The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-02 00:00:00

THE UNITED STATES AND PAIILIA-

MEN T.

(From the Anglo-American Times)
In the House of Commons it has become the
fashion to turn for examples and illustrations to the
United States, and it is now so common that the

members throw America at each other's heads in

every debate.

From the construction of an anchor

to Church Government, from soldiers' drill to

mining laws, America is set forth as the guide.

The who has travelled through the States
assumes airs of superior knowledge which are offen-

sive in their open display to the members, without
this advantage. The Pall Mall Gazette has become

quite petulant on the subject, and resents this con-
stant allusion to the great Republic. After all—

the press follows society, and Parliament follows
the tress ; therefore, the cause is in society,
and not in Parliament, A few years ago,

Englishmen understood as little, and therefore c fired
as att.?, to hear about the United States as about
Kamtchatka. Those who persisted in talking of
_ _

the country bored their hearer 3 who knew little of
it ; but now all this is changed ; no other nation s
generally forms a subject for discussion in England,
and the columns of the Fall Mall Gazette respond

by the space given to America. What the public
talk about and is written on by the press will be
frequently alluded to in Parliament, so if the Pall
Mall desires a change its remarks must be directed
to English society. The effect on America is not
less striking. As the world grants the first
place to the Republic, Americans cease to assert
it, and are more inclined to remain silent, in
the proud consciousness it imparts. Most Eng-
lishmen are struck with the modesty with which
Americans now speak of their country, and the
total absence of highfaluten, and when Represents-

tives in Congress indulge in an outburst o
spreadeagelism, the House jeers, and the country
laughs. The change is very extraordinary on being
compared with Pogram's days, when men from the
wild West mistook extravagance for eloquence,
and drew bursts of applauie by their rhapsodies on
the country, its flag, and its emblem. With power
comes responsibility ; and when Congress feels that
the eyes of nations are fixed upon it, and that its
acts are discussed for information in every Legis-
lature, the consciousness will impart care, dili-
gence, and dignity. Most of the scenes which have
tended to lower the House, have been enacted by men
whose imagination did not carry them beyond the
walls of their llall. For instance if the Repre-
sentatives had viewed the outrageous attack of Mr.
Donnelley last year on Washburne as seen from
Europe, instead of as seen from their seats in the
Mr. Donnelley, instead of being encouraged,
would have been quickly suppressed. There are
many things great men do at home in private they
would be very sorry to have suddenly exhibited to
the gaze of the world ; in fact, things they would
not do did they know this would be the result.
Surely then, for the period members are engaged
in solemn legislative duty, they can refrain either
from joining in such squabbles or iu exciting others
to do so. What we said would happen at the time
of Mr. Donnelley's attack, has happened, for the
scene has been embo lied in at least half a
dozen books and magazines on this side, in illustra-
tion of Congressional proceedings. The constant
allusion in foreign Legislatures to American insti-
tutions, will act on the dignity of Congress in the
same way as the acknowledged position of the Re-
public has acted on its citizens. There is no aris-
tocracy whose position approaches in strength and
security to that of England ; yet there is no class
in England less assuming in manner than the lords.
There is a quiet consciousness of their advantages,
which may be felt by those with whom they asso-
ciate, but can scarcely be seen ; while, on the con-
trary, the pretenders, and those whose position is
doubtful, are the greatest snobs, and the must offen-
sive people in the country. Now it is a change
like this, in a small degree, which has taken place
in Americans, and we venture to say that con-
sideration for the feelings, of others will become
more marked as the nation passes out of the rank
of first-class Powers to an acknowledged position
on a pinnacle by itself. A vast portion of the
bentirneut of America does not find a general ex-
nression in the press. Most newsplpers are cheap,
and being published for the million, express opinions
pleasing to the million. But a higher class of jour-
nal is steadily gaining strength,somewhatsitnilar,B nd
which soon will correspond with the Saturday Review,
the Spectator,and reviews of that class. Nothing em be
fairer than the treatment of questions, for instance,
in the Nation, and no paper could be more wholly
free from a highfaluten style. We select it, be-
cause a correspondence about " the Alabama
Claims," which lately appeared in its columns,
shows the sentiments of its readers. One signing
himself " America" wrote bitterly on the subject.
His proposal, as another writer, " Integrity," puts
it, amounted to this :—" Pay the sufferers by the
depredations of the Alabama; wait till England is at
war ; then let the citizens of the United States go
into the privateering business on a large scale—the
G over nment meanwhile winking at their occupation."
" Integrity" condemns the proposal with a force
and openness of argument we have not seen equalled
in England, and in the same issue of the Nation
appeared another letter which said things which
English papers shrank from writing. Emphatically,
they stigmatised it as not only immoral, but
cowardly, yet, both these writers were deeply im-
pressed with the wilfully culpable wrong England
had in that affair done to the United States.
This is the tone so general among the best
educated Americans, which does not find its full ex-
pression, and we doubt whether it has its equal for
nobility of feeling anywhere else. It gives us, then,
unfeigned pleasure to notice what has called forth
the petulant remarks of the Pall Mall, for we be-
lieve that the action and re-action of the countries
on each other will be productive of much good,
teaching both to see questions from the other's
point of view—of all things that most desirable to
,nculcate.

The steamship De Soto, Captain Eaton, from
Havana, which arrived at New York on the 12th, brought
his Excellency Sir Don M. Lopez Roberts, the Spanish
Minister, en route to Washington. The De Soto also
brought from Key West one company of the sth United
States Artillery, Brevet Major J. B. Rawles in command.
Miss Nilsson has contradicted in all the papers
that she is engaged for the coming season of the Italian
Opera at Covent-garden, and it is still asserted id New
York this lady will shortly visit that city, and Mr.
Mapleson, with a good company, will be there in the
autumn. _ _ _ _ _

A delegation of about 20 members of the Irish
Republican Association of the United States, headed by
Major Haggerty, of New York, called on the President on
the afternoon of the filth inst. to tender their congratula-
tions, and pledge to the President of the United States the
support of the Irish Republicans of America to his Ad-
ministration. There was no speech-making.

It appears from the following letter that Mr.
Masterman has retut ned to England. When last we heard
of him he was at Washington, where a long correspon-
dence had been published from Admiral Davis on the sub-
ject of his treatment and that of Mr. Bliss on board the
United states men-of-war: —"To the editor of the Standard.
- -Sir,—My attention has been called to a letter in your
journal of the 22d inst., in which "A Naval Engineer" re-
quests info .
information concerning Robert Foster, who died, ho
says, a prisoner Paraguay. I regret that I can give no
certain information about him, for I tried in vain to obtain
access to the English prisoners of war in Ascuncion, and
could only learn, about six months after their capture, from
some of their Italian companions in misfortune, that they
were at first about 13 in number, but that then all, or
nearly all, had died from diseases caused by starvation and
ill-treatment. Ono of them, William Miles, entered the
Paraguayan service,
and was amongst those who sought
asylumin the United States Legation ; he was at liberty,
but very ill, when 1 last saw him. I hope in a few clays to
publish some account of my own almost miraculous escape
from death and my rescue by hear-Admiral Davis, of the
United States South Atlantic squadron.—l am, sir, your
obedient servant, G. FRED. MASTERMAN, late Assistant-
Surgeon, Paraguayan Military Service.— Wellesley-road,
Croydon, S."
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