MUSEUM

OF

FOREIGN LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND ART.

SEPTEMBER, 1832.

From Blackwood's Magazine.

GRIFFIN'S REMAINS.*

away those peculiar asperities which are among 'the strongest safeguards of national and indivi. dual independence, and entitle communities to rejoice each in the nature as well as the name ALL nations, great and small, having any dis- of a separate people! We leave that vain task to tinctive character of their own, may be said to your slumbering cosmopolites. They foolishly hate one another, not with a deadly but a lively tell us that it is unphilosophical to talk of nations hatred. Love of country is inseparable from being natural enemies; the idiots absolutely individual pride; and the dearer she is to her going the length of denying that the English and children, the more haughtily do they admire their French are so, knowing all the while that they mother. Slight or scorn, shown to her by any eat frogs, and we eat oxen.

But besides that alien, is felt to be a personal insult to themselves; sufficient reason, there are many others subordiand she, again, regards every demonstration of nate, of which we need now mention but onesuch feelings towards the least of her offspring, we are Islanders. Ships-colonies-and comWhat countless multitudes of causes for as disrespectful or contemptuous of herself, and merce! will vindicate her native worth by vengeance on our hating all continental nations are crowded all offenders. Thus it is that all communities, into these three omnipotent words! the more firmly they are bound together, are the more "jealous and quick in honour;" the amor patria, because sacred, is exclusive; and no good son of the state can be a citizen of the world.

But while it is thus obviously the duty of all states to hate, it is no less their duty to love, one, another; nor have they far or long to seek for good grounds on which to build up a substantial Every people should have their own specific fabric of either affection. Materials, too, are and peculiar character; and so they will have, if lying close at hand, and every people is provided they have any government descrving the name, with the "genius and the mortal instruments." and any institutions. These naturally mould each But before we begin to build, and while we are other; and when hardened by time, blows, that building-and the work is never brought to an would once have broken both, rebound from them end-we must understand ourselves and others. with a cheerful din, like hammering from the We must see and know things as they are; there anvil. The once soft clay has been indurated must be no falsehood-no injustice; for if there into adamant; and firm then the finest work- be, we shall hate where we should love, and love manship on the Corinthian capitals of the social where we should hate; and in our blind and wilful ignorance, we shall strengthen the hands structure as the plainest on its pediments. So far, then, from deprecating national jealou- of our natural enemies against us, and be presies, dislikes, animosities, and hatreds, we have paring the decadence of our own greatness, or always been anxious to contribute the little that its overthrow. lay in our power to their successful cultivation. Heaven forefend that we should ever be so lost to all sense of duty as good citizens and good Christians, as to seek to smooth down and wear

All national prejudices, therefore, we would By prejudices extirpate and fling into the sea. we mean false judgments formed before taking means within our reach, that would have enabled us to form true; as, for example-and one such illustration is worth a thousand-with regard to the American frigates. We-not our captains* Remains of the Rev. Edmund D. Griffin, compiled by Francis Griffin: with a Biogra- though perhaps some even of them-but our phical Memoir of the deceased, by the Rev. civilians-believed that ours would blow them No. 123.-T John M'Vickar, D.D. 2 vols. New York: 1831. out of the water. The said civilians had some Museum-Vol. XXI.

