Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-08-30
. 9 n 6 o 9 n e 3,
THE UNITED STATES
JUDGED BY AN ENGLISH STAN
DARD
RECENT SPEECH OF JOHN BR4aHT,
NJ D

/
exclusive colonies on the other side Of
the Atlantic. Ten years afterwards these
colonies were colonies no longer in name,
but they stood forth before the world as
an independent and a growing republic.
Now, | would like 10 know from where
America got her statesmen. 1t is quite
clear that, upto 1775, nobody in this coan-
try mean Lord North and the states
men ofthat day-supposed for a moment
that there were any statesmen in the col
onies OF America; but yet, somehow or,
other, they found statesmen. There was
a man named George Washington cloud
applause) Now George Washington
was a sort Of neighbor of ours, because
his family emigrated from Cheshire. In
his own country he would not have been
a statesman, ihati is very certain. G" Hear,
hear" and laughter.) But If you will go
down through the whole list oftheir Pres
idents, from George Washington to Zach
airy Taylor. their present President, I
should like to ask whether, if you take
the whole list Of their Presidents, they
do not equal in character, in sagacity, in
patriotism. and in having acquired and
deserved an enduring fame, equal to that
of any Prime Minister we have had from
Lord North's day down to Lord J. Russell.
{" Hear, hear" and applause.)
Well, in this country, it is thoughtnec-
cessary to have very distinguished men
men of great and high birth-adequately
to represent the British nation at foreign
courts-with about gl0, 900 a year loud
laughter.) Well, now, the Americans
had an Ambassador once, named Franklin
and he is man that will be thought
long of, even after a great many English
Ambassadors have heen forgotten
{" Hear, hear and cheers.) lately in
this country, we had Mr.. Bancroft, Am
/ bassador from the United States-a man
who has written one Of the most, perhaps
the most. admirable history of his W
country@a man qualified in every res
pect to represent the true worth and dig
nifty Of the republic 10 which he belongs.
Well, l want to know whether, if you
trace all the American Ambassadors, from
Franklin to Bancroft, they are not fit to
stand side by side in the page of his
tory with the aristocratic Ambassadors
which this country has sent out to foreign
%courts7 (applause.)
But now we will go to the American
Senate. 1t is low on this side ofthe coun-
; try to go into detail On this matter it is
not considered quite the thing, seeing that
we live under our glorious constitution
(hear, hear.) Now the American Senate
answers in some respects, but in a very
> slight degree indeed, to our House OF
: Lords; that is, it is what is called "the
upper house"-it is the representative
assembly, and it consists of two members
for every State in the Union. 1t consists
now, l believe, of sixty members. Bear
= in mind, it is an elective assembly. II
dare oppose the will of the House of Rep
resentatives; it exerts as great an influence
over public opinion in America as the
House of Representatives,, and perhaps a
: greater influence. There is no doubt the
existence of that Senate has been one oil
e the main causes of the consolidation oil
the great American confederation, and OIL
4 the very wise and just policy, which on
the whole, that confederation has observed
Look at their House of Representatives.
Bills in that house are not passed by one
fourth Of its members they do not comc
s down in their white waistcoats at halfpasI
!, eleven o'clock, and vote they know no
o how and care not how so that they fol
INV llC pal lOuldl uldi mum IilSN sup
pose to be the leader of their party
There is an infinitely better attendance il
d the American House of Representative.
If than there is in the House of Commons il
is this country, and an infinitely better ant
more real attention to the interests ant
to the wants Of the constituencies.
Now, look this republic has existec
for seventy years-people said it woulC
J not exist seventy months. 1t has had, il
q all that time, about fouI years of war. /
Y has no national debt (hear, hear.) Their
" is Just now some four or FIVE millions 0
;" existing deficiency, means of paying oil
: which are about to be provided. They d
I not incur a debt without taking steps t
pay It off again. Why, from 1892 to 1915
a period, Of not more than twenty-iv
n years, under your glorious constitution
with your hereditary House of Lord:
with the Commons representing the Lord
at and not the people (hear, hear, and ar
10 plause,) we have added to our nation:
as debt more than $50 million pounds stel
N ling Shame, shame.) In America, the
he have few taxes compared with what W
have they have not the interest of tb;
vs. enormous debt TO pay; and they have nj
an O standing army and a feet
70 scour every sea, and to bully and insu
# on every coast (applause.) They hay
I'd an army no greater than We pay for
,is Canada at this moment and therefor
!, they are free from the interest of tn
debt, and free from the vast amount
seven or eight millions, which we pay
our peace ornaments. And bear in mir
,p. ttbot oIFbonob in Amarico fhera iS M g