The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMI3EIt, 4, 1868.

TIIE AMERICAN MINISTER AND

MR►. ROEBUCK.

SHEFFIELD, Thursday Evening.
The annual feast of the Cutlers' Company was
held this evening in their new hall, under the pre-
. ...

sidency of Mr. Mark Firth, Master Cutler. A dis-
tinguished company, consisting of the elite of
Sheffield and its neighbourhood, was present,

among whom we noticed Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord
Wharncliffe, Lord Denman, Mr. Reverdy Johnson,

the American Minister ; Lord Milton, M.P., Mr.
Roebuck, M.P., Lord Edward Howard, M.P., Mr.
E. J. Reed, C. 8., Alderman Stone, Sheriff of Lon-

don ; the Mayors of Doncaster, Nottingham, Man-
chester, Halifax, and Sheffield; the Masters of the
Cutlers' Company (London), the Master of the

Grocers' Company (Lon•lon), &c.
The usual loyal and constitutional toasts were
given by the Master Cutler, and most enthusiasti-

tally responded to.
In reply to the toast of " The Army, Navy, and
Volunteers," Major ALEXANDER responded on

behalf of the Army.

Mr. E. J. REED, C. 8., who acknowledged the
toast on behalf of the Navy, said that he was
hardly a proper representative of the navy on this
occasion, as he did not altogether belong to the
militant branch of the naval profession ; but,

although he did not share in its dangers, ho had
been for the last five years constantly under fire,
and he was not sorry to have this opportunity of
making some explanations, which he would rather
make in Sheffield than in any other town. It was
not true, as persistently represented, that he was
an opponent of the turret system. He had de-
signed several turret ships. He had always been
favourable to that system, and had always used

his official influence, as his official superiors could

testify, to obtain a full and fair trial of it. At the
present time Captain Coles was building a large
turret ship under his sole supervision, according
to his own ideas, assisted by all the skill and ap-
pliances of Messrs. Laird, the eminent shipbuilders
of Birkenhead. (Cheers.) The only hesitation
on the part of the Admiralty with respect
to this system was that they entertained a
grave doubt how far that system was applic-
able to sea-going ships ; but the chief anxiety
of those who were responsible for the navy

of the country was to obtain a thorough and
efficient trial of that system as quickly as pos-

sible. (Cheer S..) When he entered the service of
the Admiralty the largest gun on board a sea-going
ship weighed 34 tons; there were now ships afloat
which carried guns of seven, eight, nine, and twelve
tons, and the Hercules, now building at Chatham,
would receive an armament of guns weighing 18
tons. In addition, there were ships rapidly ap-
proaching completion which were to carry guns of
25 tons. (Cheers.) He thought it ought to be
readily known that the progress which bad thus
been made of late years in the armoured ships of
this country could not have been, by any means, so
rapid if it had not been for the experiments and the
daring enterprise of the manufacturers of Sheffield.
(Cheers.) lie trusted that the time would come
when the Admiralty would be better able to reward
that enterprise than they had hitherto.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE responded for the Volun-
teers.

