue mcrcha ts a d manufacturers do, in fine
houses plate and equpages. Neither is there the
same pas ion for landed estates in America as with
ms With land at five -hjlIipgs an acre. it's poss.s-
sion cannot confer social distinction. The New
York ock-iObbgr does not lay out GIOO 900 on
land at two per cent 10 give him the e,tree TO the
houses OF half d dCZ EoighbOTs, who drink his
clarrt and laugh al him. H. is making probably
fftv. perhaps one hundred per cent. per aunum Cd
his capital and all this fst-goten gain he can only
displ 70 the public IL one way, by clapping il on
his wifs's back.
cal Americans wife is the peg on which he
hangs out his fortune; he dresses her up that men
mav see lis wealth; she is walking advertisement
of his importance, the sandwich announcing to
Broaaway or Canal street that her husband is
man of money and station. All this is very sorry
work but / 90 not that II involves any greater
absurditv than those displays Of plate and uphol-
stcrv. by which our rich vulgaTiaus announce their
wealth and hide thyi want of real refinement. If
sham grnuty is to be set forth it matters it'll.
whether il be done through the iustrumentaity of
the upholster the ulliner. The Englshmsn
loves his house, and he decks it out when be
makes money; the American loves his wife, and
decks her out for want OF house. Neither have
much to boast Of the other; it is the same
vulgar OsteutatiOu in different forms"
HOTEL LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES.
''The hotel is quite Peculiar institution Of this
country. Various causes contribute TO this. The
first and chief is probably the difficulty of procu.
ring good servants, and the great expense Ct
ed with them. AU Irish cook or house-keeper il
not only an expensive luxury, but she will only
~
STAYS she insists on being mistress OF the house
Natiye-born Americans a degree more cxpru
sive and more domineerug. Under these irwin!
circumstances, il is natural that the American
mntron of seventeen or eighteen should seek ref
uge from this domestic terrorism in the gdei "a
looms of the ST. Nicholas st. Charles, or what
ever other saints offers his protection for two an
a-haH dollars day. The saving of money is con
siderable, even in these mOney-makiug, money
spending regions; end the saving of temper
nerves IL infinite. Here, Then, is one great efcien
cause OF hotel boarding. II is a refuge from ruin
Gus and vexatious housekeeping.
''The leebirness OF the domestic tie between pa
rents and children is another cause. So soon n
Young America is able to support himself as a cler
in a store subordinate reporter in newspa
Der Office, or a semi-specuator semi sWiudie
in " all street, he straightway energies from th
patcrna mansion, End takes up his abode in
ncighbOTing hotel Here he is, il poss BILE, NOR
his own master; is nearer 10 the raT, and can NOR
conveniently make love in the corridors, and 81
prepare for matrimOny against coming Of age.
"But besides the permar ent boarders of an no
tel there is a vast deal more OF temporary sojouTn
ing in distant places amorg the Americans thai
with US. They are essentially a migratory people
There is constant swaying to and fro-a huI an,
rthux of the whole p puntiOn Like migratory
animals they owe North and South East an,
Wet, at certain periodic seasons in whole masses
and to provide for their entertainment, establish
mems are required Of CORE spending ma gnitude-
II the heats OF summer, the whole South, that cal
afford Il, moves uOrthward. Then you find the no
tells OF New York, Saratoga AMI wport over
flowing with planters AMI their families aud absorb
ing the proceeds OF the last rice and cotton crop
AT the time, the people of the middle an,
northern States Journey still further northward-t,
Niagara, Canada the Cutsku OF White Mountains
With tie approach OF autumn the great wave O
population re, edcs; and now the Nor,h,gner seek
uilI,r climate in South Carolina Flori4a, Louisi
ma even Cuba.
" In connection with this matter, il only remain
TO ask what may be the effect Of this hotel life OF
those who hlbitualIy lead IL? In eV, ~ sense
think il bad. IL destroys all Sense of domesr city
and increases that excitement which is e. bane 0
American life II t,mpls the men 10 loaf abou
the Hobbies and the bars, smoking, dram driu kin:
and ci-pu,ing. 10 the woman, it encourages al
idle, EOs-pinE dispo itiOn, ev. where il does no
foster love Of still more dangerous excteme nj
Aud for the ci ildrJn, the poor children! FOL
them II is sheer ruin. What can possibly b. con
ceived more peruIyous for precocious, excitabl,
American c,Id, than the glare, hurry, noise an,
dissipation OF New YORK OF New Orleans hot,l
tn, poor infant is bilSs b, fore il Is veil bor cor
rup'eu aud used up before il has left the nurse
apron string ! have seen infants Of three aud iou
Ne1ls OF axe playing about ibe corridors OF ii New
1orA MOTEL III nInv and 10 at night, while thvi
PaTeL's "etr, Psrnaps, absent at ball or opera
ana their tlack nurses were plandsring win th
In-h waters. Need wonder that the precociou
Toae taxes 70 Grams aud cigars while vet u boy
ana dies Of old age before he reaches manhoOLg"
TAXING ohILDREs TO CHURCH.
"Though there VAS immense crowd. au,
hun lreds had 70 leave the church door. vet lhsr
were 60 great many children present THIS vas
doubtless owing 10 that spirt OF uIul1 eucr whici
prompts American parents TO refuse nothing 4
their chlaren, rot even what Is unreasonable ~
What had children 10 do theTeY They could no
spioy the discourse; they we're oHly playing tL