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European Ideas

European Ideas image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
April
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mr. Dwight relates an amusing anee dote, illustrative of the opinions enter tained in that country respecting Amer ica and the Americans. " While resi ding in one of the largest cities of Eu rope, a family from a neighboring towr carne to pass a few days in the metropo lis and took n suite of rooms next to my own. They inquired if the landlady who oceupied my rooms. She replied, " A gentleman from America !" "From America ! " said they, raising their hands in consternaron, "are you not afraid oí him ? " " No ; he has done nothing yel to excite our alarm." " I am almosl afraid to slay here ; are you sure thal he is hnrmless ? " She observed that 1 had resided there some weeks, and behaved as well as other travelers. As the door opened from one of my rooms inte the fírst of theirs, they slill thought there might be danger, and requested her to fasten it. This however, was not a sufficient defence. The trunks of the whole party we re piled against the door, to prevent my entrance. Unfortunately for the fears of this family, the chimney sweepers carne at an early hour the next morning, and commenced their sooty employment. The party were suddenly awakened by the strange and incomprehensible noise of trowels and sernpers coming in contact wilhdry brick. Thty aróse in great alarm, nnd called out to the mistress of the housp, begging her to come to them. As she entered the room, they wished to know if that American was not the cause of thedisturbance, mistak ing probably the noise of the scrapers fór a sharpening of the tomahawk." Similar sentiments in referenco to A mericans very generally prevail in the centre of Europe. Travelers from the United States are frequently amused by the astonishment wliich is manifested in finding that they are both white and civilized. It is great'" for the interest of the despot-s of Europe, to perpetúate the ignorance respect. ng the free institutions of our country. And it is indeed cutting to the pride of a traveler from the free States of America, to see in ïhe shop windows of Vienna, in liihographic prints, liis country represented as merely the great mart of slave-breeding and slaveflogging- the Guinea oí Christendom.- To prevent any more correct i nformation from entering his realms, Ferdinand has a standing army of two hundred and seventy thousand men, in a state of the highest discipline, scattered through impregnable furtresses. And they are readv at any moment to extinguish in blood the first glimmeringsof the spirit of liberty. By calling out the well-armed militia bnttalions, this number can at nny time be raised to seven hundred and fifiy thousand men. This is a fearful force, to beguided by the energies of one despotic mind.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News