Mr: J. J. SMITH next gave " The Health of the
Hon. Reverdy Johnson, as the Representative of
the United States to the Court of this country."
The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm.
The Hon. REVERDY JOHNSON, on rising to re-
spond, was received with much cheering. lie said
—Mr. Master Cutler, my Lords, and Gentlemen,—
I return you my most grateful thanks for the kind
reception I have met with, and you, Mr. Smith,
for the complimentary terms in which you have
brought forward my name. You have my warmest
acknowledgment. I came to your country, gentle-
men, as a messenger of peace—(cheers) ; that mes-
senger I mean to be—l could not be otherwise if I
carried out the instructions of my Government.
(Loud cheers.) I value your reception the more
because it assures me, in addition to the assurances
which I have had since I landed on your shores,
that you entertain a friendly feeling for the Go-
vernment and the people of the United States—
(cheers)—and I am most happy to assure you, my
lords and gentlemen, that that feeling is warmly
reciprocated. (Continued cheering.) I spak only
what I know, with every opportunity of becoming
I acquainted with the sentiments of my country—l
know that for no people on the habitable globe is
there a kinder feeling entertained by those of the
United States than for the subjects cf her Ma-
jesty. (Cheers.) We are, in fact, by origin and
by institutions, one people ; we have a common
name, a kindred blood, similar privileges and
equal protection, and these, in the language of
one of your philosophic statesmen, who taught the
world what it was to be just and right, " are ties
stronger than links of iron." During the domestic
trouble which agitated our land, and which brought
to almost every household sorrow and death, differ-
ences of opinion were entertained, and it was not,
therefore, to be wondered at that differences pre-
vailed here in England as to the causes and the
justice of the struggle in which we were engaged.
But the struggle now, thank God, is at an end—
(loud cheers)—our differences have disappeared,
and I rejoice to believe, and every day of the short
days that I have lived with you satisfies me that I
am justified in believing, that all such differences
here have disappeared. (Cheers.) We have be-
come convinced that we must be one and indivisible.
(Great cheering.) Nature by her mountain, and her
river, and her ocean has proclaimed to us that we
must be one, and I beg you to be assured that, as
we are one, that very unity which will, increase our
prosperity and power will increase, as I hope and
believe, your prosperity and power. (Cheers.)
Our political institutions are like yours ; they
are fashioned from yours, and in their founda-
tion lies a deep and never-dying attachment of
human liberty. In our hand—l mean in our
joint hand—that liberty will live for ever. (Loud
and continued cheering.) The troubles to which I
have referred, great as they were, sad and heart-
rending as they have been, have been attended by
one compensation. We had an institution, not in-
digenous to us, but brought to us from a common
ancestor—human slavery. (Hear, hear.) Four
millions of people were in that condition ; how to
abolish it without dangers even worse than those
which followed from its existence was a problem.
Our domestic strife has solved that problem.
Slavery, thank God, is now extinct—(loud Cheers)
—and no footprints are to be found on the soil of
the United States but those of a freeman. (Cheers.)
Dreadful as the havoc has been ; prevailing as the
slaughter was, literally miring almost every battle-
field with blood ; in future times it will be said
that all was well spent in getting rid of that blot—
not of our own creation, but of that blot which tar-
nished the fair fame of the United States, and gave
the lie to the Declaration of Independence, by
which we claimed our right to freedom and liberty.
(Cheers.) What is man without liberty ? It is
liberty alone " that gives to life its lustre and per-
fume, and we are weeds without it." Mr, Master
Cutler and gentlemen, the political canvass which
is now on foot in the United States involves the
question who shall be at the head of the Execu-
tive of that great country, but I beg to assure you
from my knowledge of both candidates that which-
ever shall be the choice of the people you will find
a friend of England. (Cheers.) In your political
contest in which you also are engaged we have no
other interests, whatever the result may be, than
that your Government may be strengthened, and
not weakene 1. (Cheers.) 'We have philosophic
statesmen among us in the United States as you
have here, and we look to the continuance of your
Government as of itself a security that political
freedom is to be our lot for ever. With your Go-
vernment and ours united in friendship, as I have
no doubt they will be through all time, we mty
defy the world. (Cheers.) Liberty we have, but
it is like your own liberty—liberty restrained by
law—liberty which finds its own safe protection only
iu the restraint to which it is made subject by law.
(Cheers.) Mr. Master Cutler and gentlemen, don't
believe that I am a stranger to your association. We
have felt you in every form in which man can be felt.
Your cutlery, your penknives, and your steel are

just as well known With us as they are here, and
they have benefited us as they have you. We have,
I believe, in some measure, provided ourselves with
what is called a table cutlery, but in the way of

razors, if I may say so iu the presence of ladies, you
best the world. (Laughter and cheers.) We also
acknowledge your superiority to us in your steel
manufactory. Nothing can be finer and nothing
has contributed more to our own success than the

success to which you have brought that particular
manufacture, and I trust that you will never, with

all the skill which from time to time you have ma-

nifested, construct an instrument that will cut the
cord that binds us together as one people. (Cheers)
I have said more, gentlemen, than I intended. I
came here not willingly merely, but eagerly. I re-
fused, or rather I declined, at first, because I sup-
posed I might be obliged to see her Majesty the
Queen for the purpose ofjpresenting my credentials,

but the moment I heard that she would not be here

as soon as was expected I changed my mind, and
the happiest hour I have had is that in which I ad-
vised you that I should ba here, except that I have
been a great deal happier since I came. (Laughter
and cheers.) Your Government, my lords and gen-
tlemen, is dear to us under any circumstances.

