The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-03 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN MINISTER.

The Pall Mall Gazette thus refers to the stories about
Mr. Johnson losing confidence with his country.
men :—" A long letter from the London corre-
spondent of the New York Tribune appeared in a
contemporary yesterday with regard to Mr. Reverdy
Johnson's recent speeches. The writer seeks to prove that
Mr. Johnson has given great offence in his own country
by his cordial tone and friendly expressions towards Eng-
land. There is truth in this, but the proof now adduced is
nearly all from sources bitterly antagonistic to Mr.
Johnson. The Tribune hates England, and has no affec-
tion for the present Minister. The other papers quoted by
the correspondent (except the Times and Nation) are all
notorious for the violence of their anti-English prejudices.
Extracts from the Tribune prove nothing, but it is now past
all doubt that Mr. Johnson has not satisfied all classes of his
countrymen by consenting to meet Mr. Laird and other
similar acts. It was foreseen that much complaint
would be the result, and probably Mr. Johnson knew
that it would come. He has, however, done his duty
according to his view of an American Minister's
duty in the present relations between the two countries,
and assuredly he is not the sort of man to be frightened
by the abuse of the Tribune. He has had
to bear with that for a good many years past, and
we doubt whether our climate has injuriously affected his
nerves. Mr. Rererdy Jehnson evidently decided on his
course after due deliberation, and if his Government do
not like that course he will not be left to gather its
opinion from the dogmatic assertions of newspaper corre-
spondents."

MR. REVERDY JOHNSON AND MR.
BRIGHT AT BIRMINGHAM.

ABINGDON
ANDOVER
AYLESBURY

ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE
ANOLESEA

BRECONSUIRE
BARNSTAPLE

BRIDONORTH
BANBURY
BATH

BEDFORD

BERWICK

BEVERLEY

BEWDLEY
BIRKENHEAD
BIRMINGHAM

BLACKBURN

BODMIN
BOLTON •

BOSTON

BRADFORD

BRIDGWATIER

BRIGHTON

BRISTOL

BUCKINGHAM
BURNLEY
BURY
BURY ST. EDMUNDS

BEDFORDSHIRE

BRIDPORT
BEAUMAIUS
BREco
BucsiNaaLmsainE

BERKSHIRE

CUMBERLAND, EAST ..

CUMBERLAND, WEST ..

