Volume II Part 16 (1/2)
”A word to Mr (?) Hodges.--When these meet your eye, a _dignified contempt_ will most opportunely swell your breast--such is ever the case with the _coward_! In affected scorn, you will seek a shelter from the danger you _dare_ not brave, but we warn you that one day must overtake you.
”Several Americans.”
”AMERICANS ATTEND!
”Americans:--If there is a spark of that spirit in your blood with which your forefathers bequeathed you, I hope you will shew it when men come among us from a foreign sh.o.r.e to get a living, and while here to speak in terms towards our country and ourselves, derogatory to the feelings of an American to listen to. These men that I speak of are Mr Hodges and Mr Corri, Englishmen of the _first stamp_, who declare that the Yankees, (as we are all termed, and proud of the name I dare say,) 'are a parcel of ignoramuses--cannibals--don't know how to appreciate talent'--they possess very little I am certain. However, the thing stands thus: they have slandered our country, they have slandered _us_; and if they are permitted to play upon the boards of the _Eagle Theatre_, I shall conclude that we have lost all that s.p.u.n.k so characteristic in a True Born American.”
There certainly is no good feeling in the _majority_ towards England, and this is continually shewn in a variety of instances, particularly if there is any excitement from distress or other causes. At the time that the great commercial distress took place, the abuse of England was beyond all bounds; and in a public meeting of democrats at Philadelphia, the first resolution pa.s.sed was, ”that they did not owe England one farthing,” and this is the general outcry of the lower orders when any thing was wrong. I have often argued with them on this subject, and never could convince them. This country has now _fifty-five millions sterling_ invested in American securities, which is a large sum, and the _majority_ consider that a war will spunge out this debt. Their argument which they constantly urged against me, has more soundness in it than would be supposed:--”If you declare war with us, what is the first thing you do, you seize all American vessels and all American property that you can lay hold of, which have entered into your ports on the faith of peace between the two countries. Now, why have we not an equal right to seize all English property whenever we can find it in this country?” But this, as I have observed, is the language of the democrats and locofocos. There are thousands of honourable men in America, not only as merchants, but in every other cla.s.s, who are most anxious to keep on good terms with us, and have the kindest feelings towards England. Unfortunately they are but few compared to the majority, and much as they may regret the hostile feelings towards us, I am afraid that it is wholly out of their power to prevent their increase, which will be in exact proportion with the increase of the popular sway.
Note 1. Soon after I arrived at New York, the naval officers very kindly sent me a diploma x.x.x member of their Lyceum, over at Brooklyn.
I went over to visit the Lyceum, and, among the portraits in the most conspicuous part of the room was that of William the Fourth, with the ”Sailor King” written underneath it in large capitals. As for the present Queen, her health has been repeatedly drank in my presence; indeed her accession to our throne appeared to have put a large portion of the Americans in good humour with monarchy. Up to the present she has been quite a pet of theirs, and they are continually asking questions concerning her. The fact is, that the Americans shew such outward deference to the other s.e.x, that I do not think they would have any objection themselves to be governed by it; and if ever a monarchy were attempted in the United States, the first reigning sovereign ought to be a _very pretty woman_.
Note 2. A proof that the feeling against England is increasing, is the singular fact that latterly they insist upon calling the English _foreigners_, a term which they formerly applied to all other nations, but not to _ourselves_.
VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER FIVE.
SOCIETY.--GENERAL CHARACTER, ETCETERA.
The character of the Americans is that of a restless, uneasy people-- they cannot sit still, they cannot listen attentively, unless the theme be politics or dollars--they must do something, and, like children, if they cannot do anything else, they will do mischief--their curiosity is unbounded, and they are very capricious. Acting upon impulse, they are very generous at one moment, and without a spark of charity the next.
They are good-tempered, and possess great energy, ingenuity, bravery, and presence of mind. Such is the estimate I have formed of their general character, independent of the demoralising effects of their inst.i.tutions, which renders it so anomalous.
