UNFAIR DEALING. 407 



and Illinois, and the territory of Michigan. The character of 

 this people has often been drawn. They have many strong 

 characteristics, and in nine cases out of ten may be recognised 

 in walking into a public room, having an air of confidence and 

 self-esteem above all other people. They form the true 

 Yankees, and are obnoxious over the continent of North Ame 

 rica, like the Yorkshiremen in England, and Aberdeenshire- 

 men in Scotland, for their unremitting keenness and industry 

 in business, which may have been engendered by the poverty 

 of the soil, and badness of the climate of New England. They 

 are descended from the first settlers who fled from religious 

 persecution in England, and seem to inherit what may be 

 supposed to have been the prominent dispositions of their 

 forefathers. They faithfully observe all the external forms of 

 decency, and their taciturn, phlegmatic, and calculating dis 

 position, may render them objects of dislike. But their intel 

 ligence, self-esteem, enterprise, and perseverance fit them 

 for a young country, and the growing prosperity of the north 

 ern section of the United States territory is in a considerable 

 degree indebted to them. 



The Yankees have been generally charged with unfair 

 dealing, and although I had no opportunity of judging of this 

 matter personally, many circumstances induce me to think the 

 charge is to a certain extent well founded. To emigrants 

 the morals of a people are of more consequence than their 

 manners, between which, however, there is no connexion. 

 The Irish are a more polite people than the Scotch, but 

 greatly inferior in morality ; and the Yankees, with all the 

 outward forms of virtue, are considered the most dishonest 

 race in the Union. Yankee knavery is said to consist in 

 overreaching every one with whom they have dealings, if the 

 character of their customer admits of their doing: so with 



c5 



impunity. The charge of dishonesty is not applicable to the 

 people of New England generally, and much of the prejudice 

 against them arises from their industry and success in busi 

 ness. In course of conversation I never heard imposition of 

 any kind alluded to in terms of approbation, while honesty 

 of character, and more especially in public men, was invar 