The name of Lord Wharucliffe should be dear to us

Your father, my lord (turning to Lord Wharn-

cliffe), was a guest of mine for some four or five
days some four or five years ago. It was during
the session of a Convention for the nomination of a

candidate for the Presidency. He was doing me
the honour to stay with me, and he expressed a hope
that we should stand together. He was obliged to

leave me, and I received a telegraphic communica-
_

tion from him from Philadelphia, after which he
wrote me a long letter, saying that he had never
heard the name of the gentleman nominated, and

therefore did not know how we could stand toge-

ther. (Laughter.) But .we have stood, and I

trust that for ever stand we will as long as we can,

your friends, warm, sincere, willing, and solicitous
to be by your side if you at any time should be in
serious trouble. (Loud and protracted cheering,
amidst which the honourable gentleman resumed

his seat.)
In responding to the toast of " The House of
Lords," Lard WIIARNCLIFFE, after ridiculing the
suggestion of Mr. Horsman for the reform of the
House of Lords, said that they had heard a great
deal about the unerring instinct of the House of
Commons, but they might safely rely upon it that
there was also an unerring instinct in the House of
Lords, which would always keep it in unison with
the public opinion of the country.
Mr. W. FISIIER proposel the toast of " The
House of Commons," which was responded to by
Lord MILTON.

Mr. ROEBUCK, who met with a very warm recep-
tion, said—l feel deeply the way in which you have
received the mention of my name. I regret the absence
of my colleague. on this occasion, and still more the
occasion of it. lam called upon to return thanks
for the House of Commons. This I consider a
great honour, for I have long been a member of
the House of Commons, and I may say, as Grattan
said of another House of Commons, that I am now
attending upon the hearse of the present House of
Commons. The House of Commons has done for
England What England will ever remember; and
alt hough it may have done it slow'y it has done it
surely ; and at last the present House of Commons
has admitted the people of the country to its admi-
nistration and government. Therefore I say we
are bound to thank the 1101130 of Commons for
what it has done, and 1 take pride for myself for
having been a party to it. (Cheers.) So much for
thja House of Commons, and now for the present
occasion. I congratulate you, Mr. Master Cutler,
on account of the distinguished guest whom you have
at your right hand. He has come to us, as he tells
us, under the belief that he is a minister of peace.
He has come to us as the representative of the
haughty offspring of a haughty parent, and
feel certain that in his ban Is there will be
no degradation either to cn3 country or to
the other; that there will be no paltering
with interests, no sham exrroisions of gran-
deur on the one side, or of humbleness on the other;
but that we shall meet on terms of perfect equality
and friendship, but desirous of doing all that can be
done for the good of ourselves and of humanity in
general. And I hope and I believe that Mr. Re-
verily Johnson, from his character and his antece-
dents, will so c.mduct negociatons between this
country and his own that there will be no lack of
honour ou one side or the other. (Cheers.) Now,
Sir, 1 believe that if I Were prudent I should
finish ; but I am not a prudent man, and meeting
here, as I believe, many friends, I wish to explain
to them the feelings of my mind on the great changes
that have occurred in
i the government of the coun-
try since we last met n this hall. Now first of all we
must understand and acknowledge that the govern-
ment of this country is no longer in the hands of the
aristocracy as represented to us by Lord Wharncliffe,
or of the middle classes as represented by the Master
Cutler. The Government of this country is now
the thing has been
done and we must endeavour to meet it. Then
comes
—whetherth
einontcheea lliathnisdsfoafet from
the working_ classes ; we must not
ourselves;
Iwish to talk to you
about expect good or not from
equestion
we
must which
it. Now, lam glad to have Mr. Reverdy Johnson
on the right of the Master Cutler on this occasion,
because this change has already been made in
America ; but, as I believe, made under more un-
favourable conditions than in England. The cir-
cumstances have been more favourable in America
than in England because of the almost boundless
power which it possesses of giving grants of land
to all corners, which we have not ; but more unfa-
vourable because there is poured into America a tide
of corruption, a peculent torrent of almost all the vice
and turbulence of Europe. We see the wildlrishman,
the fiery Frenchman, the assassinating Italian, and
the dumfounded Spaniard all going out in one mass,
and wishing to fulfil their expectations in the mind of
America. This we are free from. Our experiment
in England is made with our own people alone ; we
have Englishmen, we have Scotchmen, and we have
Irishmen, but we have them alone to deal with ;
and my belief is strong in the good feeling of
my countrymen that I feel no harm will happen
from having granted political power to them.
After this, no man certainly . will be able to say
that we are coerced or misled by the aristocracy,
for the government of the country will be in the
hands of the people ; and although I believe that
this Government will be for the interests and ad-
vantage of all classes, I wish to call attention to
this fact. lam told that in America the better
educated classes have withdrawn themselves from
political life, that they have been ousted and driven
into the background by the vast population which
has grown up around them. The educated classes
in America have stepped aside from the politi-
cal torrent, perfectly contented with their lot,
and, feeling that they will be perfectly safe, have
let political affairs settle in the hands of what we
may call the buccaneering portion of society. I
consider there' is a great danger in this, and so
thinking, I ask you to take part in every poli-
tical movement. I don't ask you to coerce any-
body as landlords ; but what I do ask of you is to
act upon the principle laid down by Jeremy Ben-
tham, and to make a great and most pregnant dis-
tinction between the power of will and the power
of mind over mind. The power of will means the
power of the landlord to coerce his tenants; that I
do not ask you to do ; but I will ask you to exert
the power of mind over mind; and, further, I ask
you to tell your workmen what you believe to be
fair and right—not coercing, but letting them do ex-
actly as they like. That is in our power, if we do not
withdraw from our present position, under a new
feeling of inferiority created by the present law. It
would be unwise to take up that position ; but tell
the men under you what you belieVe to be right,
and let it work in their minds, then I believe
we shall see what has never before been seen, a
people governed by itself. America does not do it,
there is a government of a people outside America;
but here we shall have a people inside ourselves,
and of that people I ask, as I ask of you, not to be
coerced by anybody, not to be roiled or frightened
by any Trade Unions, not to be anything but
Englishmen considering simply the good of your
country. (Cheers.) I ask you, working men of
this town, to have Confidence in yourselves and in
the dignity of your own nature, not to be coerced

