BEVIEWS — LETTERS EEOM THE UNITED STATES, ETC. 163 



the former sketch. At Louisville the Honourable ]\Iiss Murray 

 finds her porcelain of human clay in actual contact with two of those 

 pipkins of the commonest black earthenware called "negro women," 

 and no northern lady " to the manor born," could conduct herself 

 with a more becoming dignity ; " Such a frightful specimen of black 

 nature as one of these slave women was !— her mouth just like a cat- 

 fish, and then so sulky and unaccommodating; — she took her own 

 share of the room and added to it as much as she could possibly steal 

 from her neighbours. Talk of white freedom ! Why I never saw 

 women of the white classes in England as independent and assuming 

 in manner as some of these darkies. I can imagine what they must 

 be in the "West Indies, since we have given them free scope there !" 

 What indeed ! What business have low, vulgar people, with ugly 

 faces, to independence or free scope ? We should have liked to 

 have started the knotty ethnological problem of " the Unity of the 

 Human Kace?" in that Louisville stage-coach, and asked our authoress 

 just to take a quiet philosophical look at it, with her practical view 

 of things. Miss Murray would have made short work of it, or we 

 are greatly mistaken. 



It must not be supposed, however, though our authoress in general 

 sticks to the rose-colored spectacles, that everything is perfect even 

 on the White side of the question. The following shews that even 

 white nature will sometimes forget itself: — 



" I have heard much of Democracy and Equality since I came to the United 

 States, and I have seen more evidences of Aristocracy and Despotism than it has 

 before been my fortune to meet with. The ' Know-Nothings,' and the 'Aboli- 

 tionists,' and the ' Mormonists,' are, in my opinion, consequent upon the mammonite, 

 extravagant pretensions and habits which are really fashionable among Pseudo- 

 Republicans. Two hundred thousand starving Irish have come to this country, 

 and in their ignorance they assume the airs of that equality which they have been 

 induced to believe is really belonging to American society. They endeavour to 

 reduce to practice the sentiment so popular here, — but no — that will never do. 

 Ladies don't like their helps to say they ' choose to sit in the parlour, or they 

 ■won't help them at all, for equality is the rule here ! ' Mrs. So-and so of the 

 4 Codfish' Aristocracy, doesn't like to have Lady Anything to take precedence of 

 her ; but Betty choosing to play at equality is quite another thing." 



Our notice might be greatly enlarged by similar piquant selections, 

 which diversify the more commonplace narrative of an American 

 traveller's notes; but we shall content ourselves with one or two brief 

 reminisences within our own Canadian frontier. Toronto is dismissed 

 in less than a couple of pages. It " wants a little polish, but will be 

 a noble city." Montreal scarcely receives a definite notice; but the 

 capital of the Lower Province is drawn in a paragraph of which we 





