The Redskins; or, Indian and Injin, Volume 1.
Page 17
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Mr. Hugh Littlepage writes a little sharply, but there istruth in all he says, at the bottom. His tone is probably produced bythe fact that there is so serious an attempt to deprive him of his oldpaternal estate, an attempt which is receiving support in high quarters.In addition to this provocation, the Littlepages, as the manuscriptshows farther on, are traduced, as one means of effecting the objects ofthe anti-renters; no man, in any community in which it is necessary towork on public sentiment in order to accomplish such a purpose, everbeing wronged without being calumniated. As respects the inns, truthcompels me, as an old traveller, to say that Mr. Littlepage has muchreason for what he says. I have met with a better bed in the lowestFrench tavern I ever was compelled to use, and in one instance I sleptin an inn frequented by carters, than in the best purely country inn inAmerica. In the way of neatness, however, more is usually to be found inour New York village taverns than in the public hotels of Paris itself.As for the hit touching the intelligence of the people, it is merited;for I have myself heard subtle distinctions drawn to show that the"people" of a former generation were not as knowing as the "people" ofthis, and imputing the covenants of the older leases to thatcircumstance, instead of imputing them to their true cause, the opinionsand practices of the times. Half a century's experience would induce meto say that the "people" were never particularly dull in making abargain.--EDITOR.
[2] The editor has often had occasion to explain the meaning ofterms of this nature. The colonists caught a great many words from theIndians they first knew, and used them to all other Indians, though notbelonging to their languages; and these other tribes using them asEnglish, a sort of limited _lingua franca_ has grown up in the countrythat everybody understands. It is believed that "moccasin," "squaw,""pappoose," "sago," "tomahawk," "wigwam," &c. &c. all belong to thisclass of words. There can be little doubt that the _sobriquet_ of"Yankees" is derived from "Yengeese," the manner in which the tribesnearest to New England pronounced the word "English." It is to this houra provincialism of that part of the country to pronounce this word"_Eng_-lish" instead of "_Ing_-lish," its conventional sound. The changefrom "_Eng_-lish" to "_Yen-geese_" is very trifling.--EDITOR.
[3] As the "honourable gentleman from Albany" does not seem tounderstand the precise signification of "provincial," I can tell himthat one sign of such a character is to admire a bed at an Americancountry inn.--EDITOR.
[4] That Mr. Hugh Littlepage does not feel or express himselftoo strongly on the state of things that has now existed among us forlong, long years, the following case, but one that illustrates themelancholy truth among many, will show. At a time when the tenants of anextensive landlord, to whom tens of thousands were owing for rent, wereopenly resisting the law, and defeating every attempt to distrain,though two ordinary companies of even armed constables would have putthem down, the sheriff entered the house of that very landlord, andlevied on his furniture for debt. Had that gentleman, on the just andpervading principle that he owed no allegiance to an authority that didnot protect him, resisted the sheriff's officer, _he_ would have gone tothe State's prison; and there he might have staid until his last hour ofservice was expended.--EDITOR.
[5] Absurd as this may seem, it is nevertheless true, and for areason that is creditable, rather than the reverse--a wish to help alongthe unfortunate. It is a great mistake, however, as a rule, to admitof any other motive for selecting for public trusts, thanqualification.--EDITOR.
[6] This is no invented statement, but strictly one that istrue, the writer having himself a small interest in a property sosituated; though he has not yet bethought him of applying to theLegislature for relief.--EDITOR.
Transcriber's Notes:Misprints and punctuation errors corrected.
Page 23, "fourscore" changed to "four-score". Page 83, Single quote changed to double quote. Page 94, Removed double quote. Page 113, Other versions of text read "good-natured" instead of "good-natural". Page 139, Removed open quotes. Page 144, "bathos" changed to "pathos". Page 178, "Pat" changed to "Patt". Page 195, "Ja" changed to "ja". Page 196, "eend" changed to "end". Page 212, "gobbernor" changed to "gubbernor". Page 233, Removed duplicate word "to".
Ligatures removed in ASCII Version: c[oe]lum to coelum.