New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-23
LETTER FROM LONDON.
pecial to The New oElenns Crcscent.l

LETTER FROM LONDON.
Special to ,lc New Orleans Crescsnt.l
LoHDoS, Jan. &c, 1851.
Dir. EdHo4,-I need hardly say to you that the !
ignorance Of our country, its institutions GUS |
toms and modes Of thought, manifested by the
great mass Of Englishmen, strikes the Amerl- |
can as something very strange. And yet, when
look around me- here in London, or travel into the
country, am led to the causes of it, not mere
Iy in the pride and conceit of John Bull but as
well in the habits Of business and labor which
every where prevail Most Of the people Who aspire
to the character Of educated and well-read members
Of society, entirely cngrossed by their several
daily occupations, that they attend to little else
and nothing that ,mE English. They have their own
| abundant and able literature their various branch
es OF science and art cultivated with industry and
| eminent success; their theatrical, operatIc and
other entertainments, not to add the aJ9enee7S OF
society where all are attentive to please. Their
country is rich in historic interest; and as the press,
greatly released from the excise restrictions, IS eS-
| tending the circulation Of newspapers and maga-
| zines into all parts OF the Kingdom they are be-
coming more engrossed every day in the discussion
| Of politics. AS you ascend in the scale of social
grade, politics, erature, science, art extend their
| range to the continent; and such are the changes
going there, such the fermentation of public
opinion and so closely the interests of England
| bound up with those Of Europe, and even of Asia,
that really there is left little time, and even less in
clination to direct the attention to America, or to
hold it there long enough to become thoroughly
acquainted with the causes and motives OF the
present movement. Besides, the English people
are, of all Others the most domestic in their habits
| Their fondness for comfort, for home, for their
island institutions, fogs, beer and roast beef lead
necessarily to the expenditure of most Of their sur
plus time, and makes them careful about those
things that concern the outward man. Again, the
Englishman does thing at the time, and it takes
him a long time to do it. But he does it well
Then many of them never do anything else besides
that one thing The division of labor is carried
; out to mathematical point. The consequence is
that the Englishman will often get rich in drilling
eyes into a cambria needle.
Now, the habits of one class are, in their nature
the habits of all the others allowing for differ
ences in educational development. There is as
much Of John Bull in the lord as in the commoner
United to a healthy and sturdy common sense, and
disposition to take practical view of every
thing there is a great deal Of selfsufIicency OF
peremptoriousness, Of dOgmatisnl. John Bull is
! infalliblc-never wrong-never ignorant Of any
: thing. Hence he writes and speaks with that con
fldcnce and emphasis that is sure to impress the
susceptible reader or hearer with an elevated senst
of his wisdom. This is all well enough, long a.
he does not venture too far from home. But lat
f terly he has taken to dealing with transatlantic
affairs and the result is, that he falls into some
= noticeable blunders.
have seen nothing here that goes to the bottom
= of cur present difficulties, or that in any wa,
$ shows an acquaintance with our manner Of look
= ing mt them. This, however, may be accounted TO
n by considering the difference that exists between
our respective forms of government. They hav
II no notion of one State seeding from its connec
ton with the General Government in any othe
way than by an act of rebellion against ur
limited sovereignty. They cannot understand hoy
), the separate States can possess any property rgh
}, in forts and arsenas that belong to the Genera
:; Government; or why every. patriot should no
L concur in the lawfuness and necessity of reducin
.s the offending States to unconditional obedience
j And they are further strengthened in their view
J. by the defamation of the Northern Repubca
Journals, whose tone is as regal as it is insolen
~ They compare the seeding action Of the Souther
}, States to the rebellion in Ireland, and expect
:; see it put down in the same summary way. Doub
T. T. Iess they will attain to better understanding
n the matter by-and-by. Meanwhile, it greatly il
m Hnoncas thcir oninions resDectinr the suDnlv
D cotton They are more careless and defiant G
" this subject now. than they are likely to be yo;
y or two ncuce Besides their instructive respo
for opt1oritv-tbo unlimited power and polite
a: ,,ro,,,1ar,. or 1rrc}a sam AZ lie sits enthroncd
ks Woshinrton--. imnn's thc,u 10 treat our Soutnc
rs rs hrot,,rn3 ,i,,Ic bonphtjly. They will ret ov
49,. +no affair u,,,iYc A. for their ,,arrophis1
Il, # is mere h,nocrary and fanaticism. Thcy LA,
y; sanrirod nv ypst indies to II and tbevare sor
= fnr But thew won,t saw 50: and Ike the f,
II who lost his tail III the trap, they want to ma
y, Won abandon vonr caudel appendage also. Y