The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-27 00:00:00

VISIT TO THE UNITED
STATES.

(.From the Spam d Corree pondent of the Times.)

7TEW YORK, OCT. 11.
The Prince of Wales has entered New York.
These few words tel'i of such an ovation as has
seldom been offered. to any Monarch in ancient or
modern times. It was not a reception ;it was the
grand impressive welcome of a mighty people. It
was such a m;ligllng of fervent, intense enthusiasm,
of perfect good order, of warmth and yet kind re-
spect, that I am fairly at a loss how to convey in
words to English readers any adequate idea of this
most memorable event. I have had rather a con-
siderable experience of Royal progresses both at
home and abi:oad, and until yesterday's demonstra-
tion believe& that there could be very little that was
nem, in such displays. In the welcome to New York,
however, I, found that I had much to learn. There
was no pomp or pageantry attempted of any kind,
no gran& liveries or gilded coaches. There was a
military procession, but that was only an item in
the great features of the day, which was the wel-
come of the people. It was sack a welcome as only
a whole people and a free people could ever give,
and in the details of its enthusiasm and its good
order there was much, strange as it may seem, that
made such a reception possible only in New York.
In Paris it would have been a Governmental affair
of soldiers and gendarmes; in London it would have
been a mob with an immense police force to con-
trol it. Here it was simply the p4ople turning out
in hundreds of thousands. A huge sea of decorous,
but most enthusiastic spectators, who even at the
spots where they were densest were yet so quiet,
so impressive in their majesty of good order, that
at nio one place did they seem to have a single
element in common with what we call a mob. It
seemed more a gigantic meeting of the citizens of
New York, convened for some great and solemn
rejoicing along the whole length of the city than
the mere chance mustering of its busy, restless,
and excitable population. It was such a grand
dig play of popular enthusiasm, there was such
adignity in the calm reliance felt by every one in
ti le preservation of order, such a perfect warmth
and geniality of kindness evinced from highest to
lowest towards the young visitor, as made the
whole demonstration, perhaps, the most remark-
able of its kind that has ever taken place. Quiet
and demure as are the English people, there are yet
few Englishmen who can realize the fact of the
whole inhabitants of an immense city turning out
to witness a spectacle and give a cordial welcome
intrusted at the same time with the duty of keep-
ing order among themselves. Yet this was the
case at New York; and along three miles of road,
thronged with half a million or more of spectators,
there were not 50 policemen, and even these were
only stationed at intersecting streets to stop carts
and vehicles from entering in the line of route.
Yet description does not easily convey the idea of
such a multitude—the strict, the rigid good order 1
and good humour that prevailed. This, too, was
not for an hour, or only while the Prince was pass-
ing. It was the unvarying demeanour of the whole
concourse from 10 in the day till past 6 at night.
With these few remarks to serve as the text of
my narrative, I must turn aside for an instant to
notice the progress through Baltimore and Philadel-
phia. At the former city only a halt of one night
was made, but it was sufficiently long to give fresh
proofs—if proofs were needed—of the extraordinary
warmth and cordiality with which the Prince has
been welcomed all through the United States. With
the exception of the rudeness at the visit to the
Capitol at Richmond, there has been no place at
which his reception has not been enthusiastic. At
Detroit and at St. Louis it was rather coarsely de-
monstrated by the crowd, it is true. Bat, even
when most intrusive, it was, after all, kindly meant,
and intended in its rough way to do honour to the
oceasion. At Baltimore (which net a year ago
was the most riotous and disorderly city in the
Union) the quiet good order of the crowd and their
cheering tokens of respect and welcome were be-
yond. all expectation, and certainly must have
given. the Prince a most favourable impression
of the people of that fine city. On the following
morning (the Bth) the journey was resumed to
Philadelphia, the second city in the Union, both for
size and importance. Unusual crowding might have
been expected here, for the Royal party arrived on
the day of election—the very crisis of the long and
fierce struggle between the Republicans and Demo-
crats. There was a great crowd, it is true, just as
there ,ias in New York yesterday, but one very
similar to it in its orderly, decorous enthusiasm.
Next day he rode and drove about the splendid city,
went to the races and the public buildings, receiv-
ing everywhere he passed the most respectful re-1
cognition and cheers. Yet there was no mobbing,
and not even at the door of his hotel—where there
waft a very large crowd awaiting his return—did
word, look, or gesture escape which was not of
siich kind respect as would have gladdened any
F„ziglishman to witness. In the evening the Royal
party went to the opera, to a grand performance of
" lUartha," given in their honour in a theatre which,
for size and magnificence, is equal to the best in
Europe. The whole of the audience—the creme de
la crime of Philadelphian society—rose en masse as
the Prince entered, and rose again and remained
standing while the "National Anthem" was sung.
A little inquisitiveness on the part of opera glasses
would have been excusable, but with perfect good
taste nothing of this kind was attempted. The whole
theatre rose again as the Prince quitted the build-
ing, but this time their fervency was not to be re-
strained, and the house rung again and again with
cheers and clapping hands, and fluttered all over
with waving handkerchiefs.
Yesterday morning the Royal progress recom-
menced afresh. The route taken to this city was by
ferry to Camden, from Camden to Amboy by rail,
and thence in. the Harriet Lane to the landing
place here at the battery on the extreme lower end
of the Broadway. The public of New York had
been so schooled and abused by all their journals
as to the necessity for a quiet, yet kindly welcome,
that one would almost have thought, from the
tone of the articles, that the populace of this
great city were a mere horde of untutored mis-
creants,—people to whom it was necessary to point
out the most ordinary rules of civilised intercourse.
In fact, throughout the whole course of this tour,
with few exceptions, the New York journals have
never ceased to heap dirt upon the manners and
customs of their own countrymen. A little crowd-
ing at the country to
wns, the mere harmless curi-
osity of villages, eri flouts, has been transformed in
the columns of Certain
newspapers into studied out-
rages, and visited,int hit ehcolumns of the New York
liu
_Herald parti
sg cularl
y, such a downpour of maud..
" Billingate" as, if
any sensible American ever
minded how that journal rayed, have made
the poor country people regret themust
hour they ever
I
saw his Royal Highness at all.
and denounced
same style
the New Yorkers were lectured
en
avance, and there was a constant succession of coarse
articles, in which the people of this great city—the
people who received the Prince yesterday with a
grand dignity, such as I never expected to see in y
concourse of citizens in the world—were held up
daily as little better than a horde of savages. Hove'
these insulting diatribes were borne goodness only
knows; they were enough to make the very name
of his Royal Highness odious to all sensitive Ame-
ricans; in fact, so strong were some animadversions
that I know they gave rise to much uneasiness both
among English and Americans, who in their mind's
eye pictured an open barouche with the Prince in
it tossed like a little boat upon the surges of a vie.

