The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-06 00:00:00

Boston has given the Prince of Wales a reception
inferior only to New York in its magnitude. Its
warm, cordialenthusiasm, its decorum, its immense
outpouring of a people's welcome equalled that at
the capital, and more than this it would be impos-
sible to say. It was, on a more confined scale, a re-
petition of the same grand scene which he wit-
nessed in the Broadway. If there could be a dis-
tinction drawn between such heart-stirring
ovations, I should feel inclined to lean rather in
favour of the enthusiasm of Boston, but this slight
shade of difference, if any really did exist, may be
more than accounted for by the fact that on the
day of the arrival at New York the people had
been quietly waiting in dense masses for eight
hours, and it was so dark when the Prince got
down the Broadway that one-half of the people
saw nothing of him at all. Certainly, New York
and Boston have as completely eclipsed all other
cities in this tour, in the intense cordiality of their
welcome, as Halifax surpassed every other place
in its street decorations, or Montreal in its ball.
Boston claims to be the modern Athens of the
West, the Edinburgh of the Union, with the single
difference between it and our own northern capital
that the claims of Boston are so well founded that
they are never denied here. Not only the greatest
names, but nearly all the names eminent in Ameri-
can literature and science and art are those of Boston
men. Boston is, in fact, always pointed to as the
model city of the Union—the model city for the
good order, intelligence, and quiet prosperity of its
inhabitants—the model city for the jealous care
with which the progress of public education is
watched and fostered by the State. New Yorkers
sulkily admit its superiority in these respects, but
fairly enough point to the heterogeneous mass of
emigrants who yearly inundate their streets as rea-
son why that city is less orderly and has made less
intellectual progress ; so, with the exception of an
occasional sneer at the rigid excellence of Boston,
and now and then a bitter cut when they do detect
a shortcoming among its people or rulers, the claims
of the English city of America, as it is called, are
as generally admitted as superior excellence ever is
in this world. Boston, both in its general appear-
ance and in the houses and manners of its people,
is certainly the most English city I have seen on
this continent; its inhabitants, too, are not a little
proud of this resemblance, which strikes the visitor
at once, foi in no city in the United States is the
feeling of affection towards what they term the
mother country so strong and so kindly. Yet the
hall is still standing where the harangues com-
menced which ended in the War of Independence,
and a tall and rather ugly obelisk looms over the
city marking the spot where was fought and won
the victory of Bunker's-hill. Surrounded by such
memorials and with others still more suggestive in
the very streets where the first blood was shed, an
anti-English feeling would not be surprising. But,
as I have said, the reverse of all this is actually the
case, and the name of England and the English
not only admired here, but loved. There may have
been some little misgiving on the part of Boston,
when they heard of the grand decorum with which
New York had received his Royal Highness, and
even the most patriotic of Bostonians who witnessed
that display admitted with reluctance that the model
city could do no more than equal it. It has equalled
it, however, and in saying this I think I give the
highest praise that can be bestowed upon either city.
At Albany, where the Prince remained on his
arrival from West Point, there was nothing of inte-
rest. His hotel was in the upper part of the town,
which certainly contrasts most favourably with the
narrow and dirty streets which terminate at the
edge of the river. On Wednesday the Royal party
again resumed their journey, and came down to this
city in a special train. All the stations along the
route were crowded with eager visitors, who had
been waiting for hours merely to see the train whirl
by and to cheer with as much vehemence as it
passed as if every one of the hundreds present had
not only seen his Royal Highness but had been
favoured with a personal interview. At Springfield
Station, where a short stay was made, there were
many thousands assembled, and the I'rince came
out upon the platform of his car and bowed his
acknowledgments of the perfect storm of enthusiasm
ith which his arrival was welcomed. So, again, a 1
Worcester there was the same never-tiring cordial
multitude shouting and waving hats and handker-
chiefs as if they were demented.
At the little suburban station of Longwood,
about three miles from this city, the train stopped.
Mayor Lincoln was in waiting to receive his Royal
Highness. With his worship were a few of the chief
citizens of Boston, who were duly presented to the
Prince, who had an appearance of much fatigue—an
appearance which has shown itself unmistakeably in
all the suite more or less during the last week or two.
The party then entered the open carriages which had
been provided specially in honour of the occasion,
and a kind of half procession being then formed,
escorted by Volunteer troops of Light Dragoons, the
cortege proceeded to the city. The crowd was com-
paratively thin in the suburbs, but along the streets
leading to the Revere-house they formed in such
dense, impenetrable masses as almost surpassed the
throngs at New York. Windows, roofs, and bal-
conies, too, were crowded in the same manner, and
all were cheering and waving hats and handkerchiefs
—the same as at the capital, the same concourse, the
same fervonr of welcome, the same good order. In
all its grandest and most touching details it was
alike in both cities. Beyond their escorting him
home to his hotel, however, nothing was done
worthy of record on the night of the arrival, save
that the streets were kept in a. pretty considerable
uproar till an advanced hour by a grand torchlight
demonstration of the Bell and Everett party in
reply to the Republican fete of the same kind on
the previous evening.
Yesterday was made the great day of the recep-
tion, and in order that it might be observed with all
festivity and honour the Mayor suggested to the
inhabitants that it should be kept as a grand public
holiday. The hint was no sooner given than
adopted, a general suspension of all business was
decreed, and every shop in Boston was closed yes-
terday as if it had been Sunday. The first event
of the programme for the day was the inspection
of the Militia on the Common. Before his Royal
11,1Pihness set out for this an old veteran, Mr.
xvilph Farnham, the only remaining survivor of
the battle of Bunker's-hill, was presented to him.
This venerable man is now in his 105th year, hav-
ing been born
this day he at the commencement of 1756. To
preserves a mental and bodily vigour
w allottedfalls span of
throughout :three score and ten. He served
the greater part of the War of Inde-
pendence, Was in most
o£
the half skirmishing ac-
tions which distinghiah. el that struggle, and was
present when General'Burgoyne capitulated at
Saratoga. lam sorry to,b
e
record that the old Veteran obliged to add to this
the last of the men
on either side who faught round the earth works
in the midst of which the
.Banker's-hill Monu-
ment now stands here—is far from being inde-
. e.mth comfortg for
pendent in his old age. He is eye, se king
subscriptions to enable him to eke Nin
out
the few remaining days which can yet be
vouch-
safed to him. 'What passed between his Royal
Highness and this venerable relic of bygone days,
I am not aware; but the fact of the interview ap.
pears to have given much satisfaction to the kind.
hearted people of this city, who have so completely
buried their animosities as to look on England with
a feeling of hearty affection, such as one does not
often see equalled, even in our most loyal colonies.
The review took place in the pretty little park in
the centre of Boston, and which, though called "the
Common," is as picturesque and quite as well kept
as St. James's. Here all Boston seemed to be as
Eatable('; in fact, I felt sure of this till I saw the
return of his Royal Highness to the city. The
troops were drawn up in the centre, looking at a
distance amid the mass of people like a bright
coloured picture set in a dark, sombre framework.
To the delight of all, his Royal Highness came
non the ground in uniform. His suite also

—at least, the military portion of it—of course,
paid the same compliment to the occasion. The
hearty enthusiasm of the people was boundless. It