Mr. Iteverdy Johnson, having met Lord Stanley at
Liverpool and Mr. Disraeli at the Mansion House, on
Wednesday met Mr. Bright at Birmingham, the " central
metropolis of England." Throughout he cried " Peace
and good-will " between England and America. He
repeated even more strongly that all cause of
uneasiness between the two countries was removed. He
did not for a moment seem to doubt that his work would be
concurred in by his Government. In commencing his
speech he passed a high eulogium on the character and worth
of the two gentlemen who bad cheered his country when it
was passing through a crisis—Messrs. Bright and Cobden—
and approved the policy of free trade which they had
inaugurated. His utterances, however, about the capture
of merchant ships at sea, are worth quoting. " You had
not long since what was called, I believe, a Social Science
Conference in this town, and among other subjects in dis-
pute was the propriety of exempting private property
on the ocean from capture. What I said upon the
occasion to which I have alluded at Liverpool was that
that was undoubtedly a relic of the barbarism of former
times. It was held that private property on the ocean
should be liable to capture—as I collected from some of
the theses read at the Social Science Convention (a sin-
gular name to give to a Convention)—was but a relic of
barbarous times, and that the existence of the doctrine was
calculated to avert war because it would render war more
terrible was altogether erroneous. War more terrible !
Why, in the name of God, with our present implements of
war, how can war be more terrible ? With their use, if war
should arise between the nations of Europe, and they could DENBIGH
meet on the field of battle with 100,000 or 500,000 men, DENBIGHSHIRE
and they should have a dozen of these engagements, such i DEVONPORT
nations would be depopulated. It is supposed that in the DARLINGTON
late great conflict in our country we lost, on both sides, in DERBY
dead and wounded--the wounded being rendered useless
for all the purposes of life-1,000,000 men within four
years. The loss of property arithmetic can hardly calcu-
late. But suppose a war between our two nations about
the Alabama claims, or the rights of naturalised citizens, DURHAM, NORTH
how would the account stand when it came to be DURHAM, SOUTH
closed ? Millions of men in their graves ; widows and
.moncu FSTYR
orphans filling Loth countries ; the debts of each —now DUDLEY
enormous—made more enormous ; oppression on the people DERBYSHIRE, SO UT R
in the form of taxation m'sde still more oppressive, and DERBYSHIRE, EAST
nothing gained ; the naturalised citizens still denied, the DERBYSHIRE, Nolan
right of trial de mcdictate lingua ; the San Juan DEVON, SOUTH
boundary still not settled, and the Alabama claims still
unpaid ; but the account would be closed by saying that
our pluck had been exhibited and our national honour
vindicated. There could we stand; but what would be
left in the hearts of either people ? A bitterness which
might survive for generations, and prevent us from being
united again, perhaps for ever, or joining in that race of
freedom which would be characterised by such a prospe-
rity, happiness, and power as had never before been dis-
played in the history of mankind. As well might it be
said that we should again resort to the practice of
uncivilised nations with respect to the seizure of private
property on land, the shooting of prisoners, and, if anything
more horrible can be imagined, the rule of Indian warfare,
the scalping of captives. These would all be in the sense of
making war more horrible, but in another sense—which
comes home to every heart—would shock humanity and
make us ashamed of the nature which we bear. Nor is there
any occasion for it. We have been willing in the United
States to abolish the entire doctrine, if you, on the other
hand, in Europe would also agree to abolish it ; but what
you proposed, but what we could not subscribe to, was
that we should give up the right of capturing private pro-
perty by means of privateers, while you reserved to your. GLOUCESTER, WEST .
selves the right to exercise that power by your own vessels HANTS, SOUTH..
of war. That would have been not exactly fair; it would
have been so much for your advantage ; but we are so
shard-sighted in making a bargain that if we cannot get
the best of it we certainly try not to get the worst."
Mr. Bright, reviewing the policy of the last few years with
regard to America, fourd in it a series of blunders arising
from ignorance and jealousy. Especially was he severe
upon the course which was taken by England in the
Slidell and Mason case. "I confess," he exclaimed, " that
I get sometimes very much out of patience upon this
American question—less now than I did four or five years
ago, because now I find, somehow or other, that people HANTS, NORTH
generally seem to hold the same opinions I do; but four H
or five years ago I found myself very often in a minority HARWICH
on this matter. Igo on the theory that we are not two 11-I=Vo'oulLwEsT
nations and two people, but that they are our own flesh and HORSHAM
blood; that they have got from this country our own freedom, HUNTINGDONSHIRE
although they may have put it in their own shape, and in
nUDDER4FIELD
some respects may have extended it; that they are not Irswicu
aliens at all ; and lam not sure thatthey are not now about is or Nvlcan.
to be the greater branch of the great race. I recollect once KENT, WEST
in your town hall stating some statistics with regard to KENT, MID
America which really astonished me. I found that in KENT, EAST
fifteen years only, after the year 1846, more than 21 millions KING'S LYNN
of persons—men, women, and children—had removed from KipprilmiNsTEß
the United Kingdom to the United States ; and I recollect KNARESBOROUGH
stating, for the population of Birmingham was less then KENDAL
a,
than it is now, that it was equal to the population of eight
great cities of the magnitude of Birmingham, and that if
we took the population of Glasgow and added to it that of
Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, and-
all the great towns of England, apart from the metropolis,
they would not be more than the number of persons who
had emigrated to the United States in the fifteen years
which followed the year 1846. Then is there anybody to
to tell me that these are h
e noosttiloenrtopeeaocphleo,tahnerd?t!at
Iwnetahries
two nations in any sense
strain Mr. Bright spoke throughout. He concluded by
hoping that the two nations would be more firmly ioined
together.

CAMBRIDGE

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

CANT/SABI:11X

CARDIFF
CARLISLE

CARMARTHEN
CARMARTHENSHIRE

CARNARVON
CA RNARVONSHIRE
CHESHIRE, MID

CHATHAM
CHELTENHAM

CHESTER,

CIIICHESTER

CIIIPPENHAM

CIRENCESTER
CLITHEROE
COVENTRY

CALNE
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERS

CARDIGAN
CARDIGANSHIRE
CHELSEA

CARISTCIIIIRCH
COCKERMOUTH

COLCHESTER ....

CRICKLADE

CORNWALL, EAST

CORNWALL, WEST ....

CHESHIRE, EAST

CHESHIRE, WEST ....

DEVIZES ..
DEwsEURY
D0m....

