The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-20 00:00:00

LORD ASHBURTON AT CAM-
BRIDGE.

(From the Boston Argus.)
The dinner of the Phi Beta Kappa Society on
Thursday was one of the pleasantest of its pleasant
social meetings. The very large assemblage of the
brethren, the pleasant associations of the agreeable
events and exercises of the two preceding days, the
new life which a centennial anniversary with its re-
collections of past honours always infuses, and more
than all, the presence of the distinguished stranger to
whose self-devotion and intelligence we are indebted
in great measure for the happy termination of the
difficulties between us and our mother country, gave
a peculiar zest to the hilarities of the occasion.
The treaty arrived in Boston on the very morning
of the festival; this circumstance, the news of its per-
fect settlement, and the presence of Lord Ashburton
and other English gentlemen at the dinner, gave a di-
rection to much of the wit and eloquence which cha-
racterised it. We have thought that an attempt to
recal some of these tokens of the universal joy at the
confirmation of the peace would not be unpleasant at
this moment, while the statesman to whom England
and America owe so much, is yet among us.
The President of the Society, the Hon. Jostau
QUINCY, Jun., presided at the table. There appeared
to be about three hundred of the brethren present,
comprising a proud representation of the literature
and learning of the country. The President made
some introductory remarks on the pleasure of return-
ing to the seat of science, and the recollection that
whatever had been the subsequent calling in life of
the brethren of the Society, they were all scholars
once ; and he gave as an opening toast—" The in-
fluence of classical study felt through after life—the
needle retains its polarity long after the loadstone is
withdrawn."
The PRESIDENT again rose, and in a graceful and
eloquent speech, remarked that one of the greatest
glories of literature arose from the inducements it fur-
nished and the rewards it gave to eminent public ser-
vices. Alexander was a conqueror, because he slept
with the Iliad at his pillow ; and the Roman hero could
not rest when he saw arrayed around him the statues
of the Fathers. Such had always been the connexion
of literature with fame : poetry and history had for
ages incited and immortalized the conqueror and the
oppressor, and as literature would still hold its sway,
it was to he hoped that a better era was com-
mencing; and, that as " peace had her victories
as well as war," future historians would per-
petuate the fame of the benefactors of mankind.
That name, asked the President of his fellow-

students, would stand first on the first page of that
history' Should it not be the name of one, who, in
advanced life, left "honour, love, obedience, troops of
friends," that he might cross the ocean to settle those
differences between kindred nations, that in other ages
would have been decided by the sword. This day
tells us that he had been gloriously successful. But
for him, the same result might have been obtained after
the earth had been heaped with slain and the ocean
stained with blood. What must be his sentiments as
he crosses that ocean, carrying with him the blessings
of the New World, to be received with the acclama-
tions of the Old—when he reflected that but for him
it might have been purpled with brothers' blood ? lle
closed his speech by proposing—" The health of our
distinguished guest.—The nations he has united shall
join in his praise, and future generations shall call
him blessed."
On the annunciation of the toast the company rose
and drank it with all the honours. When the
cheering subsided,
Lord ASHBURTON returned thanks for the kind
and enthusiastic manner in which hi 3 name had been
received. The proudest moment of his life was that
in which he received the orders of his Sovereign to
undertake the mission which had so prosperously
terminated ; and he was happy to find that such a
body of gentlemen as he had the pleasure to address
in ale halls of a University which was one of the
most distinguished institutions of the country, should
exhibit tokens of such enthusiasm and gratification
at the allusions to the negotiations wkich had just
been brought to a close. Ile could not refrain, at
the same time, from expressing his warm thanks
towards those with whom he had been engaged in
the conduct of that negotiation, and in general for
the kind feeling which in this country had answered
to that felt towards the country by the Government
of England.
The PRESIDENT stated that he found he was in the
neighbourhood of a " Philadelphia Lawyer," (Mr.
Reed, the orator of the day, sat at the left of tho
chair), who could find two meanings to one word,
when Yankee could hardly get the meaning out of
two ; and after alluding to the family name of their
distinguished guests, he gave as a volunteer—
" International Questions—Easily settled when once
brought to their proper Barings.'
Then followed a rapid succession of sentiments from
the chair, which called up sucessively and elicited
speeches and sentiments from President Quincy, Lord
John Hay, Mr. Justice Story, W. B. Reed, Rev. 1)r.
Bethune, Mr. Peter, British Consul at Philadelphia, I
and u host of others.