dim idea of a British frigate, of an American, (on the whole, preferable to those of the Amerinone; and though they could not estimate too cans; though ours are in much bad enough, and highly the skill and bravery of our tars-match- must frequently offend, on their visits to our less both-yet they did estimate too lowly by far shores, our Transatlantic brethren. But it is for the power that hoists" the bit of striped bunting." them, not for us, to point them out in their periThus the nation expected-demanded impossi-odicals. The great law of manners seems to be, bilities of her heroes and was mortified, hu- restraint on all exhibitions of indulgencies of miliated, that Dacre was sunk by Decatur. small selfishness when we are in company with The opinion broached in the first sentence of civilized Christians. It becomes, when obeyed our article, which you thought a paradox, you habitually, so easy that it is not felt, yet so strong perceive now is a truism. It is so especially that it cannot be violated without a feeling as when applied to our neighbours the Americans, instant and decisive in its own sphere as that of We call them our neighbours, for the Atlantic, conscience. In this country, its sphere is comnow-a-days, is not much wider than was former-prehensive: and manners are with us the minor ly Fleet Ditch. The two countries cordially hate morals. We do not say that it is not so in and love each other, according to the laws of America. But we do say that the law of mannature. And all that we have to do is to pre-ners there is comparatively lax both in practice serve those feelings, respectively, in proper pro-and in principle; and that it there disregards portion; so that England and America, flourish- many feelings as false or valueless, of which the ing in amicable animosity, and inspired with truth and worth can be proved; and therefore reciprocal respect, command for aye the ought to be respected-by the highest reason. admiration of all the rest of the world. Our friends, the Americans, must not be un

It would not be less absurd to suppose it pos- duly incensed by these hurriedly expressed, but sible for two fine women to love each other, slowly considered remarks; for they know that without any spice of jealousy, which is a gentle many thousands of themselves have many thouword for hatred, than to suppose that two ugly sand times been many thousand degrees more women, who imagine their faces to be constantly severe on John and Sandy than we have now throwing unpleasant reflections on their opposing been on Jonathan. They cut us up in all difeatures, could lead a life of perpetual friendship. rections, and sometimes "do not leave us the Now, England and America are two fine women likeness of a dog." They seldom scruple to avow, -and not only so, but they are mother and with an easy air of self-satisfied assurance, a daughter. England is fat, fair, and forty, fit for sense of their national superiority over all us the arms of a King. America is in her teens, doting denizens of the old Eastern world, with and a morsel for a President. As long as they its superannuated institutions; and they must lay pursue each her own path, and are proud, each their account with occasionally meeting from of her own lord or lover, both can bear, without Europeans-for there is still life in a musselany painful uneasiness, the thought of each the "retort corteous" and the "quip modest." other's beauty, and smilingly blow kisses from We have in our possession as many American their hands across the Atlantic. Yet 'twould be libels on Britain as would make a pile of papers too much to expect, that when they speak of that could not be burned without danger of seteach other's charms, they should always select ting our chimney on fire. But we have never the most seducing; that when they touch on each suffered their most abusive sarcasms to disturb other's defects, they should point to the least our equanimity; and cheerfully confess that they prominent. "Tis not in nature. contain not a little salutary truth. So far from Disencumbering ourselves of all illustrative being insensible to their virtues-physical, moral, imagery, which by trailing on the ground is apt and intellectual-we do sincerely admire-nay, to impede progress, what would America have cordially love the Americans. They are a brave, England to think, feel, say, and write about her, enterprising, energetic, intelligent, and prosperous the United States? Does she really consider people, and they are growing more like ourselves herself an elegant, graceful, and polished people? every generation, under the influence of phi All the nations of Europe and Asia, and most of losophy and literature. Their schools and colthe African tribes, would shake their heads like leges are diffusing more and more widely the Mandarins, on the enunciation of such a bare gentlemanly spirit which is the sure test of libeidea. On two counts in the indictment drawn ral and enlightened education; and great numup against her, she has been found guilty by a bers of their ablest young men are continually Jury-neither packed nor special-but chosen carrying back to their native land, not only the indiscriminately from the whole world-smoking accomplishments, but the knowledge and the and spitting; which though not capital crimes, wisdom which are the fruit of judicious foreign are in all civilized countries punishable by trans- travel. Not a few are with us every year portation. They necessarily include, too, the in Scotland; and were we to form our opinion of perpetual perpetration of many lesser enormities, their countrymen in general from the young ondurable, perhaps, but certainly inexcusable Americans with whom we have made acquainby the politer sort of people in the other three tanceship and friendship, we should think almost quarters of the globe. as highly of our brethren across the western We more than suspect, that our manners are, wave as of ourselves; and that surely is praise