From the Examiner. (princess, who has been changed in her cradle. The AMERICAN NOTIONS.

right to be presented at court, determines that of being

admitted into the aristocratic circle; and it is a standIt would be very hard to decide whether ing rule at most of the courts, that no merchant, no the English writers on America or the member of the learned professions, as such, and in American writers on England, commit the general no person exercising any useful or profitable greater blunders.

calling, can pretend to the honour of a personal introducThe exchange of error

tion to the sovereign. This is a distinction reserved and misrepresentation appears nearly equal. for professed idlers; and so entirely has habit inverted With such curious nicety, indeed, is the the natural course of feeling on the subject, that matter balanced, that a mistake on the one these drones not only exclude all the industrious porside is seldom set right without a mistake tion of the community from their society, but affect to of equal magnitude on the other, in the very the privileged order invented and applied to the

look down upon them with contempt. In France, act of correction. An amusing example of

body of the nation an epithet of rather obscure etythis kind occurs in the North American Re- mology, but in practice significant of utter ignominy view.

Mrs. Butler having intimated that and disgrace. Every person not belonging to the persons of literary celebrity are excluded three or four hundred 'families of the nobility, was from the first circles in the United States, called a Roturier. Now and then a young man of the Reviewer asserts that the charge does led to improve it by marrying the daughter of a

aristocratic origin, but reduced fortune, condescend. not apply to America, but he retorts it, with wealthy banker, or a farmer-general, and he was some enormous additions, upon European then said, in the polite dialect of the court, to enrich society, and states that, in the capitals of his lands by a draught upon the dung-hill of the comEngland and of most other kingdoms, the monality; -le fumier de la rôture. The English landistinction between the privileged orders guage, thanks to the manly virtues of our puritan and the other classes is so strictly observed, the French roturier. In England, a commoner was

forefathers, has no term of reproach, corresponding to that the former refuse to associate with the always an honourable title; but even in England, the latter on equal terms, and that the line ofline of distinction between the privileged and the proseparation between the nobility and the professional circles is strictly drawn. In this country no minent members of professions is drawn so real difference between the state of society here and

such distinction exists, and this is the great and only rigidly as to be nearly as impassable as that in Europe." between the two colours in the United States. We quote the passage, as a specimen of the

The Reviewer potently believes that an manner in which one false notion is turned English nobleman would refuse to associate against another:

on equal terms with a lawyer, a merchant, “The truth is, that the fact most strongly char. a physician, a clergyman, or officer-that he acteristic of the state of society in all our principal would not sit at the same table with Mr. cities, as compared with those of Europe, is precisely Bickersteth before he was made a Peer, Sir the absence of this distinction between the fashionable Henry Halford, Southey, and the like, but and the intellectual circles, which our author is would recoil from them almost as Ameri. pleased to represent as particularly marked in this

cans do from men whose skins are as black country. In the capitals of England, and of most of the other kingdoms of Europe, such a distinction as the illiberality and injustice that hold really exists. The hereditary privileged orders, in them in degradation. cluding the reigning families, constitute a separate Such ignorance of English society as apclass, occupying by general acknowledgment the pears in the passage we have quoted may highest rank, and refusing to associate on equal terms with any other. The prominent members of the va. that it is fully matched or exceeded by our

appear marvellous, but we have not a doubt rious professions, who have acquired wealth or competency by the successful exercise of their respective commentators on American manners. callings, and are able to surround themselves with the Some remarks which follow are more corelegancies of life, form, in all these cities, another rectly aimed--they hit us in a weak place, class much superior to the court circle in every in- and with considerable force:tellectual and moral quality, but confessedly below it in rank. The line of separation between these two “ Our fair censor has described as a leading feature classes is drawn in the most rigid manner, and is near-in the state of society in this country, the precise ly as impassable as that between the two colours in this distinction of which the absence constitutes the great country. In half the novels that have been written, and only real difference between our social constituas those of our readers who are familiar with this tion and that of Europe. It is also remarkable, as a branch of learning are well aware, the distress is proof how little she has matured her opinions on the created by building up between the lovers the ideal subject, that while she condemns, in strong terms, but impenetrable and impassible wall of separation, this distinction, as she incorrectly represents it to exresulting from a difference of rank, which is common ist here, she looks back to it as it really does exist in ly removed at the end of the fourth volume, not by Europe, with a sort of longing regret; and, what is sacrificing the prejudice to good sense and good even more curious, she seems to suppose that every feeling, but by proving, in some extraordinary way, body she sees here, is infected with the same feeling. that the hero is a duke in diguise, or the heroine al'a republic is a natural anomaly. What the world may

VOL. XXIX, AUGUST, 1836- 25.

a