lent, irrepressible, rough, half-drunken mob, all
trying to shake hands with him and clamber into

the carriage at once. And all these things were
written of the people of New York who gave the

Prince such a reception yesterday ! Can the Ame-
ricans wonder at their being so misunderstood al-Toad
when thus libelled to their very teeth by the second
journal for influence and importance in the United
toes ?
The Prince embarked on board the Harriet Lane
at Ar4,oy, where there were great crowds and
great' anthnsiasm, of course. Gen. Scott received
him (Mille,
pat of the military of New York, and
Mr. Peter (per. as representing the committee of
citizens 7svhot garethe ball this evening at the New ,
York Opeia .ttouße.,- There were a few presents- •

tions of other gentlemen, and, these over, the whole
party sat down to a superb collation. There Was
not much in the way of scenery on the run down
to the " Empire City." The land is low and mo-
notonous, though fertile and hearty with crops of
corn. It was near two o'clock before N-ew York
came in view, presenting, as always happens on
these great occasions, its most unfavourable side
towards the approaching visitor. It seemed a
long, low, interminable mass of red brick houses
with hosts of shipping on the water ; making up
their tall spars for the want of spires over the
dusky wilderness beyond. Boats laden to the very
edge of the water were skimming to and fro in
the distance, like eights of summer flies, and wall-
sided steamers, with their tiers of decks crowded
at every spot, went striding about with a great
splash like horses bathing. There were ringing of
belle, of conrse,and remorseless blowing of whistles;
but, on the whole, the aquatic portion of the en-
thusiasm was not much, especially when com-
pared with the marvellous reception given to the
Great Eastern only a few months back. In fact,
all the interest was concentrated on the shore
and the procession up the Broadway, and, though
there was no lack of animation in the har-
bour, it seems now to have been a mere nothing
after the reception in the city.
As the royal steamer came in view the guns from
the batteries pealed forth their royal salutes with
slow, dignified regularity, shrouding the town in
huge masses of white smoke that drifted over the
city in a thin veil of cloud, like the mist of a sis:n-
ter's morn. Gradually objects grew more and more
distinct ; the battery was seen, a glittering mass of
regiments, the walls, the windows, the roofs of the
houses along shore ; the masts and yards of all the
vessels in the harbour; the quays and wharfs, the
trees, and every spot or post from which a glimpse
could be obtained was one dense sultry-looking
mass of human beings, all seemingly in motion,
waving their hats and handkerchiefs, cheering and
clapping of hands. All the air seemed filled with a
hoarse undulating roar, as from the waves of an
angry sea. The landing place was at Castle-garden,
the spot where emigrants are received and housed
by the State of New York on the first day of their
arrival. Its general appearance is like neither gar-
den nor castle, but it was a convenient spot, and
close to where the troops were drawn up for inspec-
tion by his Royal Highness in the battery, where
the landing is nominally supposed to have taken
place, for there the ceremony of the day began.
All around the buildings called Castle-garden had
been put into perfect order, and flags of England
and America were entertwined everywhere. Mr.
Mayor Wood, with the aldermen of the city, were
in attendance here, and as the Prince landed his
worship advanced, and, addressing the Prince, said,
" Your Royal Highness, as chief magistrate of this
city, I welcome you here. In this welcome I repre-
sent the entire population, Without exception." The
Prince bowed, and said, " It affords me sincere plea-
sure to accept your hospitality, which, I have no
doubt, will be worthy of the great city of New York."
Here the alias of Baron Renfrew was entirely drop-
ped, as indeed it has been now for some days past—
all invitations to fetes and public notices of reception
being given in the name of his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales. The members of the corporation
and General Sandford, commanding the Militia of
New York, having been presented to the Prince, the
Royal party proceeded at once to the office of the
Emigration Commissioners. Here the Prince
changed his walking dress for the uniform of Colonel.
The Duke of Newcastle wore his uniform of Lord-
Lieutenant, General Bruce, Col. Grey, and Major
Teesdale, also assumed their full uniforms and
orders. The horses which each of the party rode
during the Canadian tour had with delicate thought-
fulness been purchased for their use on this occasion,
and, mounted on these, and accompanied by the
