The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 9, May, 1835Various
History
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 9, May, 1835
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Such blemishes as these, apparently uniting the slang of the boarding
school and the green room, deform the work of Mrs. Butler, and are
much to be lamented, became they may have the effect of blinding the
hasty, prejudiced or fastidious reader, to the many beauties which are
to be found in its pages. Indeed the work has already encountered the
severest criticisms from the newspaper press, imbittered by the many
censorious remarks of Mrs. B. upon the manners and institutions of the
country; her severe, and in many instances just strictures upon the
state of society in the cities in which she sojourned; and the
supercilious sneers which she has uttered against the editorial
fraternity, "the press gang," as she uncourteously denominates that
numerous and powerful body. The censures of her book, are doubtless,
in the main, well deserved; but in their excess, the merits which the
"Journal" unquestionably possesses in great abundance and of a high
order, have in many cases been passed by unheeded by her indignant
critics. And here we cannot refrain from the utterance of a remark
which has frequently occurred to us, and which is brought forcibly to
mind by the reception which Mrs. Butler's criticisms upon America have
met with: we think that too much sensitiveness is felt by our
countrymen, at the unfavorable opinions expressed by foreigners, in
regard to our social, political, and moral condition--and that the
press, as the organ of public sentiment, is prone to work itself into
a superfluous frenzy of indignation, at what are generally considered
"foreign libels" upon us. To be indignant at gross misrepresentations
of our country, is an exhibition of patriotism in one of its most
laudable forms. But the sentiment may be carried too far, and may
blind us to evils and deficiencies in our condition, when pointed out
by a foreigner, which it would be well for us rather to consider with
a view to their amendment. It may so far blunt our sense of the
justice of the maxim "_fas est, ab hoste doceri_," as to induce us to
entertain jealousy and aversion for the most judicious suggestions, if
offered by others than our own countrymen. Entertaining these views,
we have read Mrs. Butler's work, with a disposition to judge of it
impartially; and while we have perceived many instances of captious
complaints in regard to matters of trifling importance in themselves;
and frequently a disposition to build up general censures upon
partial, individual causes of disgust, displeasure or
disappointment--we feel bound to say, that, taking the work as a
whole, we do not think a deliberate disposition to misrepresent, or a
desire to depreciate us, can be discovered in it. The strictures upon
our modes of living, our social relations, &c. are often unworthy the
writer. She complains for instance, that "the things (at the hotel in
New York,) were put on the table in a slovenly, outlandish fashion;
fish, soup, and meat, at once, and puddings, and tarts, and cheese, at
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