The American author, Mr Sanderson, very truly observes of his countrymen, that, ”they have grown vicious without the refinements and distractions of the fine arts and liberal amus.e.m.e.nts.” The Americans have few amus.e.m.e.nts; they are too busy. Athletic sports they are indifferent to; they look only to those entertainments which feed their pa.s.sion for excitement. The theatre is almost their only resort, and even that is not so well attended as it might be, considering their means. There are some very good and well-conducted theatres in America: the best are the Park and National at New York, the Tremont at Boston, and the Chesnut Street Theatre at Philadelphia. The American _stock_ actors, as they term those who are not considered as _stars_, are better than our own; but were the theatres to depend upon stock actors they would be deserted--the love of novelty is the chief inducement of the Americans to frequent the theatre, and they look for importations of star actors from this country as regularly as they do for our manufactured goods, or the fas.h.i.+ons from Paris. In most of the large cities they have two theatres; one for legitimate drama, and the other for melodrama, as the Bowery Theatre at New York, and the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia; these latter are seldom visited by the aristocratical portion of the citizens.
The National Theatre at New York was originally built as an opera house, and the company procured from the Havannah; but the opera, from want of support, was a failure. It has since been taken by Mr James Wallack, in opposition to the Park Theatre. The two first seasons its success was indifferent; the Park having the advantage in situation, as well as of a long-standing reputation. But, latterly, from the well-known talent and superior management of Mr Wallack, and from his unwearied exertions in providing novelties for the American public, it has been very successful; so much so, that it is said this last year to have decidedly obtained the superiority over its rival. I have seen some splendid representations in the National Theatre, with a propriety in scenery and costume which is seldom exceeded even in our great theatres.
Indeed, in three seasons, Mr Wallack has done much to improve the national taste; and from his exertions, the theatres in general in America may be said to have been much benefited. But there is one objection to this rivalry between the Park and National; which is, that the _stars_ go out too fast, and they will soon be all expended.
Formerly things went on very regularly: Mr Price sent out to Mr Simpson, duly invoiced, a certain portion of talent for every season; and Mr Simpson, who is a very clever manager, first worked it up at New York, and then dispatched it to Boston, Philadelphia, and the other theatres in the Union. But, now, if Mr Simpson has two stars sent to him, James Wallack comes home, and takes out three; whereupon, Mr Price sends out a bigger star; and so they go on; working up the stars so fast, that the supply will never equal the demand. There are not more than two or three actors of eminence in England, who have not already made their appearance on the American boards; and next season will probably use them up. It is true, that some actors can return there again and again; as Power, who is most deservedly a favourite with them, and Ellen Tree, who is equally so. Celeste has realised a large fortune. Mrs Wood, and the Keeleys, were also very great favourites; but there are not many actors who can venture there a second time; at least, not until a certain interval has elapsed for the Americans to forget them. When there are no longer any stars, the theatres will not be so well attended; as, indeed, is the case every where. To prove how fond the Americans are of anything that excites them, I will mention a representation which I one day went to see--that of the ”Infernal Regions.” There were two or three of these shewn in the different cities in the States. I saw the remnants of another, myself; but, as the museum-keeper very appropriately observed to me, ”It was a fine thing once, but now it had all gone to h.e.l.l.” You entered a dark room; where, railed off with iron railings, you beheld a long perspective of caverns in the interior of the earth, and a molten lake in the distance.
In the foreground were the most horrible monsters that could be invented--bears with men's heads, growling--snakes darting in and out, hissing--here a man lying murdered, with a knife in his heart; there--a suicide, hanging by the neck--skeletons lying about in all directions, and some walking up and down in muslin shrouds. The machinery was very perfect. At one side was the figure of a man sitting down, with a horrible face; boar's tusks protruding from his mouth, his eyes rolling, and horns on his head; I thought it was mechanism as well as the rest; and was not a little surprised when it addressed me in a hollow voice: ”We've been waiting some time for you, captain.” As I found he had a tongue, I entered into conversation with him. The representation wound up with showers of fire, rattling of bones, thunder, screams, and a regular cascade of the d---d, pouring into the molten lake. When it was first shewn, they had an electric battery communicating with the iron railing; and whoever put his hand on it, or went too near, received a smart electric shock. But the alarm created by this addition was found to be attended with serious consequences, and it had been discontinued.
