The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-13
THE ENGLISHMAN.

The Englishman is the superior OF I'LL
other foreignersin animal power, ana ls
appropriately called John Bull. BE
tween John Bull and other animals
there is a peculiar affinity, and thehorse
seems more nearly related to man In
England than in othercountries. Fanch'
the great exponent Of the national char
acteristics, selects for his companion a
logged dog. Sentimental ladies in
ENGLAND lavish all the wealth Of their
affections upon parrots or poodles; and
net animals as in other countries they
NET noets. A cattle show is almost as
popuiar in England as horse race, and
The OK and the cow prosper in that island
| as no where else, Beef and mutton are
more extensively consumed in England
than elsewhere, and spread over the land
an animal halo Of succulent substan-
| tiality. This is often mistaken for
| greater vigor, when it merely
represents superabundance of beef
The cattle dealers, who may be
said to keep stalls in every English
stomach would be in a constant state OF
mutiny if the meat were not seasoned
| with strong libations of half-and-half,
\ stout, ale, porter, sherry and port wine.
The EnglishmaD, high or low, carries
with him a flavor of all these fat morsels
and Juicy ingredients. The English
heart, rather cold toward humanity
4 warns up toward beasts. The tears
4 shed by Jacques over the wounded stag,
are national tears. The agony of Sterne
), over the unfortunate donkey. is nation.
al agony. Human beings may rot. like
rats, but there are numerous societies
for the protection OF cattle. There are
women in England, of very hard ma
,, lures, who make mOnstrOus cats the OBJ
iects of their special alteration. The
common English woman dOtes upon hel
, hideous grimalkin as the noble woman
upon her graceful pony. In no other
! country is there such passion for New
! foundland dogs. The Englishnlan is
! ! proud of things which are perfectly plain
2 and ineligible, and in which he car
. invest his affections without compromi
), sing himself in any way This can bt
!. done with impunity with the lower ami
!, mails. but not with man, in whom there
are higher elements. The Englishmar
), stiffens toward his fellow7men in thu
! same proportion that he unbends to
y ward brutes. .G .blyl. =! H..
; The heavens, as if in indignation a
" the exaggerated idolatry in England
y all that is animal and earthly, are con
!, stantly frowning upon Albion; blu
= dense as their togs are, they are no
- denser than the clouds which thes
l. peculiarities give to the social atmos
! phere. The realities Of life are har'
4 everywhere, but nowhere harder thai
w. in England, where all the avenues Q
y sentiment and fancy are shut up by tn
| ~ -aII ~ tar cfnhhnrn
as lenting facts, and where all the NOR
>. lovely attributes of heart and imagina
"a ton are drowned in the Black sea o
Is dark realities. No wonder that English
poets excel all other poets in power
Added to the animal spirits which they
share with their countrymen, is the or
e panic rebellion of genius against thu
e treadmill prosness of the island. Thii
q imparts a terrible vehemence to thei
: feelings, and makes the literature OF thu
% country as distinguished for its brillian
re CIV as the daily life of the people is no
,e torious for its dullness. In countr
r. where commonplace Is the rule an
-, erie iuulitr IL the exception, society pre-
ia sents the appearance of dead level
r. and the great statesmen OF the natio
,al seem to soar so high toward heaven, b.
10 cause the masses of their countryme
vegetate in the earth. They tower U
VI like pyramids upon a prairie or Himal
ID, vas upon plains i; but they are, after al
- only local phenomena and are rath'
ot conspicuous islanders than lofty mel
~ They are part and parcel of England an
VI not of universal humanity. Macaul
"a writes history as if Adam had been
he Wing, and as if the deluge had SWAMI
1T ed all platforms excepting that of Me
:. bourne and Russell. When an Englisl
a. man speaks Of q foreign country h
ce never refers to the impression it make
1t, upon him as man, but as an English
,st man. The very God whom Englishme
- adore seems rather to be an Englls
IT, than an universal deity. The Old TIE
he lament is. on the whole, more congeni,
,e. to Euglishmen than the New. This
70 but natural in country where povert
is crime, and where law is as reveng
FER. full as Nemesis, as infexible as fate.
- The English are VIGOROUSLY unable
a. cope with the Germans in originate
81 and depth ofthought; with the Frenc
a.. and Irish in ingenuity and brilliancy
20 mind; with the Italians and Spanish
q | blending the yigor of noble manhoo
a with the graces of almost wOmanl
= tenderness and with the Americans
uuickness of perception, in practic;
/, i, genius and that executive power whic
IS produces great ideas ready-made ft
action. Now, in order to relieve then
- selves from this uncomfortable fact {
i4o inferiority, the English have, from tim
s., to time immemorial, assumed thoroug
.a-I faith in their own superiority over a
i other people. 1t has become as difticu
= / to root out this conceit as to wrest tn
-,, land of England from the craps of th
III aristocracy, or from the bishops thei
Il fat living, Probably the occupation {
h. London by q French or Russian arm
and the quartering of foreign troops
the clubs of Pall-mall, in Belgravt
ID 1Grosvenor, and st. James squares, all
b. in the country houses of the aristocrac
and the gentry, would be welcomed b
Ievery comprehensive English philar
ltbropist as national blessing in pure
+ ing England from this offensive arrG
gance and although malicious person
NAV question the efficiency Of such
+ cure, there is no doubt that the trul
s philosophical mind would hail the el
/ pertinent with delight. 81
England has taken a prominent pal
Isr in the history of civilization, but nc
i, more so than America, Germany an
ID France. With ali our appreciation {
~ England we cannot join in the schoo
Il bow raptures of Anglican New England
~ ers over the "mother country" or il
4 "a L