or frightened by anybody, but do what you think
right as your country demands. (Loud cheers.) .
Lord EDWARD HOWARD, M.P., responded to the
toast of "The Lord of the Manor" on behalf of the
Duke of Norfolk, and Earl Fitzwilliam returned
thanks for his health as the Lord-Lieutenant of the
West Riding.
Several other toasts followed, and the company
separated at a late hour.

711 E ACCIDENT TO THE 1111511 MAIL

--

ABEIIGELE, Thursday.
On the reassembling of the Court Arthur Thomp-
son, driver of the mail train, was called and sworn.
He said—l live at Stafford, and am in the service
of the London and North-Western Railway Com-
pany. I have been with the company for 31 years,
during 21 of which I have been driver. On Thurs-
day, the 20th August last, I drove the down Irish
mail. On entering the second cutting after passing
Abergele I observed some waggons coming towards
my train. At first I thought they were on the

other line. I was going at the rate of 33 or 34

miles au hour. In less than a moment I saw they
were coming down the same line of rails as we were

on, and I ghat off steam. I touched the whistle
once to give an alarm ; had not time to do more.

The first time I saw the waggons I thought they
were about 120 fo 130 yards from me. There is a

sharp curve at the spot. When I saw the waggons

were on the same line as our train I called out to

the fireman, " For God's sake, Joe, jump off ;
we can't do no more." I then got on the step

myself and dropped off on the laud side. I kept
on my feel till a splinter of wood from the brake-
van of the goods train struck me on the head and
another on the knee. They knocked me over. I
dropped off just before the cAlisiou took place. I

did not feel the shock of the collision. I heard one

scream from my mate as the waggons struck. I
heard the noise of the collision. I saw only one

set of trucks coming towards me. I have no idea
of the length. I have an idea that I heard two
shocks of collision, but I am not sure, as there was

a great noise from the steam of the engine. I did
not lose my consciousness. The first thing I heard
when I got up was a gentleman calling out, " Who
has got a carriage key ?" I was not down half a
second.

When I got up I gave him my key. (It
is supposed that this gentleman was Mr. Town-
send, but that gentleman having left the court
there was no means of identifying him.) I could
not see the front part of the train in conse-