New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
cir GEORGE CAMPBELDs VISIT TO THE
UNITED STATES.

The substance of this volume consists OF series
&c Familiar addresses delivered bv the author to his
Scottish constituents, after returning rom MS
American tour. together with extracts from pr
yate journal in which he had noted down inc I'M
pressions received in the progress OF his travels
During his stay in this country he passed rapiuy
through the Northern and some OF the western
States. and after visiting Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Washington, made more careful study Oh 'He
condition of things in Virginia. North ana south
Carolina. and Georgia. The visit took place in the
Autumn of last year. and seems TO have extended
over a space of less than three months; but the
writer had the Scotch habit Of keeping bis eyes
open, and relates what he saw not only with rare
freedom from prejudice, but with great kindness
of spirit toward the country and it's people. The
jottings-down IN his Notebook are, of course.
hasty in their character and in many cases, are to
be taken as suggestions. rather than mature opln-
IONS bat they seldom fail to possess considerable in
terest as the result of acute observation by an in-
tegent and friendly traveller.
With regard to the effects of the American
climate on the physical appearance OF the inhabl-
tants, tine author remarks that, contrary to the
general belief. he did not find them, rule, less
rosy and healthy than British subjects. great
many of the men looked very rObUst, and might
easily have passed for ScOtchnen, and even some
of the ladies are becoming pretty beefy," though
not few of them deserve their reputation for
delicate beauty. He found a great number of the
best and most prominent who clail ed Scotch
descent, at least share of Scottish blood. The
Scotch-lrsh are among the best farmers and the
best men In the country. OF the Irish proper,
whom he had been led TO consider as a rOwdy and
thriftless set be remarks that though they seldom
rise as compared with the Scotch or Scotch-lrlsh,
except as politicians there is no workman equal to
the Irishman; the great works of the United
States are largely dependent upon Irish labor; and
in the cotton mills Of the Northern States the Irish
girls are generally preferred to Americans or
Canadians. The Germans, in his opinion, are not
only a numerous but most valuable element In
the United States They are, i'll fact model colo
nists, more haTd-working, more economical If not
more bright and pushing, than the emlgrants from
Great Britain. They settle down on the land and
work with thrftiness and patience which no
Scotchman could beat. and whether in the East OF
the West are ALWAYS among the most numerous and
the best of the small farmers.
The native Americans born and bred In the coun-
try, are described as having stronger resemblance
TO the British. though with certain peculiaries of
their own. After getting over the first superficial
differences the lkenesses are more prominent than
the unlkenesses. In their general style, III their
manners, and IN their language they are IN very
marked degree British. The author was surprised
TO find how much their idiOms aud everything else
were thoroughly English. 1t was curious fact
that the only people who talk decidedly American
are the higher class Of people, and especially the
ladies' such as one sees in the fashionable hotels on
the Continent of Europe. Sir George CampbelPs
explanation perhaps no less curious than the fact
itself. He supposes that these people may have
descended from the Oldest Americans. who brought
al
early settlement OF the country, which have been
handed down among the richer classes, while
among the mass of the people, intermixed so much
as they have been with new arrivals, the language
has assumed a more cosmopolitan English char
acteE In many parts of the United States, the
common labOring man used language which could
not be distinguished from that of tolerably
educated man of the same class in Great Britain.
The author constantly found that the Yankee pecu-
arites came out in the speech of the best educated
ladies, while the body of the people spoke good
English, a little better in fact, than that used in
any county of England
He was struck with the hotels as a very peculiar
American institution. AS residences, he certainly
would not fancy them. They have dead level Of
uniformity There does not exist in the country
either the coscy comfortable glish hotel or the
Continental cafe. The reading-rooms and public
apartments not very attractive, but the BARRIERS
shop is luxurious The American mode of e" feed
Eng was not AT all to the taste of the traveller.
He could never become TecOnciled to the absence of
the English joint and other English dishes The
plan of serving the meal in a large number Of " Gu
Iious little oval Dishes" which are put before you
all mixed up together, was in the highest degree
disagreeable. But the oatmeal porridge with cream
was a decided Improvement. Nor could Sir George
manage the American oysters, though understood TO
be of excellent quality. The beef is generally good,
though not always well cooked; the mutton is indif-
ferent. The variety of different kinds of bread, not
only of wheat, but of maize, buckwheat and other
materials, was found delightful. The Americans
drink great deal of tea and coffee, and of excellent
milk but the butter is pronounced to be detestabe
In the best hotels of the United States there moth
ing but nasty salt butter"
The general abstinence from alcoholic liquors by
the American people was matter of great astonish-
ment to the author. But he takes it for granted
that there was little no drinking except what he
saw The Americans he remarks, at their meals
drink no alcoholic liquors at all. 1t seems to be con-
trary to their habits, almost to good morals and
good manners to drink IN public at least In a great
American hotel, you will not see one in hundred
who takes anything stronger than tea and coffee or
If you do. he is foreigner. They drink an abund-
ance of milk, but no beer, nor wine, nor spirits
Some PERSONS no doubt, he adds make up by drink
ing at the bars, but even these little fire.
quented. If you want first class American drinks
you must 60 to the cafes on the Paris Bouevards
for you will not get them in America. In some
parts of the country. it is the custom to invite
friend to "take drink" at the bar, and there are
evening parties VI men at which wine is introduced
but one does not see much of this sort Of thing
Among the people at large the author found less
L. II in, 6
deal is consumed, il is done in a more decent way
This is owing in part he thinks, to the influence of
the climate. 4 ScOtc hman, it is said, will drink
Good denl of whskeV and die in his bed at the