Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-17
MIR. BANCROFT IN LONDON.

At the Meeting held lately in the city of London
Tor the purpose of honoring the memory of CANTON,
the earliest English Printer, Mr.. BANCROFT, our
Minister to that country, was present, and took
honorable part, as follows, in the proceedings:
MIR. BAscRoFr, the American Minister, then called
upon, and received with much applause He said he
came to the meeting listen, and mot to take any other part
in its proceedings except from the deepest sympathy with its
objects The following resolution had been put into his
hand
That the proper site Of any work of would be at the
west front of Westminster Abbey at the end of the
Victoria street."
10 an American in England the name of Westminster
Abbey called up all the most pleasing associations As he
crossed the Atlantic visit the homes of his fathers nothing
appealed his heart the cahedra ancient churches
of England and, foremost Of ALL Westminster Abbey. It
appeared hem pilgrims of the West as if these ancient
sancuaes gathered around them enwrap them and speak
welcome and if they called them into the presence Of
all that greatest and glorious in the recollection of
English history and the English mind. (Appause West
minister Abbey the site most suitable for the erection of
monument to the memory Of William Caxton--Westmn
Abbey where lay deposited the remains of kings warriors
and staesmen-he front Of Westminster Abbey, where the
sum- descending the far west his last shadow the
most remarkable building in their sandthat the spot
to be selected the site for the monument of well skilled
mechanical art and who made himself glorious because he
connected himself with the love of perseverng and ndoma
BILE industry, not for his aggandizemen, but for the be-
net of the European world and Of the human
nuent 10 Caxton the first who made the songs of the
English poets the property Of the world-a
ment 10 Caxon who first gave the songs of Chaucer
current and circulation wide that Of the English tongue
led the way for teaching the of industry understand
the noble works of Milton and Shakespeare and employed the
English tongue to make them companions Of the household
love of the humbe mechanic, and the friends of their fire.
sde Let them remember the immense results which had
followed the introduction of printing Under its influence,
and that of free press, the trial by jury had followed the
children of Great Britain wherever they had gone. So also
had the principle d representative government which they
applied the peculiar circumstances in which their
dition thrown His American brethren demanded from
the people Of this country for every thing great
and good for here their antiquities, their choicest
ections, and the homes Of their foefathers applause
The eloquent speeches made that day would be caught
by the daily press would perambulate the GLOBE and
made the property of mankind. The English press
he regarded the greatest element of civil liberty and free
DOM and might be destined become the Regeneration of the
world. (Appause.) 1t enabled the of genius to give
and give through all the world He was glad that the site
chosen for the proposed the west front-the
front nearest America. (Much applause)
Z