The people of New England are grave, though they are not without humor; many of their amusements are of a reflecting kind, and their conversation tends rather to useful than to light or gay subjects. They are moral and pious, and the descendants of the Puritans retain much of the strictness of their fathers. If not ardent, they are to a great degree persevering, and though inquisitive, they are equally communicative. They are shrewd and calculating, yet not deceitful. They are no ‘granters of propositions;’ with them almost all things are subjects for discussion, in which they manifest much ingenuity. They have a caution that prevails in all things, and they seldom answer directly an abrupt question, without knowing why it is asked. They have the impress of Franklin; Poor Richard’s maxims of thrift fall upon a congenial soil, and no proverbs are oftener quoted, or more followed. They are like Franklin, to a great degree inventive in practical things, and far the greater number of inventions in the patent office are from New England. It is peculiar to these people, that they are seldom found without a pocket knife, which they use with dexterity; and boys at school are frequently seen whittling, or cutting wood into some shape, for a wind-mill or other toy. It is a universal trait, and it is said that a gentleman in Havana, who invited a large company to dine, gave each man from New England a shingle to cut, that they might not carve his furniture.
One of the first traits developed in the New England character is, if not a love of gain, at least a disposition to traffic. It commences at an early age, and children at school not only exchange or ‘swap’ knives, and other things, but make lotteries, in which the prizes are paid in gingerbread and raisins, and which leave a little profit to the manager and proprietor. The farmers too, though not the most industrious kind, sometimes bring up horses and cattle for a ‘swap’ to the village inn; and the tin pedlars, whose wheels are in every road in the United States, are to a man from New England.
Another trait of character is the readiness with which the people of NewEngland admit the equality of all men with themselves, and the steadiness with which they deny, both in theory and practice, that any are superior. It would raise a tempest in the breast even of a female domestic, to ask for her mistress, nor would she be satisfied to be called a servant, or even a domestic. Help is the word by which servants reconcile their pride with their interest or employment, as it denotes, that though the assistants, they are the equals of their employers. A foreigner probably finds some ground for dissatisfaction on the score of domestics, for among house-wives it is a subject of universal complaint at home; the best servants are English, who have been more familiar with the distinction of classes.
The people of New England are distinguished for their celebrations. They are interlocked with each other by innumerable societies and associations, and one man is a member of many. These have their anniversaries, which, with the national and other holidays, make a great many processions, public dinners, and addresses. It is also usual to offer public dinners to those who have done acceptable services in high public stations.
A town meeting is perhaps the best place wherein to see the self-control of the people, when highly excited on questions of general or local interest. Every town is within certain limits a pure democracy, and its doings are attended with perfect decorum under the moderator, who is chosen, as the word implies, to mollify any over-zealous excitement. If, on these occasions, any citizen becomes turbulent, or abusive in language, the sense of the assembly is so strongly expressed against him, that he is at once reduced to order. Generally speaking, there are no mobs or riotous assemblies. The interference of a few constables, or the reading of the ‘riot act’ by a magistrate, is sufficient to disperse any tumultuous throng. A tumult at a town meeting or election, is a thing unheard of among us.
Some of the most peculiar manners and customs of New England are found in the island of Nantucket, and the neighboring part of the continent. Nantucket is a happy settlement; not that it has precious metals in its bosom, or fertility in its soil, but because the people are simple, innocent, and contented. The sea is their patrimony, and they gather its bounties in the most distant ports. The whale fishery in New England was commenced by six persons in Nantucket; one watched on an eminence for the spouting of the whale, and when he discovered it, all would pursue in a small boat, and they seldom failed to tow the leviathan ashore. Gains extended the adventure, ships were fitted out, and the whale was chased from the temperate regions to the arctic seas, and followed to the remotest shores of the Pacific ocean.
Among the people, there are none idle, and few destitute. The vices of commercial places are hardly known, and it is admitted all over New England to be a great presumption in favor of a man’s honesty, that he comes from Nantucket. The Friends or Quakers give to the language a simplicity of diction truly Doric, and though they take some liberties with the commonwealth’s English, yet in a person brought up with them, to speak in a more classic manner would be held to savor of affectation and pretension. The various relationships, and the kindly feelings, have introduced the custom of calling elderly people uncle or aunt, and the younger, cousin. Even a stranger soon falls into this habit. The people generally marry young, and few live in celibacy. They are social to a great degree, and are eminently distinguished for their frequent visitings, to sup at eachother’s houses. They live more as though they made a large family, than a small community.
The following tribute to the New England character is from Captain Hall, whom no one can accuse of a desire to overpraise what he saw in this country. ‘I had, however, many sharp amicable discussions with my friends at Boston, on the thousand and one topics that arose between us, but I must do them the justice to say, that I never met a more good-natured, or perhaps I should say, good-tempered people; for, during the whole course of my journey, though I never disguised my sentiments, even when opposed to the avowed favorite opinions of the company, I never yet saw an American out of temper. I fear I cannot say half so much for myself, for I was often a good deal harassed by these national discussions, when the company and I took our station on the opposite poles of the question. But it is pleasant to have it in my power to say that I cannot recall a single instance in which any thing captious, or personally uncivil, was ever said to me, though I repeated openly, and in all companies, every thing I have written in these volumes, and a great deal more than upon cool reflection I choose to say again.’
In general, the amusements are of a thoughtful rather than a gay character, and games of skill are preferred to those of chance. The character of the Puritans has given some tone to the amusements and holidays. Theatres are seldom even fashionably attended, and there are many who hold it unlawful to enter them. There are places, too, in the country, where dancing is considered to be a ‘vain, idle, and sinful amusement.’
The active sports are principally games of ball, and sometimes running and wrestling; formerly, different towns and parishes had their champions in wrestling, to try their superiority by matches, in which several fatal accidents occurred; but the sport is now almost entirely disused. Boxing, which is so universal in England, is almost unknown, and horse-racing and cock-fighting are seldom seen. In winter, when there are delightful moonlight nights, sleigh-rides are a favorite amusement. Parties of both sexes sit in large sleighs, as closely as they can be packed, and sometimes in each others’ laps, scour over several miles at a rapid rate, and at some hotel, find not only a supper but a fiddler in attendance, whose gains are much enhanced in the season of sleighing. There are several holidays, but none that are observed in England. Election day is that on which the governor is declared to be elected, and has heretofore been one of the most ‘time-honored’ days in the calendar. On this day, the young men often take sides, in what is called a ‘bird shoot,’ to destroy the birds most mischievous to crops, and the party bringing in the least number of heads is vanquished, and gives a dinner to the other.