The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-15
Differences between the Americans
and the English. .Hs-

1IAhGECHCc& UCtNceh the
and the English. a-
tM. ID. Conways Letter to Cincinnati COMMERCIAL
The American physique is generally differ
cnt from the English. the accent very differ
cnt-the Americans usually giving an up
ward infection at the end of sentence
when the English give n downward one.
The English voice is more flat, more mono
tonots. and usually in lower tone. But j
'canno. help thinking that the difference il
generally permanent, because it is more radi-
cal, and blends with both the American
character and with the circumstances amid
which he is necessarily placed in foreign
land. As 10 these circumstances, they must
give him certain feeling of helplessncss in
the presence of hotel-keeper or shop-keeper.
He will meet their demand without sur
prise, not knowing the standard of prices.
When an Englishman would at least
grumble at the stated price. or perhaps walk
out Indignantly, the American discloses bis
ignorance, and thereby his nationality, by
continued afiablity, even if he does not pur.
chase. But still more, there are in the
American certain traits which are uncon-
scious and babitual. For-one thing his sense
of equality appears at every moment, and
that, in q region of snobs and an atmosphere
of seryilities, contributes very important
distinction. Every English shop-keeper is
scryie, and meets his customer as he would
meet his master. He does not expect to be
treated as gentleman or an equal, and the
American who speaks TO him respectfully
excites momentary surprise. Again, the
English people always come bluntly TO the
point No word ever passes between buyer
and seller except such as is needed for
the dry purposes of commercial barter. But
the American-the ladies particularly-Will
, converse about what they are purchasing,
or they will converse pleasantly with clerks
and shop.-iris, as if the latter were human
! beings. In general society another thing
| NAV be noted of Americans. They speak
| clearly and positively about matter Al
though they have the reputation OF being q
people who "reckon" in one region, or
..pucss land "caculate" in another, really
| Americans are people who assert thing
which they know without hesitation Or mis-
giving that they may be wrong. But the
! English in society arc never positive. Even
! when they arc most certain they say,
81 believe not" or II think" so-and-so.
They are so habitually dclcrentiai in this
! respect rs to be sometimes misieau-
| ing. knew IN American once 10
express a conviction in the presence OF
an eminent EngliShman with reference 10
| something which.the latter knew was lmpos-
sible. The Englishman said: =" think you
must be mistaken ut least, nave never
! known it to be So ii was question OIL
! fact, and the American afterwards spent
several hours in trying TO discover Whethel
| he or his courteous En2llsh acquaintance
was right. He found not only that the Eng
lishman was right, but that what he thought
a fact Was contrary TO the BRUSH ConSutu.
ton. This the Englishlnan must nave
| known absolutely, and yet he spoke IN such
dcferential, doubling way that the Ameri-
can was left to search into the matter ior
| himself. Had he remained here longer ne
| would have discovered that even an Engisn-
man of science would hardly commit him
self without reservation to the rotundity of
the earth or the qualities Of triangle.
have sometimes thought that when
these gentlemen are most certain OF
thing they are then most likely to sven
ture to suggest" it with hesitation. And
this difference between the EngIishman and
the American-still more marked among the
ladies of the respective countries-thouShl II
may in some cases manifest itself IN an I'M
pleasant frequency of superlatives and specu'
lations on one side. and Of dull, heavy heSl-
tations on the other, may be recognized IN
higher characteristics. The cultivated Eng
lishman is very careful, and had rather un-
derstate his case than overstate it. He knows
how to be silent and to say " don't Know
| The cultivated American has much greater
precision of intellect, is never contented TO
be in a mental fog, and has much Of that
clearuess of speech and that frankness III
saving Just what he thinks, which i'll Europe
| is limited to the French people.