New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-06
good breeding. The average American Is do.

| good breeding. The average American IA do.
! Gently religious and cultured; he neither
swears nor spits he Is as unlikely 20 wrangle
| or sneer superciously with men "a TO fail In
certain Indifferent matter-Of-course defer.
ence to women he does not push mentally or
physically, not from any hereditary reli gion OF
| self-restraint, but simply from slrewd experi-
eDce that pushing is the slOwest way Of getting
on in crowd whore all are determined to be
| foremost The absence of established caste
and the fact that everybody i, busy
have saved us from the prckly nor
bid self-COnsciOusneo5 which il apt h.
make John Bull either in5olent or dogmatic.
stranger among us is met with good.
humored, let-alone treatment, quite "a rude
and depressing in its way as active incivillty
In his work or their own they take a keen
unhagging interest to the and Thou" in
stinct, whose relations give the finest flavor +,
courtesy, they are, apparently, indifferent.
This is especially the case in the West, where
the people are too busy to be otherwise than
taciturn with regard to their personal affairs.
1t is least applicable TO New-Eng gland, where.
AZ a rule, mans education and intellect are
better than his work demands. The Yankee
shoemaker would make a Judge in the Par
West. The surplus mental power thus run
ming 10 waste expend5 Itself Ia mOr
bid hospitality 10 new ideas, and hi.
given rise, among other abnormal traits.
to a singular habit of curiosity, ever
among the best-bred class. The thought, ans
mental experience mot the facts Of
strangers life are brought 70 the light IN
way which he probably mistakes for rude
ness, but which is only a sign Of too active
intellectual fermentation. With this defect
the high culture and unconventional simplicity
of taste in the Brahmin caste Of New-Eng
land, make it perhaps offer the best type OF
our national manners.
There was another, which we fear The wa;
has destroyed, as admirable, though totally
different from that of the North, which wa 20
be found among the Old lOng-e7ab!l,he.
slave-holding families of Virginia and Sou'l
Carolina. Only among a community Of lan6
princes whose social position was impreSni
bic, whose culture and alluenco weu
hereditary, where hospitality was without
care, and where the duty Oh cou:'e''
was ordinarily backed by warm, generous
temperament, could a like social atmD'
phere be found-genial, gracious, and refined
Their slaves, we will be reminded, sap
another side of the picture, but we are discus
sing manners, not morals. 1t IS high tine
Americans should discuss manners. Education
embraces the whole man with Us brain, heart
conscience, muscles, legs, arms, and all. Tho
child is put into a gymnasric training in toto
from the hour of his birth. But who cares 10.
manner 9-the color of the picture; The mag
netic nameless something which bring, the
man en- rapport with his fellows. and gives
him power over them' Our French c0gsn'
cut each others threats in spite Of all theI
stately courtesy. But the stately courtesy wa
an altogether good thing-in its way Let q,
pay tithes of the weiyhtier matters Of the lay,
but not neglect the mint, anise and cUm!n
which perfume life and make it sweet.