The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-11-10
Monday Morning, Nov. 10, 1862.
The ssExpress Train'' on England.
From the London Sta


If the Americans be the most modest and
unassuming people in the world, as Mr.. Geo.
Francis Train says, are we to accept Mr..
George Francis Train himself as their repre-
sentative man? Surely never was so much
modesty incarnated in any one as in him. And
what truth, what courtesy, what discretion.
what moderation of language, when discours-
ing of England and the English! We must
all be charmed with the portrait he draws of
us in his Philadelphia grafton; and it is GER
tain his auditors were highly amused, what
ever they may have thought of the fidelity of
the sketch. For among the other attractions
OF this distinguished traveller and unsuccess-
ful road protector, is that of being a sensation
orator of the genuine American brand. As
one OF his countrymen says, he is an immense
American spread eagle, and his screech would
be terrible were it not ludicrous. We dare
say the laughter and applause so literally be-
slowed by his Philadephian auditory while he
was drawing his charming fancy picture of the
Old Country and its people, was intended rath-
er for the action and Imagination of the ora
tor than an appreciation of the accuracy of
his statements. We did not know that for the
last few years there was a "chiel" amongst us
taking notes, and with how truthful hand
We now see. This truthful speech of Train is
striking proof of how little nation may
know ITSELF With some defects in our polit-
ical constitution, which will be removed in
time, we had thought, nevertheless, that Eng
land was really in proud and prosperous po-
sitlon; that there was some wealth in the
country, and that English freedom and Eng
lish institutions were rather admired by the
lovers of liberty abroad. There prevailed
amongst us also kind of conviction that the
Englishmen could fight. and that English sol
diers did on some occasions win battles. More
over, without being too confident in the mat
ter, il was really felt here that as people we
rather liked the fruth and generally SpaLa II
But on these points, and many more, Mr.. Geo.
Francis Train shows that we have been labor
ing under a frightful delusion. Mr.. Cassius
Clay politely termed us a nation of damnable
hypocrtes; and Mr.. G. L. Train has found us
out. We fear it is all over with England and
the English, since this gentleman has volun-
teered TO throw mud, as he says, upon our
white breeches.
In the first place, let it be known that the
English people are a nation of liars" have
told them that right square in their teeth"
says Mr.. Train, "and | am going back one of
these days to tell them so again" When he
comes he will be welcome of course so that
those who did not hear him say so, when here
before, may have that pleasure then. And in
deed he need not fear to come. People who
are called liars square in the teeth, are gener-
ally apt to return the compliment by a little
personal castigation. But Mr.. Train can be
under no apprehension on this score, for he has
nation of towards that you may slap them
in the face and kick them, and there is no fight
in them" So. These are our two main dis
tnguishing moral characteristics: we are liars
and towards This is not bad to begin with.
Then as to our physique. But stay! we have
omitted another trait, which may be classed
with the former "The English are a nation
of drunkards." Very good; liars, towards and
drunkards. Well, as everybody drinks in
England" an Englishman is made up of so
many cubic inches of mutton chops and SO ma
ny quarts of beer" Train got tired of looking
at the walking mutton chops and beer-ior
there are no brains in England"-so as his
countrymen say he skedaddled home. Now
listen. g We are" he says, superior race to
the English: our women are more beautiful,
and our men more manly" The feet and hands
OF the English ladies are too big Tor Mr.. Trains
taste. But if our personal defects be monstrous
quite as bad is our social and political condi-
ton. We are nation of slaves, and because
the bulk of the working men do not possess
the franchise, our American censor sees them
in position below that of the slaves of the
South who are represented in Congress by
their masters voting for them. Besides being
nation OF slaves we are also nation of pau
pers. You viii find there male paupers mar
rying pauper wives; they have pauper aunts,
pauper cousins, ,pauper nephews, pauper nieces,
DC. The whole country is pauperised. They
are nation of beggars." And while every
body in England is beggar, the nation itself
is " bankrupt" bankrupt TO the centre and
sham." When Mr.. Train was over here he
made prepared extempore speeches in the back
parlors of public houses in Fleet-street and
Shoe-lane, which damaged the Consols, and
in consequence, European capitalists will not
invest in the English funds any more" So
here is ruin. England has no basis for her
debt"-as Mr.. Chase's Treasury-notes have
England has no land and If the Queen should