principal American officers, the party issued from
Castle-garden towards the Battery. A long, deep,
tremendous, sustained cheer greeted the Prince,
whose appearance astonished every one. Slight and
almost boyish in his appearance in morning dress,
in uniform and on horseback he looks a young
nobleman, of whom, apart from his exalted position,
any Englishman might be proud to see acknow-
ledged as a representative of his nation. He sits a
horse as only young Englishmen can, and receives
his homage of welcome with the easy grace of one
to the manner born. Certainly, as he cantered down
to the Battery, his horse rearing and prancing with
timidity at the tumult of cheers around, he looked
even worthy of the great welcome that awaited him,
and more than this it would be difficult to say. In
the Battery were drawn up in successive lines five
brigades of the New York Militia—mustering in
all some 6,000 or 7,000 men. Taken as a type of
the Volunteers of this country, they certainly were
splendid specimens. In the 3d Brigade were the 7th
Regiment, the pride and admiration of New York.
They are undoubtedly a most perfect body of soldiers,
equal in all the minute technicalities of discipline to
our very best line regiments. I must own, however,
I cannot share in the feeling here which awards all
praise to the 7th, and I cannot pay the Militia of
New York a higher compliment than to say that, to
my unprejudiced eyes, there were several ether
regiments there almost, if not quite, as good as the
famous 7th. The 4th Brigade, to use Lord John
Russell's simile, was " conspicuous for the absence"
of the 69th Regiment. Col. Corcoran and his offi-
cers and men refused to turn out to welcome the
Prince; No national slight is implied here. The
69th Regiment is almost entirely composed of
Orangemen, many of
.whom do not blush to avow
their sympathy even with the Kingston fanatics.
They refused therefore to parade, and with this last
impotent display of wrath from a disappointed tur-
bulent faction let us hope we have done with the
subject. The insult, however, will not be passed
over so lightly in New York. Col. Corcoran will,
it is said, be tried by court-martial and dismissed
for refusing to obey orders, and the whole regiment
itself may probably be disbanded, for the feeling is
strong against it. The inspection of the Militia
merely consisted of riding slowly along the front
of each corps. Every regiment drooped colours
and presented arms as the Prince approached them,
surveying with open admiration the handsome uni-
forms, the erect, steady, military aspect of every
company, regiment, and brigade on the ground.
As a volunteer militia they certainly formed a body
of men of whom any nation might feel proud. Our
°yen volunteers wil! arrive at the same perfection
in time, but they are yet too young to fairly bear
comparison with these picked corps of New York.
Let our regiments, however, look to it in time, for
when next his Royal Highness sees them reviewed
he will judge of them by the high standard he has
seen here. The inspection took a very long time,
almost too long for the patience of the multitudes
in Broadway, who had been waiting and waiting
'for long weary hours. From 10 o'clock in the
morning the immense concourse had been slowly
collecting. Before 12 all were in their places, and
here it was past 4 o'clock and no Prince in sight.
At lust the long inspection terminated, and a car-
riage drawn by six coal-black horses came into the
battery for the Prince, with a train of other vehicles
for the rest of the suite. The open barouche for
his Royal Highness was plain, but excessively hand-
some. It had been built expressly for the occasion,
and cost the city more than 1,000 dols. The Prince
sat with Mayor Wood on his right, the Duke of
Newcastle and Lord Lyons facing. Amid the most
tumultuous cheers the carriage went in from the
towards the enclosure, called the City Hall
Park—a park not by any means as large as the
recent enclosure at Camberwell which has been
honoured with that title. Here the visitors caught
a full view of Broadpwreasysivae
granded and most im neidghitst
wwhaischohnies of the
Highness is ever likely to witness Broadway, I
must say now, is not the Elysium of thorough
which Americans suppose it would be. In 10 ofrar2eoB
years hence it will certainly be the finest street in
the world. Now it is too unequal. Here is a row of
colossal marble palaces, six or seven stories high,
and next a small hiatus of ordinary dions, built
when New York was in its nonage. Next comes a
grand series of buildings carved in solid stone, with
shops as large and extensive as small towns, and
employing almost a population of assistants. To
these succeed cast-iron stores, with richly decorated
fronts, tinted to resemble bronze, Sand then again
white marble and granite, Bath stone and brick, a