The Portland daily press., 1867-08-21
The Yankee i'm a New Character

The American traveller is a parsonage with
whom the world has been for years acquaint-
ed. He has been wont to create intense in
terest and sometimes profound CONSERVATION
in London and Paris by bringing thither his
prairie manners, and expectorating the amber
juices of his much-loved weed in copious pro-
fusion over the immaculate payements of
either metropolis. OF late, however, such
"Icarned ThebansD and courtly gentlemen as
Motley, Bancroft, Adams and Dix-represen-
tative travellers-have no doubt modified the
impression formerly made by the Elijah Pc
grams who startled the Old World from its
propriety. The unsophisticated Yankees to'
whom Queen Victoria was simply Mrs. Guelph.
and the Emperor of France a kind of glorified
justice of the peace, have given place to court
iers who can say "good morrow, sweet Lord"
with a grace that would have shocked the
democratic soul of Harry Clay.
But the time has come when Americans
no longer go abroad solely for brief sojourn
for purposes of business or pleasure. Strange
ly enough they are known in many foreign
land as emigrants and colonists. While all
the world is rushing toward the fancied
Utopia on this side of the Atlantic, hundreds
of sad-browed, detected men and women are
seeking homes in other clmes. 1t Is sad to-
find that even so soon as this the social politi-
cal and economic causes which drive men from
older states are beginning cooperate here, and
to- lead men to establish their household gods
in alien territory. There are now tobe found
American colonists in Central and South
America, in Asia and in Africa. Palestine,
Liberia, Brazil, Venezuela, Honduras and
Mexico have each received considerable num-
bers of our fellow citizens who have con-
demned themselves voluntarily to lifelong
expatriation. The causes which led them
to make the novel experiment have not
been in any case imperative. The Jafia
colony went out under the lead of the
very Mephistopheles of impostors, who had
taken advantage of the negative condition OF
religious thought, which marks this transit
ton period, to implant in the minds of SIM
pie people an obsolete dogma which he had
revamped to suit the exigencies Of his ambit-
ious schemes. The Nellie Chaplin was the
antithesis of the Mayfower carrying worn
out theology back to the Orient. But the en-
thusiasts do not find in Syria the material
prosperity which they were led to expect by
their willy high-priest and his dame; and il we
may credit the accounts given by all who
know anything of their condition-except
the government commissioner Bidwell, upon
whom Adams seems to have cast his spell
the Jews during the Babylonish captivity
never longed more earnestly to return to
colonists to get back to their cosy little vii
lage Of Indian River and their diet of Goldfish
and blueberries. They suffer from want and
from msickness-especially from that worst OF
all maladies, homesickness. They do not find
in the domains Of the Sublime Porte the Or
ganized society and that protection Of law,
upon which they turned their backs IN New
England. .1aH 4 aaarsilar
The negroes, who have built up republic
in Liberia, left America not quite voluntarily.
The social and political ostracism to which
they were subject, left them but an unpleas-
ant alternative to seeking new homes. Yet
those who have gone thither since the late
war have returned in a great number of cases.
The rebel malcontents who went to Central
and South America and to Mexico in fit of
heroic passion, are equally discOntented.
Those returning from Brazil make the most
mgubrious complaints respecting the anarchy
and idleness prevailing in the Empire of Don
Pedro. The good for-nothing inhabitants
have no idea of devoting themselves to in
dustrial pursuits There is no enterprise,
and, worst of all, there are no ways Of max
ing money. The dissatisfaction among
| American exles is wel[nigh universal as
well in Venezuela and Mexico as in Brazil
From Honduras alone we occasionally hear a
| good report, but that State offers exceptional
advantages to emigrants. They admit their
goods free of duty and give them farms upon
certain easy conditions. How long this liber
al policy will prevail in a country where
changes of administration and even revolu
| tions are of frequent occurrence, no one car
tell, but past experience in such cases is MOI
calculated to inspire confidence.
Punch reports the speech of an Irish MP'
who thought Ireland was overtaxed. IaKe
tenth Of our income, sir? Ay, that they oo
and they'd take twentieth if they darea'
This is as good as the case of ship owner wno
with his mariner owned a sixteenth OF ship
and WISHING to have his interest separated.