The love of excitement must of course produce a love of gambling, which may be considered as one of the American amus.e.m.e.nts: it is, however, carried on very quietly in the cities. In the South, and on the Mississippi, it is as open as the noon day; and the gamblers may be said to have there become a professional people. I have already mentioned them, and the attempts which have been made to get rid of them. Indeed, they are not only gamesters who practice on the unwary, but they combine with gambling the professions of forgery, and uttering of base money.
If they lose, they only lose forged notes. There is no part of the world where forgery is carried on to such an extent as it is in the United States; chiefly in the Western country. The American banks are particularly careful to guard against this evil, but the ingenuity of these miscreants is surprising, and they will imitate so closely as almost to escape detection at the banks themselves. Bank-note engraving is certainly carried to the highest state of perfection in the United States, but almost in vain. I have myself read a notice, posted up at Boston, which may appear strange to us. ”Bank notes made here to any pattern.” But the Eastern banks are seldom forged upon. Counterfeit money is also very plentiful. When I was in the West, I had occasion to pay a few dollars to a friend: when I saw him a day or two afterwards, he said to me, ”Do you know that three dollars you gave me were counterfeits?” I apologised, and offered to replace them, ”Oh! no,”
replied he; ”it's of no consequence. I gave them in payment to my people, who told me that they _were_ counterfeit; but they said it was of no consequence, as they could easily pa.s.s them.” In some of the States lotteries have been abolished, in others they are still permitted. They are upon the French principle, and are very popular.
There is one very remarkable point in the American character, which is, that they constantly change their professions. I know not whether it proceeds simply from their love of change, or from their embracing professions at so early a period, that they have not discovered the line in which from natural talents they are best calculated to succeed. I have heard it said, that it is seldom that an American succeeds in the profession which he had first taken up at the commencement of his career. An American will set up as a lawyer; quit, and go to sea for a year or two; come back, set up in another profession; get tired again, go as clerk or steward in a steam-boat, merely because he wishes to travel; then apply himself to something else, and begin to ama.s.s money.
It is of very little consequence what he does, the American is really a jack of all trades, and master of any to which he feels at last inclined to apply himself.
In Mrs Butler's clever journal there is one remark which really surprised me. She says, ”The absolute absence of imagination is of course the absolute absence of humour. An American can no more understand a fanciful jest than a poetical idea; and in society and conversation the _strictest matter of fact_ prevails,” etcetera.
If there was nothing but ”_matter of fact_” in society and conversation in America or elsewhere, I imagine that there would not be many words used: but I refer to the pa.s.sage, because she says that the Americans are not imaginative; whereas, I think that there is not a more imaginative people existing. It is true that they prefer broad humour, and delight in the hyperbole, but this is to be expected in a young nation; especially as their education is, generally speaking, not of a kind to make them sensible to very refined wit, which, I acknowledge, is thrown away upon the majority. What is termed the under current of humour, as delicate raillery, for instance, is certainly not understood.
When they read Sam Slick, they did not perceive that the author was laughing at them; and the letters of Major Jack Downing are much more appreciated in this country than they are in America. But as for saying that they are not imaginative, is a great error, and I have no doubt that Mrs B has discovered it by this time.
Miss Martineau says, and very truly, ”The Americans appear to me an eminently imaginative people.” Indeed, it is only necessary to read the newspapers to be convinced it is the case. The hyperbole is their princ.i.p.al forte, but what is lying but imagination? and why do you find that a child of promising talent is so p.r.o.ne to lying? because it is the first effort of a strong imagination. Wit requires refinement, which the Americans have not; but they have excessive humour, although it is generally speaking coa.r.s.e.
An American, talking of an ugly woman with a very large mouth, said to me, ”Why, sir, when she yawns, you can see right down to her garters;”
and another, speaking of his being very sea-sick, declared, ”That he threw every thing up, down to his knee-pans.”
If there required any proof of the dishonest feeling so prevalent in the United States arising from the desire of gain, it would be in the fact, that almost every good story which you hear of an American is an instance of great ingenuity, and very little principle. So many have been told already, that I hesitate to ill.u.s.trate my observation, from fear of being accused of uttering stale jokes. Nevertheless I will venture upon one or two.