Lord Join IlAy made a brief acknowledgment,
when called on by a sentiment to this effect :—" The
Commander of the Warspite—ho has brought the
Herald of Peace, in the Spite of War." He said
that the order to convey his distinguished friend on
his mission, was the most gratifying; order that he had
ever received, and he was happy diat he should have
the Pleasure to convey him home, now that that mis-
sion had come to a termination, which would be as
gladly received in England as in America.
We cannot attempt to follow the other speakers,
even in as meagre a sketch as we have given of a few
of their predecessors. We must close only by a
mention of a few of those speeches which had a national
or public allusion.
The PRESIDENT closed a few appropriate remarks '
with the following, which was received with great '
enthusiasm .—" The Treaty of Washington—it was
well for America that a Daniel had come to
judgment."
Judge STORY spoke with warmth and feeling of
the virtues and the learning of Dunning, the first
Lord Ashburton, a connexion, we believe, of the
present Lord.

Mr. I3ANCROFT responded most eloquently to the
following ;—" The memory of James Grahame, the
historian of America. Ire has engraved his name on
the temple of our country's history. It shall never be
erased until the temple itself shall be destroyed."
Lord ASHBURTON, after saying that, although occa-
sionally the services of a diplomatist might be of use
to extricate nations from some temporary entangle-
ment, peace was to be constantly preserved only by
the general education of the people, alluded to the
high character of the common school education of
Massachusetts ; it was by such efforts as her citizens
had made, that the foundation was to be laid on which
the temple of eternal peace must stand. Ile proposed
as a toast—" The schoolmaster—all over the world."
Mr. GRATTAN closed an appropriate and witty
speech, by proposing the health of Professor Long-
fellow and the poets of America.

Mr. IIILLIARD, at the close of some eloquent and
graceful remarks, gave' England and America—tnay
the peace between them be as firm as the cliffs of their
coast, and every element of estrangement be as eva-
nescent as the bubbles that break on their shores."
Dr. BIGELOW was called up by a proposition, to
bestow, " pro honoris causa," a doctorate in medicine
on their distinguished guest, on the ground that one
who had healed the differences between two coun-
tries, was worthy to be considered a professor of the
healing art. The Learned Doctor concluded a most
witty address by giving for a sentiment the lines of
Horace :--

Sed levius fit patentia
Quiequid corrigere est nefas."
Which he paraphrased thus :—" There is not in the
world an evil which is past Baring."
The following • allusion to the Christian name of
Lord Ashburton was received with great applause
"True greatness—Which shall the Christilm historian
place first ? the Alexander who severed nations by
the sword—or the Alexander who united them by
peaceful negotiation ?"
Among the volunteers sent to the Chair was the
following :—Virgil sang of the " penitus toto divisos
orbe Britannos." We rejoice, that, if they were se-
parated from the " Orbis Romanus," they are so near
to us as to need the most illustrious statesmen 011
earth to " settle the boundary ;" and that, if they had
no representation in the Roman Senate, and no place
among " Greek Letters," they have so noble a repro-
scntative here.

It is stated, on good authority, that the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Gloucester
will arrive at Ravensworth Castle, near Gateshead, on
Thursday next.—Durham Chronicle.
The Lord Chancellor has presented the Rev. W. R.
Mahon, to the rectory of Ilonington, in the county of
Suffolk.
DOVER, SEPT. 19 _Yesterday Prince Esterhazy,
who has been taking the benefit of sea-bathing here for
these several weeks past, left Dover for London.
Fitz. The
Prince was accompawed by three carriages. Dud ar
his stay amongst us, his Serene Inguhinlindre.esrs been
thhasjearin,ersilicoguen::est
excellent patron to the theatre, &c. On Monday an
eznexteieslnleonwt house.ixing
othfetipieer,f,ocrrt(n)painue.ed!, (cfooirnetdhiesnis)e)neN%fi
,etroef
immediate patronage, whenvtlrioeirneiws 'eads
hose notices expire this day,
complete their week's work.
°spuiTn.—ner3slvi:
are ceasing labour as they
fulfflilleEd.TuTßlNi;
tunes that number
of other descriptions ("hands, ?Jill five
ee
out.
Four hundred spinners, affectin
of sixty-four other spinners will expire nexihSoatiulertdiaeyc.s.
This will produce atrigehttafiVenatmou. amount of distress in the
obobthrinogrearbaotiuvtes
cable settlement of the dispute ;
borough, unless steps b
that all the well-meaning among and we sincerely hope,
em-
ployers will do their utmost to bring
elusion. Seventy. four
demanded. One spinners are working at the ad-
vanceaanndftluj
and two Others concern conceded the advance yes-
terday,strike.—Bolton Free are Press expected to give it without a