Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-09-24
NOTES ON ENGLAND.
Racy American Critiquo ON EngIish
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Republican 8 g Now it. is perfectly
true that many Americans are exceed
ingly careless in their speech. They
do talk through their noses; but it is
also true that this dreadful habit is an
English inheritance and not q matter OF
climate. The native Americans voice
| is CULTURAL. Is ssFas orr pils.ina
fathers who brought over the whine.
known in England as Suffolk sing
ing, which today. though banished
from London salons, may be heard in
the counties of N Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex,i
and Cambridge. If our ancestors who
named Massachusetts counties ( after
their old homes had good ears for mu-
sio they would have left their noses be.
hind them, and their descendants would
not now be twanging through life tothe
disgust Of England's aristocracy. Now
nasalitY has 30 permeated the atmos-
phere of New England that its people
do not realize the affront they put upon
their own vocal organs. Yet in spite OF
hereditary faint, the most musical Eng
| lish in the world is spoken by cultivated
Bostonians. This fact upsetsthe theory
of climate 80 too does the other fact
that New England produces similarly
rich contralto singing voice of which.
that consummate artist Adelaide Phil
lips, her sister Matilda Phillips, who
is now winning laurels in Italy, Annie
Louise Gary, and Antoinette Sterling
are ever notable examples. The Puri-
tans are not alone to blame for the de.
fects in our speech. Tho negro has
been our bane in more than one res
peot, and southerners drawl and fatten
their yowels because their sable nurses
did SO before them. Nevertheless, the
49, n
speak English without the slightest ac-
cent. Puritan and negro have spread
over the continent their vocal peculiar
tiles, md until parents appreciate that
most excellent thing in man or women,
sonorous voice, and rear their chill ldren
carefully, Americans will suffer under
the imputation of being the worst
toned people. ..ss,5
was first startled by the absence of
what can only be expressed by the
French word complaisance. American
politeness ls more nearly modelled upon
French than English manner. The aim
of an American in decent society is to
give as little offence as possible, to say
pleasant things even at the expense OF
unvarnished truth, and TO place himself,
as we'll aa thosewith whom he converses,
in the most agreeable light. The typi-
cal Englishman indulges in no such sen.
timentality. There is much more of the
brute about him. He makes no effort
to please, but if You please him he will
bask in that pleasure as lizard basks
in sunshine, and once your friend can
American society had rather tell pleas
England the natural and universal i'm
pulse with exceptions, be il under
stood-i5 to say whatever comes upper
most, especially if it be something dis
agreeable. Yet the expression is 80
unconscious as to leave no poison in the
sting. The greatest grievance English
society nurses against us is what it calls
Americanisms. That forty millions of
people should dare to invent words fills
John Bull with unspeakable horror.
Our audacity in thus defiling the we'll
of English is only equalled by our vul-
garity of tone, all Americans, according
to John Bull, speaking with nasal
twang. "Yes, all Americans, you ex-
cepted," exclaimed very clever and
big hearted Englishman one evening
while entertaining me at his own table,
call Americans have dreadful twang.
They all talk through their noses. !"
This gentleman had q very decided nasal
tone. Perfectly true" chimed in one
after another, all good-naturedly, but
all in earnest.
One generation can undo the evil of
$50 years. AS for knowing anything
about us, apart from our always being
rich and always talking through our
noses, of course the majority of the
English upper classes do not and when
it comes to geography! "Know any
thing of American geography of course
we don't" exclaimed brilliant men,
ber of the commons. "Why is it not
recorded that in the last war between
England and America our government
sent out water Tor our fleets in the
great lakes, in complete ignorance of
the fact that the water of these lakes
is fresh? Apart from the few English.
men who have travelled in your country,
l assure you that our knowledge is con-
fined to faint perception OF the exist.
ence of New York and Boston. But
then we are not too we'll studied in any
geography. I'll wager that before the
war with Russia few Englishman knew
where the Crimea was. Is not this
safe wager, Lady Blank 2"
1 am sure it is" replied our hostess;
even now ] don't know where it is"
Not long ii1ce called on the Duke
OF Argyle, the secretary for India"
said n distinguished Indian to mo. "The
duke bears himself with gracious dig
nifty and received me most courteously.
There was map of India hanging np
IN the room to which the duke turned,
and, pointing to large desert, asked
| me- what sea it, waai This, from the
Indian secretary, struck me as amaz.
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