16th May.
"For the first time since Paul Revere rode out of Boston, that race (the Anglo-Saxon) is now practically a unit in its relationship with the remainder of the world."
For all men to whom Shakespeare's language is the mother-tongue it would be difficult to pen words of greater import than these which we quote from an article in the." Nineteenth Century and After," by Mr. George Harvey, Editor of the "North American Review" and of "Harper's Weekly." They are particularly noticeable coming as the; do from a man who, as all readers of his journals are aware, is by,.no means an Anglo-maniac. The article in question is but a short one covering altogether about seven and a-half pages. Yet within that short compass Mr. Harvey manages to present a bird's-eye view of our past dissensions, how they arose, subsided, and disappeared, after which there is a succinct account of the. why and the wherefore of the present unity. The first section is familiar history, the second less so, and as this section is likewise by far the most important, it is with this alone that we purpose to deal.
The reasons given by Mr. Harvey for the vastly improved relations between the two nations begin with that which must lie at the bottom of all true friendship, intimate knowledge. As our author tells us: "For one educated English gentleman who, in the days of Palmerston, visited the United States. fur the purpose of studying their people and their institutions, such a tour is now undertaken.by scores, even by hundreds." Inter-marriage has become very common, and the tendency on each side to ridicule the other has almost vanished. Then there iz the already enormous but always wing trade connection. It.is on this, of course, that the strongest "material" argument is to be based. If, as-is recognised, a quarrel.with Englavd would be disastrous to the United States, it is no less true that "the frieudship.of the United States has become of incomparable value to England." Were British ports closed to American goods, by blockade for example, it would spell catastrophe to many of the exporters of the States, and " never," says Mr. Harvey, "without galling provocation, would we be prevailed upon to face sucha calamity." Then follows astatement which is of present; importance in connection with. the question of contraband, The writer continues: "Neither would we fur a moment allow Englanid's enemies to restrict our neutral right to furnish her with requisite food-supplies and the raw material needed for her manufactures. Never would we submit to an attempt on the part "f the Continental Powers to make cotton and -breadstuffs contraband of war." So much for one side of the question, one in which both sides are almost equally interested, though we might suffer most were things otherwise. It is next shown where the friendship of John Bull is of vital import to Brother Jonathan, In no fewer than seven points are the United States now vulnerable to strong naval attack, "The day is far distant," says the article, "when we shall be able to defend our transmarine possessions against France alone, much less against a coalition of France and Russia, or of Russia and Germany. The time may be near when we too may find an ally indispensable." Much credit is given to Lord Salisbury for the part he played in bringing abou: this better state of affairs. Especially is he honoured for his tact in the Venezuela case when "Mr. Cleveland's unwarranted message" brought about a panic on the New York Stock Exchange. What the late Premier did is well-known, This is what Mr.
Harvey says of it: "This magnanimous act of self-effacement in a high cause won the admiration of the American people, and the ardent pood will which it excited in their roasts extended from Lord Salisbury himself to their kindred over-seas' whose official representative he was," Then cam" the Spanish war, and again the writer is in no doubt as to the truth of what has been questioned more than once by interested parties. Quoting from the published testimony of Mr. Alger, Secretary for War in President Mokialey's Cabinet, he says, referring to theCuban offal "Great Britain' stued conspicuous among the nations as our friend. Nor was her cordial sympathy neutral; but her whole attitude towards us was so unmistakably friendly that its influence in preoccurred in the way of Europea venting what might otherwise have
intervention will never be capable of full measurement."
Englishmen have sometimes wondered why. the United States were so slow in reciprocating the warmer feelings so freely at their service, but it must not be forgotten that, it is much easier for the doer than for the sufferer of an ill deed to forget. Yet the writer thinks that, all things considered, the period of reconciliation has been one of exceptional brevity. Anyhow, he says:,"The genuine friendliness of the American people has been won. Englishmen may assume that without qualification we have come to believe that the English peuple tell the trath when they want to be our friends.
Uilike Russia, which has lost Aimerica's best will because her acts 'i Manchuria have continually belied her fair words in 'St. ' Petersburg, England has nos missed an' opportunity, while all these' bubbles have been bursting, to demonstrate in' the most effietive and practical manner fovokly confess readiness to pin our that sincerity to which at last "we
ith."
The article concludes with the assertion that though' the prodigal soa has no thought of coming home, hemis randy to help his parent when necessary, and "to accept and give freely of aid whenever and wherever and against whomsoever needed."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.