The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-17 00:00:00

AMERICAN FETE DAYS IN LONDON•

The meeting, twice called at the Langham
to arrange for the celebration of the Anniversary of
Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22), has failed to
attract a number of Americans sufficient to give
the necessary éclat. Some Americans are much
disappointed, and assert that there is less public
spirit in theiicountrymen residing in London than ill
any other city wherein they congregate. There
certainly is less of American gregarianism in the
British metropolis than in continental cities for ob-
vious reasons. No American resides in Lon-
; don for mere pleasure, and here as a man of
business, he is lost in -the business surroundings of
the mighty population. His associations, in a
measure his thoughts and feelings, take an Eng-
lish form, and a stranger dining at the table
of an American commercial magnate would be
wholly unaware that his host was a foreign citiz,en.
Thus taking their places in English society they
cannot fail to be influenced by its tone. Conse-
quently the grades into which it is divided separate
one business class from another, and their small
numbers in the great hive wherein they live are
further severed. Belgravia has little connection
with Paddington, but it does not follow that a man
is less patriotic because his house is in Eaton-
square, and he does not know his countryman
in St. John's-wood. To bring them together is no
light task, and it can only be done, as everything
in England is done, by getting some acknovr"
ledged leaders to make the call. Nor is it only
that each American residing in London is lost in
his English circle ; they are divided by party feel-
ing. Some of the strongest Secessionists, and
some equally decided Unionists are among then],
who, unless pressed together, will not mingle.
When Americans contrast this with the colony in
Paris, or the chance gathering at Nice, Rome, or
Dresden, and condemn their countrymen in Lon-
don, they do not make due allowance for the
different circumstances. The Paris colony is an Eng'
lish speaking community among a French speaking
community. Those who wish to stray are thrown
back into the fold by their helplessness to get win
a country whose language to them is unknown--
we speak, of course, of the mass, not of the excel)"
tions who speak French well. The habits and
customs being foreign are unfamiliar, and what is
enjoyable cannot be enjoyed alone. When abroad
men so gregarious as Americans find a charm on
reaching a spot to which their fellow-citizens throng.
This colony, as a rule, is composed of families of
fortune, lounging out afewyears in the metropolis of
fashion, reinformed and renewed by additions, and
by the constant passage through of travellers. N°
wonder an American on a European tour establishes
his head-quarters there, and hurries from London'
where it is as hard to find a fellow-citizen
as a needle in a haystack, to a rendezvous where be
has the advantage of combining foreign surround'
ings with home faces. The pity is that the call for
the celebration of WASHINGTON'S Birthday was lot
made to the lovers of freedom, and not to Amori-
cans only. 'WASHINGTON is a citizen of the world,
and stands first on that small list of Freedom's 011'
to which no country furnishes more than one .or
two names. There are thousands of Englishlllell,
who would rejoice to do honour to the memory 01'
the great patriot, and it is even hard to perstricle
England that the most renowned of A nglo-Sasolls
is not English.—Anglo American Times.