write an article on slavery, like
Dickens; marry him to a white gall to England, get him a saint's darter
with a good fortin, and well soon see whether her father was a talkin'
cant or no, about niggers. Cuss 'em, let any o' these Britishers give
me slack, and I'll give 'em cranberry for their goose, I know. I'd jump
right down their throat with spurs on, and gallop their sarce out."
"Mr. Slick I've done; I shall say no more; we part, and part for ever. I
had no idea whatever, that a man, whose whole conduct has evinced a
kind heart, and cheerful disposition, could have entertained such
a revengeful spirit, or given utterance to such unchristian and
uncharitable language, as you have used to-day. We part"--
"No, we don't," said he; "don't kick afore you are spurred. I guess I
have feelins as well as other folks have, that's a fact; one can't help
being ryled to hear foreigners talk this way; and these critters are
enough to make a man spotty on the back. I won't deny I've got some
grit, but I ain't ugly. Pat me on the back and I soon cool down, drop in
a soft word and I won't bile over; but don't talk big, don't threaten,
or I curl directly."
"Mr. Slick," said I, "neither my countrymen, the Nova Scotians, nor your
friends, the Americans, took any thing amiss, in our previous remarks,
because, though satirical, they were good natured. There was nothing
malicious in them. They were not made for the mere purpose of shewing
them up, but were incidental to the topic we were discussing, and their
whole tenor shewed that while "we were alive to the ludicrous, we fully
appreciated, and properly valued their many excellent and sterling
qualities. My countrymen, for whose good I published them, had the most
reason to complain, for I took the liberty to apply ridicule to them
with no sparing hand. They understood the motive, and joined in the
laugh, which was raised at their expense. Let us treat the English in
the same style; let us keep our temper. John Bull is a good-natured
fellow, and has no objection to a joke, provided it is not made the
vehicle of conveying an insult. Don't adopt Cooper's maxims;
nobody approves of them, on either side of the water; don't be too
thin-skinned. If the English have been amused by the sketches their
tourists have drawn of, the Yankees, perhaps the Americans may laugh
over our sketches of the English. Let us make both of them smile, if we
can, and endeavour to offend neither. If Dickens om
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