The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-06-05
AN saa 81 siaaaais, ~ ,H'RigSsstc
e0s iAnEaeEicsaaa q q afesssa ssa s


so AnaaeFicsaaa { q ses.aae n &.
The following is an extract from
the speech ofs Sir Henry Bulwer,
delivered at the Anniversary Sup,
per Of the Maryland Historical So.
ciety, in Baltimore, on Saturday,
April 9TH d,
a Yes, it was history which united
the two people in question, by giving
so;both q common property in things
imperishable. Hence were gathered
round their hearts the same house.
hold dieties, and breathed into their
ears, in infancy and age, around their
cradles and over their biers, the same
holy names: the illustrious Alfred,
towhom both countries we're indebt.
edfor their old Saxon laws the mag.
nanimous. Elizabeth, to whome both
2eresindebted for their speaking the
Englishand not the Spanish Ian guagc,
the brave polite William, who, while
defying the great monarch of France
on the continent, lay at home, i'll the
recognition Of the great principles of
civil and religious liberty, the corner
stone of every solid edi6ce of free
goyernnent;- (and he knew that he
had only to mention civil and rcli.
glous liberty in Maryland, in order
to excite the Warmcst enthusiasm }
Thesc great princes, and not only
they, but Shakespeare and Milton,
Raleigh and Bacon, Coke and Lit
tleton, Newton and Locke, Blake
and Marlborough, all these, and
others almost equally worthy of men
ion, though he should not then
ennmerate them, were in their fame
and name as much the Inheritance of
allAtbere present as his own; were as
dear and familiar to every American
heart, as to- the heart of every En-
sglisbman on the other side Of the
Atlantic. But whilst he dwelt on
those IN whom the history Of tho past
gave Englishmen and Americans a
copartnership, and was proud of
them, he was proud also to see that,
asishoots of the old tree we're trans.
planted, they grew up in the original
form, and brought forth fruit of the
original character: and for this rca-
son he did homage to men worthy Of
the ancient race of England, and
whom future history, nevertheless,
would claim as altogether American.
Where, indeed, could he find in
old England senator and orator
more clear and concise in his logic,
more copious andEnoblc in his illus.
trations, more extensive and pro.
found in his requirements, than the
senator and crater from New Eng
land--the great Ulysses of debate,
the variously accomplished, the al
most incompatible Daniel Webster?
And where, amidst the statesmen of
his own country, for whom he felt
patriotically partial, where could he
point to a statesman more gallant in
Hhis bearing, more chiyalrous and
heart-stirring in his eloquencc, more
mild and moderate in his counsels,
than he who united the experience OF
Nestor with the spirit of Achilles-
the knight and sage Of Aehland- his
able, amia5le, and universally beloy.
ed friend, Henry Clay, whose alb.
sence was the only drawback to the
pleasures of that entertainment?
And if such were American ora.
tors and statesmen, such also were
a American historians and WARRIORS
tie had, for his part, never had an
adequate idea of the achievements OF
those great Spaniards who first car.
RED the sword and the cross into the
New World, until he had read of
Hernando Cortes, in the pages of
Prescott; and yet, just at the time
when it appeared to him that the
heroes drawn by that great artist
wore matchlcss, ifnot fabulous, there
stepped forth heroes from that artist q
own land, who, on the very country
which he had taken as the subject
Of his immortal work, equallcd or sur
passed by their exploits those whose
marvellous deeds he had been de.
scrlbing. A gentlemen had spoken of
Agincourt. The name had suggest.
ed to him (Sir II. Bulwcr) a singu.
lar coincidence applicable to the top
ic he was speaking upon. The bat
tie of Agnconrt was fought on the
Goth of October, on the plains of
Picardy in France. There were on
that occasion the English forces, few
in number, fatigued by marching, en-
!. feeblcd by sickness, and surrounded
by a great and gallant army, so con-
fident in victory that its chief, previ.
Gus to giving the signal for the onset,
sent herald to the English leader to
bargain for his ransom. That lead
er's answer had been thus given:
Go tell your master here am, @
My ransom is this irail md worthless trunk;
My army but weak and sicky guard;
H.. s-.-fI I..r- 4 a.