New-York tribune., 1867-05-23
RANDOM LETTERS. No. ".
FxrEEIoRs AND INTERIORS.

LIVING between the Alps and the Danube on ms way
10 ard from Munich. would never slSpecI no" soon
IL, cold monotonous features change into the poo's,
,5 ,,I.o.+ con,binations of landscape, the road
from Auosbure TO Lindau The white-clay soil Wnch
colog. the waters of the Inn, the lsar and the Lec
o,d ils is one of the possible causes OF the eNcei
Ieuce of BavaIian beer-giyeS the plain shgh"ii9
chill aud unfrendy aspect. Long forests OF plc ~, u
yido the belts of pasture and grain-land anu 'n
lagos seem to have nestled at the feet oi the w"
sonal low ranges Of hills for shelter Aoi1 ."'
Alpine winds The phlegm and pondeIous mum
ence 10 change Of the inhabitants result H,i'0 ~ -
,ouch FINN the nonOtOny of their eNteIllaI INC d.
- az oo,sarv.tive influences of beer 1t Is true
that nothipc seems to agitate them SO readlly as
i. -; tbe nr,oe of this beverage; but on the other
1,,,d tbev have good.naturcd and toerably liberal
government. -
Alibonob the old preiudces and traditions of caste
are more deeply rOOted IN Southern than Northern
Germany, there is here more of kindly bon"on"4e
in the intercourse of the different classes Inc upper
are more genial and accessible the lower more Simply
self-pos,essed and communicative. Thus the gun
d., ae Il vaUns is slightly blidged on the sur
face Four wears ago spent a few days IN the ba-
,,,;,n Forest ION the Bohemian frOnterl. One even
inc ia q little village among the mountains, part
ing upper was given Of the inn to the Deputy OF the
District who was about to take his place lnthe Legs
l,t;ve Assembly at Munich As | was sitting alone
in the guests room. there came friendly invitation
from the President of the meeting, bidding me to
ion in the festivities. At the head of the table
found tbc mobiles of tho district next TO them the
priests both Catholic and Protestant, the merchants
aud professional men, and then the farmers and me-
cbsucs-the latter by far the most numerous class.
Speeches were made healths drunk-the beer-glasses
c,nking fraternally all around the table-and there
was no sign of Condescension on the one hand, or
ObseauousncsS on the other. OF course, the equality
WAS only temporary but it was complete while 1t
lasted Two or three of the farmers made bold
sound speeches to which the peculiar dialect OF the
country gave a racy and picturesque character The
President. baron aud the owner OF venerable
castle in the neghbOThOod introduced me TO the lat
ter with the same courtesy to the other guests OF
his own class.
lam convinced that the dislike which these people
have toward the North Germans rests on the differ
once of manners rather than of ideas. In these
slight external appearances they imagine much
greater diversity of character than really exsts-so
few people have courage enough to go beyond eXteT
nas Yet the immobllity of the Southern States has
only been shaken, at last, by the superior life and
activity of the Northern; all the political progress
of Germany since 1S49 is due to the latter.
am here strongly tempted to say something about
the recent conventions between Prussia and the
South German States but it would lead me too far
from the purpose Of this letter. Beside, all that may
he written now, under the gathering shadow of the
Luxemburg question. seems hardly worth transmit
ting by post while the Gable is giving You the new
aspects of each day An American has good reason to
be weary of war. and the eXcitemens which precede
aud follow war The grand and terrible epidemic
moves against the course of the SUM- 1t leaves
our tired but not exhausted Republic to threaten the
half of Europe with even fercer fires Whether 1t
bursts out this year the next the poison is in the
air; everywhere there is hot, luIid oppressive at
mosphere-the smothered, fOTmless fear, the expect
aucy the construction of respiration among the peo
pie. which foretell some certain catastrophe.
Let us forget these things, if can, while the
beautiful valleys of the Angdu open before After
leaving Kaufbeuern, on the road to Lndau, the
scenery changes and human life to change with
it. On the rising hills the sOmber mistaken rreplaces
the low sorubby pine; clumps of elm and birch stud
the meadows; the grass shows thick perennial
vigor, and the streams come down foamnng ana crSs
taI-clear from the near Alps. In place Oh sparse
crowded yilages-each huddle of steep tiled roofs
we see large white inviting farmhOuses, with low
pitched roofs of shinge and projecting caves in the
m Swiss STYLE The people have fresh, bright complex
ions are quick and elastic in their movements and
hundred trifing signs show that they are active,
thrifty and ambitious to improve their condition.
The whole region appeared to Inc not less beautiful
than the Salz-Kammergut in Austria; yet, though
so accessible, it is hardly known TO tourists.
For the first time in this journey, we ventured to
open ell the windows in our compartment and en-
10y the air as we'll as the scenery The evidences of
Spring increased but had no positive faith in them,
until in warm green bank, discovered the first
dandeOn-the dear common flower OF Lowell,
whose poem thereupOn is of life while its sub
ject blossoms TO announce the Spring. Inever feel
sure that the season is permanently changed until
roe the dandelOn, and never see it without ment-
oily chanting these lines
"Not in mid-June the goldencuirassed bee
Feels more Summertime. warm rayishment
In the white lily's breezy tent,
His conquered Sybari5, than L. when INST
From the dark green thy yellow circles burst
SO when, at last the dandelon made its appear
ance, drew long breath and said: "OT second
Winter is Overp True the mattea mountain pas
tures) above the moist meadows were still golden
brown, and over them the forest threw daTk-red
shadows but that was only March, lifted vertically
into higher air. and still above fingered January in
fields of flashing snow. Here around us, at the level
of lfe was the Spring, and the feeling thereof went
into our hearts, until suddenly, while passing the
Alpsee a few minutes suiced to blot out the muf-
fed spendor of the scenery and cover it with a cold
gray mantle of rain.
For an hour or two there were but indistinct Wis
ions Of mountain and valley then we descended be-
low the belt of very damp cloud, and the Lake of
Constance, in shadow, spread out like floor OF
Opaque malachite. Fresh meadows, fruit-trees al
most ready to bloom, and vineyards covered the
friendly sloping shores all went by like fash, and
in few minutes we were embarked for Romans
horn There arrived, in an hour and q half, and
landed on the soil of Switzerland, the officer of GUS
toms informed me that the trunks of travellers are
NO longer examined, and were free tas if We had
merely gone from New-York to Jersey City by the