American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
The question of Government interference in his national quarrel was one
thing; but the question of a welcome to a distinguished and suffering
stranger was quite another. The two, however, have been unfortunately
mingled; and a rude and vulgar effort has been made to prejudge his
mission, by affronting him as a guest. We may be strong enough to brave
Russia, and its hordes of Cossacks; but no country is strong enough to
trample on the laws of hospitality We see the hint thrown out in some
paper of the day, that the slackened sympathy for KOSSUTH, in Washington,
is attributable mainly to the influence of the diplomatic circles of that
city. We fear there may be a great deal of truth in this hint: our
enthusiasm finds volume in every-day chit-chat, and dinner-table talk; it
lives by such fat feeding as gossip supplies; and gossip finds its
direction in the salons of the most popular of entertainers.
Washington has a peculiar and shifting social character—made up in its
winter elements of every variety of manner and of opinion. This manner and
these opinions, however, are very apt to revolve agreeably to what is
fixed at the metropolis; and since the diplomatic circles of the capital
are almost the only permanent social foci of habit and gossip, it is but
natural there should be a convergence toward their action. The fact is by
no means flattering; but we greatly fear that it is pointed with a great
deal of truth.
Our readers will observe, however, that we account in this way only for
the slackened tone of talk, and of salon enthusiasm; nor do we imagine
that any parlor influences whatever of the capital can modify to any
considerable degree, either legislative, or moral action.
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Of Paris, now that she has fallen again into one, of her political
paroxysms, there is little gayety to be noted. And yet it is most
surprising how that swift-blooded people will play the fiddle on the
barricades! Never—the papers tell us—were the receptions at the Elysée
more numerously attended, and never were the dresses richer, or the jewels
more ostentatiously displayed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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