New-York tribune., 1870-06-01
break up the great smuggling establishments
of the Free Zone even if we realize nothing
else from it.
POETRY AND DRUNKENNESS.

men ana Americans, aSScTUS tn;iI, 81 lti 40 hiS
observation goes, Americans are the sOberest
race under the sun. No Englshman," he
says, "nOt a prOfessed teetotaller, dreams OF
"dining without glass of wine or ale In
America the ice-water for dinner is the rule,
" the wine or beer the rare exception" Mr.
Mccarthy potes, however, the existence every
where of bar-rOOms for the use of a respect
able class here, and their constant use, while
"no Englishman whatever above the level of
"a coal-heaver or a costcrmonger walks into
"a bar-rOOm at midday and swallows ardent
spirits. The bar-roOms of the Fifth Avenue
Hotel or the st. Nicholas would be useless
institutions in hotels of that class in London"
He is keen-sighted enough, too, to detect the
cause of this seeming contradiction III our
habits. "Whcn an American drinks, he
drinks to satisfy certain craving; to supply
"a certain supposed necessity not for the
10y of drinking or the sweetness of prolonged
sensation"
In this symptom of the lack of sensuousness
among us Mr. Mccarthy finds matter for regret,
which, we confess our prejudices Will not
allow us to share. Sixty years ago, wine
or brandy were as common adjuncts to every
meal here as in England liquor was brought
into every rite of hospitality We drank
over the newborn baby, and over the
corpse in it's coffin. No bargain, no social call
even between women was complete without the
offered glass of wine; even ministers of the
gospel kept the usual liqueur stand upon their
side-bOards 1t is not fifty years since the
motion to refuse the sum custOmarlly apprO-
priated by Presbyterian Synod for the use OF
lquor at their annual assembly was bitterly
opposed as Pharisaic and fanatical. That so
great change has taken place in this regard
among the educated classes and that drinking
ia almost altogether confined to those who
drink to satisfy a certain physical craving, we
| are glad to acknowledge, even if we have to
plead guilty that it is owing to lack of de
sirable sensuousness among us. We venture
to differ with Mr.. Mccarthy when he ascribes
| this deficiency in our character to the Puritan
element. "The man of the Northern and
North Western States" he says, has, to my
thinking, less of the sensuous about him than
"any other man of any other nation In his
| "eating and drinking, his art, his literature,
"the Joy of the senses has little part. The
+" deep absorbing joy in a beautiful sight be-
cause it il beautiful rarely makes manifest
ats presence here" Now the Puritan element
has in truth very little to do to-day with the
men of the North and North -West-certanly
nothing so far az it's old acrid ascetc influence
is concerned. A certain thrift and driving en-
ergy it has undoubtedly innOculated the
| New England settlers WITH wherever they
| may be; but if Mr.. Mccarthy had
remained longer among us he would have per
ceived that an utterly revolutionary reaction
| against its iron rule has long ago taken place
! among them in both literature and religion
| The men most likely to find beauty its own
excuse for being OF to be capable of deep
| absorbing joy in useless beautiful object"
are the descendants of tho Pilgrim Fathers
1t il among the hard-headed and hard handed
| Western settlers, not emigrants from New
| England, that all high thoughts of heaven and
earth are brought down, squared and measured
by the inexOrable rule of common sense.
| Those unfortunate pilgrims in the Maylower
have been saddIed with all our national vices and
| virtues; from this crime our lack of sensuOus
ness, at least, they can now go scOt-free.
Mr.. Mccarthy himself gives the real cause of
| when he hints at the utter absence OF caste
and traditional usage among us. Every
ching is on trial here everything is possible"
| Hence follows the perpetual friction, striving,
| ClamDerlng over edCn OlIeIb SHOuiutIS' party
conflict, individual conflict. The American is
never, like the Englishman, born into social
nche he has not only his bread and but
ter to make, but his position; not only to
conquer the certain place, but to convince
everybody that he holds it. Nothing goes
without saying here, as in communities long
graded into ranks. A mans wealth. pety,
good breeding, must be, so to speak,
thrust down his neghbor's throat before
| he il accredited with it. AT least that Is
our ordinary belief and course of conduct.
| What time have we to "loaf and invite our
souls 7" Mr. Mccarthy must see the unreaSOn-
| ableness of his demands. I" The Viennese, with
"his yard of thin, bright beer,n has nothing bet
ter to do than to enjoy it. Robby Burns, sure
| of dying plOwman or gauger, had leisure
| to apOstrOphize daisy or mouse; but If he
| had lived in Iowa he would have had not only
his wheat crop to think of, but his place to
choose and struggle for from President to
prothonotary. After awhile we will be older
and wiser, and perhaps will take time to amuse
ourselves and be glad simply because the sun
shines and the sky is blue. But with the
growth of needful sensuOusness we do not
believe there will be an increase of sensuality.
| And we will be not the worse poets because
we have learned to be sober ones.
| GEORGE WASHINGTONS INDIAN POLICY
| 1t would be well if the civil and military
ls