The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-28 00:00:00

THE "TIMES" ON MR. CHARLES DICKENS
AMERICA.

Yesterday the Times published an article on Mr. I
Dickens's reception in America, which embodies
much that has been the burden of our song ever
since we began to sing. The Times has discovered
that the Americans of to-day are not the Americans
of a generation back ; that they are not so extremely
sensitive ; —nor spoilt children ; nor liable to be
seized with unceasing fits of ill-temper ;—that they
are not filled with petty hatreds nor malignities,
but, on the contrary, are a liberal minded and fair-
dealing people, with great warmth and kindness of !
character. In the knowledge of the high place
they have taken in the world, in their firm belief of
a future such as no other nation has the smallest
chance of realising, they feel the calm assurance
of a known and recognised position, and can there-
fore afford to let their enemies rave. The Times
recognises that a class has a direct interest in per-
petuating distrusts and inducing the two nations to
hate each other. It is composed of the Irish-
Americans, who have agents in both Houses of
Congress, and friends in Great Britain who never
weary in telling the English that the Americans de-
test them, and would gladly go to war against
them, while in the United States they find inces-
sant occupation in exasperating every imaginable
grievance. The Times considers Mr. Dickens's
welcome is the best answer to these people and the
finest testimony to the generous character of the
Americans. Not only did Dickens not spare their
progenitors, but he picked out the marked peculia-
rities of a class and wrought them up into enduring
pictures, while the more attractive qualities of the
people were left unnoticed. The same process
has been applied to England by Americans. Who
then are able to appreciate the misrepresenta-
tion. It is after such an experience that
Dickens is welcomed, and the 7imes argues that
" A people who can act thus cannot be so bitterly
prejudiced against everything English, as some
would have us believe. Every one who has seen
much of the Americans has been impressed with the
warmth and kindness of their character, and by
the avowed affection which a large proportion of
them entertain for the country from which they

take their origin. The naturalised citizen may
rage and fume against the country from which he
sprang, or its rulers. But the true American is
ever ready to do justice when he is called upon for
action. The visit of Mr. Dickens supplies another
illustration of this, and will go further than a score
of books to prove that the sentiment of kindness and
honest feeling—in a word, of good-fellowship--
is as active among the Americans, and may be as
safely depended on, as it can possibly be among the
English or any other people." Charles Dickens
having completed his readings in Boston commenced
in New York his series on the evening of the 9th
inst. in Steinway Hall. He contemplates a course
of eighty readings, which will carry him over a
large portion of America. It is expected that he
will net a profit of $150,000. An enterprising
American—a people always ready to do a stroke of
business—offered him $1,500 a night if the author
would hand himself over to his charge, and that he
would pay all expenses in addition. One specu-
lator purchased as many as 500 tickets of admission
and held them at 12 to 17 dollars a piece ; and
although all the seats had been sold by Mr. Dolby
yet the hall was not quite filled, as the tickets could
not all be disposed of at that price. It is also
stated that counterfeits of the tickets were circu-
lated.—Anglo-Anierican