New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-03-04
FOREIGN LIONS AND NATIVE TALENT

A
Since the times when Mrs Trollope. Captain Basil
Hall, Captain Marryatt, Charles Dickens, and many
other cockney tourists Of greater or less note poured
the walls of their spleen upon the devoted heads
of their humble admirers in this country, much has
been said and Sung in rdicule Of that spirit Of toady
ism among our countrymen and women which exalts
every foreign celebrity to ideal standard Of ex
celIence and overlooks or openly contemns whatever
we may have at home Of merit genius. 1t is not
10 be questioned that so far as their foolish and in
fauated deroees were concerned the tourists afore-
said acted most commercially. They, while in this
country, were caressed, tiattered and bowed down
to by class of apes and noodles, who claimed, upon
various grounds, to belong to the higher circles Of
American society and asserted aud maintained their
privilege of making themselves supremacy ridiculous
The tourists received the proffered homage With
lofty ccndescension and viewing the American people
through the false and distortng medium which con-
stantly surrounded them while here they portrayed
in their books Of travel images with monstrous fea-
lures and hideous coorng. All resources of sarcasm
ridieule and blackguardism at their command were
exhausted in the effort to hold up respectable people
to the contempt and laughter Of the world They
did not spare even the stupid funkies by whom they
had been ionized, but caricatured them horribly
manners, decency, morality and good breeding.
This as we have said, had the good effect of excit
ing in this country very general expression Of con-
tempt for the spirit Of foreign oadysm but it by no
means effected radical cure Of that abominabe COM
plant, which, this side of the Atlantic, seems an
unnatural outcropping of the instinct of q hero
worship an instinct that has precious little leg IL
mate sustenance among Americans at the present
time. The disease shows itself occasionally when
some unusually pretentious or really great foreign
genius makes his appearance, but it Is in greatly
mitigated form and yields readily to proper treat
ment. The most malignant case of late wears &C.
CURED when Louis Kossuh visited this country and
led us to fear that it he dsease) was again about to
assume an epidemic form The more recent visit
however ofthe great English Snob Deineator. Thack
cray, happily relieved us of this painful apprehen
son and the results Of the still more recent advent
among us of the famous English song writer Mackav
holds out the hope thus far that this most disgusting
and debasng Of all moral disorders may hereafter be
exceedingly sporadic or disappear altogether. For,
In spite Of the persistent efforts Of portion Of the
press of the country to keep these gentlemen in the
public eye, there were popular demonstrations Of
kind to alarm any one for the sanity Of the people
nor any indications that they were looked upon as
greatness If general report speaks the truth of
Thackeray's forthcoming novel, The virginians, tie
great Snob Deneator has taken to heart this denial
OF the usual tribute and is reyenging himself by in
Producing into his work character which be calls
George Washington, causing it to cut a subordinate
and sorry figure among the other virginans Rather
small revenge for person Of such extravagant
pretensons as Thackeray
u H.
pate that the visit of Mr.. Mackay might create some
thing OF sensation For among certain classes the
habit Of attaching fictitious value to foreign merit
still exists in lingering, chronic FORM il not in all
its pristine strength and Mr.. Mackay added to his
reputation as writer Of song (Which, however, is
little better than hearsay reputation in this coun
try the prestige of editorship of mammoth illus
trated newspaper widely circulated over all Europe
and America. Many Of his brethren Of the press did
all they could to make lion of him, but the result
was signal failure, particularly in this city, result
which calls for no extreme regret on the part of
anybody The large majority of sensible people here
were not disposed to acknowledge his claims to any
especial distinction He certainly is not the first Of
song writers, nor do his rhymes belong to very
high order of poetry, and il in England be has at
tanned high rank in either department he must |
expect to enjoy his laures there alone for he has
not succeeded in reaching the ear Of the masses in
this country. He has never, so far as we know of
his writings, produced anything that can compare, in
all the material essentials Of poetry-beauty of com
position apposteness of style, and terseness fire and
vigor Of expression either Of three poems writ
ten by Capt. G. W. Cutter, viz The Song Of Steam.
Z Pluribus Unum, and Buena Vista. There are at
least half dozen other American poets whose pro.
auctions will compare iavoraby with those of Mr..
Mackay, and trust that will not be long before
onr people will as readily appreciate and acknowl.
edge talent and genius in their countrymen as in
foreign Adventures