The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-09-12 00:00:00

THE HON. REVERDY JOHNSON AT
SHEFFIELD.

At the arousal feast of the Cutlers' Conipany held at Shef-
field last week, at WillCh a distinguished company were
present, the tin in Reverdy Johnson, who Islet with a very
enthusiastic reception, it, responding, whets Isis health was
proposed as 'the Representative of the United States to the
Coils tof this c try," said :

Mr. Master Cutler, my L-ols, and Gentlemen,—l
return you my moat grateful thanks for the reception
I have met with, and you, Mr. Smith [by whom
the toast was proposed], for the complimentary
.terms in which you have brought forward my name.
You have toy wannest acknowledgment. I came
to your country, gentle:nen, as a messenger of
pelee ; that messenger I mean to be,—l could not be
otherwise if I carried out the instructions of my
Government I value your reception the more because
it assures me, in addition to the assurances which I
have had since I landed upon your shores, that you
entertain a friendly feeling for the Government and
the people of the United States, and I am most happy
to assure you, my lords and gentlemen, that that
feeling is warmly reciprocated. I speak only what
1 know, with every opportunity of becoming ac-
quainted with the sentiments of my country-
-1 know that for no people on the habitable globe
is there a kinder feeling entertained by those of
the -United States than for the subjects of Her Ma-
jesty. We are, in fact, by origin and by institutions,
one people ; we have& common name, &kindred blood,
similar privileges, and equal protection, and theme, in
the language of one if your philosophic statesmen, who
taught the world what it was b, be just and right,
" are ties stronger than links of iron." Duriug; the
domestic tn,ul,le Which agitated aim' land, awl Which
brought to almost every household s, vrow and death,
differences of opinion were entertained, and it Wll4, not,
therefore, to Ire wondered at th.tt differences prevailed
here in England as to the causes and the justice of the
struggle in which we were engaged. But the stniggle
111 AV, thank God, is at an end, our differences have
disappeared, and I rejoice to !relieve and every
day I ,f the short days that I have lived with you,
satisfies Inc that lam justified in believing that all such
differences here have disappeared. We have becollle
CUM inivd that we must he me and indivisible.
Nature by. her mountain and her river and her ocean
has pr,silanned to us that we must be one, and I beg
y,,n to be assured that, as we are one, that very unity
which will increase our prosperity and power will in-
crease, as I hope and believe, your prosperity and
,wer, Our political iestitutions are like yours; they
are fasLiousti from yours, and in their inundation lies
a deep and never-dying attachment of hmnan liberty.
, In our hand—l wean in our joint hand— that liberty
I will live for ever. The troubles to which I have re-
ferred,
.great a., they were, sad and heartrending as
they have been, have been attended by one compensa-
tion. We had an institution not indigenous to us,
but brought to us from a common ancestor—human
slavery. Four millions of people were in that condi-
, tion ; how to abolish it without dangers even worse than
those which followed from its existence was a problem,
Our domestic strife has solved that problem. Slavery,
thank God, is now extinct, and no footprints
are to be found on the soil of the United States but
those of a freeman. Dreadful as the havoc has been
prevailing, as the slaughter was, literally miring
almost every battlefield with blood ; in future times it
will be said that all was well spent in getting rid of !
that blot,- —not of our own creation, but of that Not
which tarnished the fair fame of the United States
and gave the lie to the Declaration of Independence,
by which we claimed our right to freedom and liberty.
What is man without liberty? It is liberty al, rise
"that gives to life its lustre and perfume, and we are

i weeds without t." Mr. Master Cutler and gentchnen,
the political canvass which is nowon foot in the 'United
States involves the question who shall be at the head
of the Executive of that great country, but I
beg to assure you from my knowledge of both
candidates that whichever shall be the choice of
the people you will find a friend of England. In your
political contest in which you also an• engaged we have
no other interests, whatever the resul may be, than
that your Govermnent may be strengthened, and not
weakened. We have philosophic statesmen :timing es
in the United States as you have here, and we look
to the continuance of your Geverninent as of itself a
security that political freedom is to be our lot fir ever.
With your Government and .tes united in friendship,
as 1 havo no deulit they will ito throegh all time we
may defy the world. Liberty we have, but it k like
your own liberty- liberty restrained by law—liberty
which finds its own safe protection only in the restraint
to which it is made subject by late Mr. Master
Cutler and gentlemen, don't believe that I WU a stranger
to your association. We have felt you in every firm
in which man can be felt. Your cutlery, your pen-
knives, and your steel are just as well known
with us as they are here, and they have benefited us as
they have you. Wc have, I believe, in Koine measure,
provided ourselves with what is called a table cutlery,
lait in the way of razors, if I may say Co in
th • presence of ladies, you beat the world. (Laughter
and cheers.) We also acknowledge your superiority
to us in your sttel manufactory. Nothing can be finer
and nothing has contributed more to slur own success
than the success to which you have brought that
particular manufacture, and I trust that you will never,
with all the skill which from time to tune You have
manifested construct an instrument that will cut the
c••rd that binds us together as one people. I have
nail entire, gentlemen than I intended. I cause bora
not willingly merely, but eagerly. I refused, or rather
I declined, at first, because I supposed I might be
obliged to see her Majesty the Queen for the purpose
if presenting my credential's but the moment I heard
that she would net be here as sisin an was expected
I changed my mind and the happiest hour I have had
is that in which I advised you that I should be here,
except that I have been a great deal happier since I
came. Your Government, my lords and gentlemen, is
dear to us under any circumwances. The name
:of Lord Warnclitfe should be dear to us.
I Your father, my lord (turning to Lord Warn-
' chile), was a pest of mine for some four or five
days sane four or five years ago. It was 4luring the
Session of a Convention for the nemination of a candi-
date for the Presidency, lie was doing me the honiair
to stay with me, and he expressed a belie that we
should stand together. Ho was obliged to leave me,
and I received a telegraphic communication from hint
from Philadelphia, after which he wrote me a long
letter, saying that he hail never heard the name if the
gentleman Inman:dm!, and, therefore, ilia not know
how we could stand together. But we have stood, and
I trust that for ever stand we will as long as we can,
your friends, warm, sincere, willing, and solicitous to
be I,y your side if you at any time should be in serious
trouble. (Loud and protracted cheering, amidst which
the hum gentleman resumed his seat.)