The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-26 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

AMERICA.
MR. BANCROFT ON THE POLICY OF
ENGLAND TOWARDS AMERICA.

On the 12th inst. in the American Rouse of
Representatives the Hon. George Bancroft de-
livered a long address on the life and character of
Abraham Lincoln. The President, the Chief
Justice, the heads of departments, the officers of
the army and navy, and the diplomatic corps were
present by invitation.
Describing the effect in Europe of the American
rebellion, Mr. Bancroft thus alluded to England ; I
referring to the aristocracy he said :
That aristocracy had gazed with terror on the growth
of a commonwealth where freehold@ seined by the mg-
line, and religion was not in bootlegs to the state ; and
now they could not repeal their joy at its porn,. They
had not a word of sympathy for the kind-hearted
posy man's sou whom America had chosen for her
chief ; they jeered at his large bands, and long feet.
sad ungainly stature; and the British Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, made haste to seed word through
the palaces of Europe that the Great Republic was in its
agony, that the republic was no more, that a head-
stone wee all that remained due by the law
of nations to "the late Mike." But it Is
written, " Let the deed bury their deed ;" they may sot
bury the living. Let the dead bury their dead : let • bill of
reform remove the worn-out government of a class, and
infuse new life into the British Constitution by oontlchn' g
rightful power to the people. But while the vitality of
America is indestructible, the British Government hutried

to do what 'aver before bad been done by Obsistisn Powers
—what was in direct conflict with its own exposition of pub-
lto law in the time of our strogglefor independence. Though
the insurgent Steles had not a ship or an open harbour,
it invested them with ell the rights of a belligereat,
even on the ocean; sad this, too, when the rebellion
was mot only directed against the gentlest and most
beneficent government on earth, without a shadow
of justifiable cause, but when the rebellion was directed
against human nature itself for the perpetual 0111111•11-
meat of a race. And the effect of this recogeition was
that acts in themselves piratical found shelter in British
courts of law. The resources of British capitalists,
their workshops, their armories, the'r private arsenals,
their shipyards, were in league with the insurgents,
end every British harbour in the wide world became
a safe port for British!ships, manned by British sailors,
and armed with British guns, to prey on our peace-
ful commerce; even on oar ships coming from
British ports, freighted with British product', or that
bad carried gifts of grain to the English poor. The
Prime Moister is the House of Commons, sustained by
thews, scoffed at the thought that their laws
could be amended at our requ-A, so se to pry
serve real centrality; and to remonstrances, now
owned to have been just, their scerstery answered that
they rorld not change their laws ad infinituat.
The people of Amerios then wished, as they always
have wished, as they still wish, friendly relations with
England ; and no man in England or America can de-
sire it mare strongly than L This country has always
yearned for good relations with Eng'and. Thrice only
in all its history has that yearning been fairly met ; in
the days of Hampden and Cromwell, again in the first
ministry of the elder Pitt, and owe again in the mi-
nistry of Shelburne. Not that there have not at all
times been just men among the peers of Great Britain—like
Halifax in the days of James IL. or a Granville, an A roll,
or a Houghton in ours ; and we cannot be iod.ffereat to a
country that produces statesmen like Cobden and Bright ;
but the best bower anchor of peace was the working class
of England, who suffered most from our civil war, bat who,
while they broke their diminished bread is, sorrow, always
encouraged as to persevere.