The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-22 00:00:00

VALUE OF BRITISH EMIGRATION.

We welcome an ally for the second time into the
same field of labour as that which for years has
been peculiarly ours, to remove an erroneous Eng-
lish impression that British emigration to the United
States but strengthens an enemy. The correspon-
dent of the Daily ews, writing from New York,
May 28, takes precisely our view of this subject, per-
baps attracted thereto by an article in that widely-
read paper the Spring field Republican, which re-
echoed one from the Anglo-American Times of May 8
on British emigration. The correspondent's last
essay is likely to draw attention in England, where
he is recognized as a fair exponent of American
opinion, both statesmanlike in his views and able
in expressing them, and as English born having
a bias towards his native country. The pith of
what he says is, that nothing could more tend to
disarm American animosity than English and Scotch
emigration to the United States—indeed, that only
can effectually do so. A large number of voters
with English sympathies would neutralize those
unworthy demagogues who do so much to gene-
rate enmity in their attempts to carry the votes
of the refuse of the population. It is easy for
Germany to settle any question that may arise be-
tween the nations, for it is not the interest of that
class of politicians to keep open irritating questions
with Prussia or Bavaria as with England from
which to extract political capital. The British press,
pulpit, and society have made what the correspon-
dent calls a mistake, almost absurd, in directing the
best of England's emigration to the colonies and
allowing the Irish to drift into the States. It was
not merely a happy- go-lucky,a short-sighted policy,
for the error has been kept up to this day, notwith-
standing that it has filled the United States with those
who scream, asMr. MAGUIRE expresses it,for the de-
struction of England, and in helping to build up the
Republic into an enormous power, " almost bent on
yourdestruction,"says the correspondent, hastens the
time when able to achieve it. Although this is far-
fetched, deriving its inspiration merely from local
influences, for the further the correspondent went
West or South the less he would find such a feeling
to prevail, yet there is undeniable truth in his asser-
tion that the plan of erecting the Dominion while
sending the discontented Irish to the United States
has something in it bordering on the ridiculous. " If
you ate Wise," he continues, " and want to seal this
fountain of discord, which has now flowed so long,
and provide a help for your old age, you will direct your
tide of surplus and suffering labour to this country."
The error of England's course has been the text of many
an articlein theAnglo-A mericanTimes,and our reasons
arc sufficiently obvious, and have been fully given.
The United States present the finest field in the
world, the verdict of mankind having been distinct:3r
pronounced by selecting it in the proportion of ten
to one ; yet England has endeavoured to bar that
country against her suffering poor, and to ship them
to inferior colonies, while sending to the superior
land that portion of the Irish who hate her. Thus
she deprived her people of the benefits derivable
from the best country, while creating there against
herself an element of deadly hostility. What she
ought to have done was exactly the reverse of what
she did do, for had she exerted herself even at any
expense to send Irish emigration to the Antipodes,
and English emigration to the States, she would have
proceeded according to the dictates of reason. But,
happily, it is not too late to retrieve her error, pro-
vided that the necessity be seen and acted on at
once. The back-bone of America is the Protestant
farmer and artisan element, which derives its blood