DROITWICII .
DURHAM

DEVON, NORTH

DEVON, EAST

DORSETSHIRE

EVESKAM
EXETER .

ESSEX, SOUTH

ESSEX, WEST

ESSEX, NORTH-EAST

EYE
FINSBURY

F ROME
FLINT
FALMOUTH

THE AQUATIC CFIAMI'IONSIIIP.

-+-

FLINTSIIIRE
GLAMORGANSIIIRE

The honours which he so fairly won on the 17th
November last James Renforth, of Newcastle, is fully
prepared to defend. The champion's challenge to the
world is couched in the following terms :—" I, James
Renforth, having won the title of Champion Sculler of
England ,by defeating Henry Kelley, of Putney, on the
Thames. on the 17th November, do hereby give
notice that I am prepared to defend my right
thereto against all persons disputing my ability to hold
the same, and that I shall only contest that title with any
person on the river Tyne, as I am firmly of opinion that
an aquatic champion, in addition to the title, is justly
entitled, until defeated, to have the championship of races
rowed on the river of which he is the representative. And I
hereby further give notice that I place at the disposal
of the Thames National Regatta Committee the title of
champion of the Thames, now held by me, to be rowed
for at their annual regatta, reserving to myself the right
of entering for such race. Dated this Ist day of
December, 1868." There is one statement in this
challenge which will not meet with unqualified
approval in aquatic circles. Though Renforth is
the champion sculler of England, it should not be for-
gotten that the River Thames is, so to speak, the repre-
sentative of English waters, and it seems only reasonable
that, unless other very cogent reasons existed to induce a
contrary practice, all races for the highest aquatic
honour should be pulled off over it. The
champion's intention, therefore, to defend his honours
only on the Tyne will er.ese much discussion. To
say the least of it, it seems to be an ill-advised proceeding
to commence such an ultimatum as that put forth by the
Northerner. Perhaps, and it is to be hoped such will be
the case, he may be led to re view it. Renforth should remem-
ber that he is nownot only the representative of the Tyne, but
of English aquatics generally. The resignation of the
title of Champion of the Thames into the hands of the
committee of the Thames National Regatta is a mere
empty proceeding, because it is very doubtful
if the committee—as Kelley pointed out at the
time—ever had the right to bestow it. Tboegh
not precisely connected with the championship,
it may be stated that Sadler does not intend to row again,
as his constitution will not bear the severe effects of
training. It is understood also that Kelley rowed his last
race on Tuesday.

GATESHEAD
GLOUCESTER

GRAVESEND
GREAT GRIMSB 1
GREENWICH

GUILDFORD ..
GRANTHAM ..

GLOUCESTER., EAST ..

HERTFORDSIIIRE

HACKNEY

HALIFAX

HASTINGS

HELSTON
HERTFORD
HEREFORD

EfEItZFORDSLIIRE

Hum,

LzEos

LEICESTER

LEICESTER, NORTH ..

LEICESTER, SJUTR „ „

LANCASHIRE, S.W. ....

LANCASHIRE, S.F.

LEOMINSTER
LUDLOW
LONDON CITY

LONDON UNIVERSITY
LYMINGTON
LAUNCESTON
LINCOLN

LINCOLNSHIRE, NORTH

LINCOLN, MID

LINCOLN, SOUTH
eSKEARD
RWES
LICHFIELD
LIVERIVOL

LANCASHIRE, NORTII .

LANCASHIRE, N.E.

MONTGOMERYSHIRE
MALDON
MARLOW
MIDHURST
MACCLESFIELD

MAIDSTONE

MALMESBURY
MANCHESTER

MARYLEBONE .........

MERTHYR TYDVIL ......

MONMOUTH
HALTON
MARLBOROUGH
MERIONETHSHIRE
MIDDLESBOROUGH .• • •
MONTGOMERY
MORPETII
MONbIOUTHSHIRE

MIDDLESEX

NORFOLK, SOUTH

NEWA.AF:

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE

NEWCASTLE -UNDR-LY3L

NORTIIALLERTON
NORTIIAXYTON

Nonwicu

NorrmcnAm

N EWPORT. I. OF WIGHT
'ORFOLK, NORTH

NORFOLK, WEST

NORTHAMPTON, NORTH

NORTHAMPTON, SOUTH

NOTT3, NOILTH

NOTTS, SOUTH .

NORTHUMBERLAND, N.

NORTHUMBERLAND,

OXFORD TINIVEItSITY

OXFORVSIIIRE