Gigantic daughter of the West, We drink to thee across the food, Wo know thee atid we love thee best, For art that not of British blood Oxe of not the least remarkable things in history is the equanimity with which Englishmen have come to regard the loss of those North American colonies now known as the United States, and the readiness with which they ju celebrating Independence Day. If the separation of the United States from the mother country had been the result of a friendly transaction, if they bad gone forth to a new life as a daughter who leaves her father's Louse with a man approved alike by her parents and herself, the present mutual good-feeling would be more easily understood. But the daughter in this case revelled from parental rale, and conquered her inde. pendence by force, and " with garments rolled in blood and seeing that family quarrels are generally the most bitter and take longest to heal, there is reason to wonder that for nearly three-quarters of a century there has been aniuterrupted pence between the mother and the daughter, and a mutual regard that grows stronger every year. The great. ness and wealth which the United States have attained a hundred and ten yeara, they might possibly have equalled if they had remained attached to Great Britain; but it is not unlikely that the daughter in that case would have over. shadowed the mother, and the centre of English power might have been moved by this time to the other side of the Atlantic. The States go abend so fast that it is not at all impossible that the centre of English-speaking power will before long be so moved. It is not merely in material wealth that the United L. States is catching us up and threatening to outstrip us, In the Arts and in Belles Lettres she is an equally formidable rival. The bond of a common language too lias not been weakened by the lapse of time, and shows no signs of attennation. "Lhe constant interchange of literature, and the facilities of travel, between the two sides of the Atlantic have happily prevented variatious in the respective Ianguages; and there is much more difference between the dialects of a Londoner and a York~ shireman, than between those of a Londoner and a Chicagoan, It no wonder then that we join with Aumoricaus in celebrating their achievoment of their independence, though it was achieved by conquest over our own forefathers; and nowhere is this friendliness more gounine and hearty than in Shanghai, In China, Ameri English are absolutely one, our aims and interests are identical work together in business and pleasure; there are no distiuetior between the two nations, thing as international jealousy la almost totally auknown, Oar Consule write home trade reports in whioh and are no than if these usefal officials ad reported that the maj of the events at the athletic sparta had been won by Amerionue, We wer one, and happily the possession of the same blood and the same language keeps us one: and the prosperity of the United States will be as heartily drank on board the Marion this afternoon by Englishmen as by Americans.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.