The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-05-25
ENGLAND-AMERICA.


At the bubble meeting recently held in
the city of London, to raise a subscription
for the relief of the sufferers by the great
fire in New York, SHERIDAN KNOWLES
delivered the following eulogium on the
United States;
"oheridan " Knowles seconded this res
olution, and with all his heart and soul
subscribed to the sentiments he had just
heard. Nature, the great magician Of ones
feelings, arose to him. The majority of the
inhabitants of America were the sons of
these lands, they possessed the same feel
ings, were actuated by the same industry,
the same chvairy animated them, and the
laws which ruled them were fundamental
Iy the same. (Cheers.) They ought not,
they could not bear towards each any other
but the kndest feelings. (Cheers.) He
had been in America. He had resided
there but nine months, a short period, GER
tainly, and he had visited in that time but
few of their cities, but he saw enough to
make him smile at those who laughed at
the Americans because they wanted court
manners, NJ Adamized roads, and London
built stage coaches, (great laughter and
cheering,) instead of being refreshed with
the healthy plainness ola people who were
guided in their habits and institutions by
the principle of utility hear, hear y peo-
pie who attached no value to outward osten-
taton or pompous titles, but who rose to
eminence by the simple discharge of their
duties, and obtained the stations of General,
Admiral, or President of their nation, all
of them, the poor as well the rich, by the
simple title of citizen. That which struck
him most during his sojourn in America was
the total absence of pretension. He had
sat at the table of their venerable President
1t was the highest honour he ever enjoyed.
He had said so in America, and he said so
more emphatically here -(cheers.) He sat
with that uncompromising and gallant Chief
of brave nation with as much ease as at
any private genteman's table. Thevenera-
bic President was utterly regardless of the
pride and formes Of extrinsic ceremony !:
nor was his dignity impaired by his person.
al condescension. No, his intriDsick worth
only exhibited itselfthe more it was unguar-
ded-(Hear, hear y With respect to the
national manners of America, he Mr.. S.
KnowIes) should say, that more courteous
kindly, or liberal people he never was among
.-(cheers.) He did not quarrel with them
as some writers did, for eating heir dinners
in galIop-( Laughter. THAT might,
perhaps, be the case at a table d'hote, where
they eat dinners ofbusiness. But they had
their private houses where they entertained,
and where they could linger over their meals
quite as lovingly as we do-Uaughter and
cheers.)
They had been blamed for being inquis-
tive of strangers on the subject of America,
and accused of continually asking. " How
dye like our country !"-iIe saw no harm
in such national feeling, and he thought it
impossible to avoid asking such questions
when he reflected on the majestic scenery
which every where met the eye. He had
glided along their canals and crossed their
magnificent lakes, he had mounted their
glorious Alleghanies, and sailed down their
North River, the broad banks of which
presented the finest Alpine country he had
ever seen, & which itwoudt take the life of an
artist to delineate. He had traversed their
railroads, the shortest of which laughed at
the longest of ours, he had seen these things
and every where witnessed the same on
ward rush to improvement.
How could he, then, have mingled with
the millions, descended with himself from n
common country, moved by the same feel
ings, gloriiying in the same privilege of hb-
erty, and speaking one veruacular language,
and that the language of Shakespeare
Cheers )-how could he, so identified with
such people, bring himself to ridicule the
pride of those who claimed property in
what he described aloud cheering.) A
greater enemy to this county there could
not be than the man who would create
enmity and disunion between the two coun-
ties by detracting from the American char
acter. The Americans generously desire
that the conncxion should be cemented
and why should it not be so Our friends,
our sons visited the Americans, were hos
pitably received, and made fortunes by them.
II was gratifying that this feeling should ex-
ist, and it should be the honor and pride of
the old country to meet that feeling more
than half way.-Loud cheering"