New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-01-18
cSIarts and cGirtiotls.

"a JENKINS ON PATRIorIsM.--I have always hated |
those fellows whose patriotism consists In despis-
ing all other nations and styling the one that has
the honor of possessing them for citizens as :" the
bravest, most polite and intelligent people in the
wordu to the utter exclusion of the other nations
who were unfortunate enough to exist without be-
ing able to claim them as their own.
This style of patriotism is entirely devoid OF the
essentials of true and intelligent love of country
and has its origin in profound feeling of mean
pride and egotism.
4 had conversation with one of that class OF
patriots the other day, and the substance of it Will
show what feeling prompts such men to style the
Americans as g the bravest, most polite and intel
igent people in the world"
The patriot above alluded to was introduced to-
me on Canal street by mutual friend, and as ms
face was adorned with meustache and imperial,
q la Napoleon, and his name was somewhat
Frenchy, easily mistook him for son OF Ia belle
France and for the sake Of euphony, spoke In
| high terms of thatcountry. The fact is, great
deal Of good can be said of anything or anybody if
one only has q mind to. We all have our good
qualities as well faults, and the only difficulty
in the appreciation of things lies in the freedom
1 from prejudice.
| My French looking friend, however, did not
seem to appreciate my encomiums upon that peo-
pie, as true Frenchman should and muttered
something about G Crapauds" being the most
vain and tickle set of in the world; shallow
brave, it is true-but who is not brave? and with
! that, the greatest braggadocios of creation.
! saw that / had made false step, and noticing
! this gentleman s utter contempt of France, imme
ldiately concluded him to be an Englishman
! though II was against all established rules, he
4 being entirely devoid of side whiskers UpoI
coming to this conclusion, gently abandoned my
praises of France, and throwing q few preliminary
remarks Mandatory of Great Britain, by way OF Q
soother, inquired if he belonged to that great peo
4 pie. The shrug Of his shoulders was suficien
answer. Oh, no, he said, he was not an English
man, and he thanked God for his luck in not being
born in that country Of mist and smoke, whers
4 people never see the light Of the sun. English
men, according TO him, were the most selfish, cold
!, calculating and unfeeling of men. Oh, no, he was
not an Englishman; he was born under the fret
/ skies of America; he prided himself upon being
citizen OF the United states the freest and mos
enlightened nation in the universe.
At last was posted; his nationality to me wa
. no longer q matter of conjecture-he was al
American citizen-I had it from his own lips-stil
a / was not satisfied; had a sneaking notion tina
his idea about the most enlightened people, etc.,
was not what he cracked it up to be, and resolve
j, upon inquiring deeperinto the matter. Oh, yes,
said l. !. the Yankees are the people; none NOR
active, more energetic or braver--their spirit 9
enterprise is unequalled by any, and ri woul
have continued but the expression upon his fac
was franght with such intense disgust that
j stopped short in the middle of my phrase. !"
hate the Yankees he said, " despise them, the
are the meanest and lowestsof men; they hay
but one idea to make money; but one ambition
to get rich, and they do not care what means the
make nse of to attain their end-he begged to b
4 excused, he would not be Yankee for all tn
i riches in the world.' Whilst he spoke l thought
noticed something aboriginal in the twinkle of hi
\ eye, and wondered whether heawas Virginiar
The Virginians are high-toned, and descend, ever
one Of them, In Astraight line from somebody
but he was not Virgnian, not by any means; n
s r. F. V's for him-he descended neither from job
4 Smith, the adyenturer, nor from Pocahontas, MOI
Indeed, from any of those shiploadsof importe
European femininity which Virginia forgets t
4 boast of in her genealogical yauntings. Nor wa
! he a South Carolinian, because, he said, whe
4 people are proud and stuck up, they ought t
4 have some reason for ID, and South Carolina wa
4, simply Infatuated with her own identity, withou
4 any better f'eason. He was not a Mort
Il Carolinan, who could boast Of nothing bu
/ persimmon trees. He was not from Georgia.
i lie upon it, "a goober grabber No