The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-20
From the London Nsios, December 81.
Visit or tho American President to tho
- cxv,


for the present. the hope that London will, during
the coming exhibition, be honored by the presence
Of the Executive head OF the great Republic. Mr..
Stell, the gentleman to whom the letter is address
ed, is an American, who has been for upwards Of
twenty years resident in this country, during moot
of which time no has been at the head of one Of
the largest and most respectable commission houses
in Manchester engaged in the American trade
Although seeing much in this country to admire
and respect, and being himself held in the highest
esteem by the community amongst whom he re-
sides. he Is one of the few Americans who, after
somewhat heightened contact with European
eociety, continue to hold fast by their political
principles to retain any affection for the Democ-
racy of their country. Coniessedy opposed 10 Pre-
sident Fillmore in politics. yet anxious that every
possible step should be taken to draw closer the
ties which bind the two countries together, he took
the Liberty of suggesting to the President that the
exhibition would present fitting opportunity for
visit from the head of the Republic to the capital
of fatherland. In common with others, both Eng
fish and American, he believed that such an event
would pave the way for visit from her majesty to
the city of New York, the citizens of which would
vie with each other in giving her a rapturous and
national reception. 1t 10 not the first time that
NOR has assigned to her majesty intention to
take trip to her North American provinces; and
should she ever fulfil that intention her easiest and
safest way of reaching Canada would be by first
proceeding to New York. 1t is obvious how much
such interchanges of courtesy on the part of the
respective heads of the two nations would tend to
strengthen the bonds Of sympathy and good feel
ing between them. From the following, however,
which is the Presidents reply, it would appear that
the first step towards such result is not likely to
be Immediately taken:
WASHINGTON, Dec. /, 1850.
WILLIAM S STEEL, ESQ.,, Manchester:
My DEAR Sir: nave the hoaor to acknowledge
the receipt OF your kind letter of the Sth ult,
through Mr.. Randall. expressing the hope that
may visit the Worlds Fair in London, in Nav
next, and assuring me that if do shall receive
cordial welcome from my countrymen in England
and rendering me the Inequalities Of your house
whilst remained at Manchester Previous to the
death Of my lamented predecessor, had antici-
pated the pleasure of visiting London at the time of
the fair; but deem it now impossible to leave my
official duties here; and your kind letter causes
possible for me to be absent for such length Of
time, nothing could be more gratifying than to
ccpt your preferred hospitality. we'll recollect
meeting you and your lady in the fall of 1887, and
ance. Independent Of f that. have always felt
strong desire to visit Great Britain Its soil is CHS
sc ground to me, and should be most happy to
leading men of that country and my own, and to
see how far we have improved upon the political
institutions of the mother country. But this must
be deferred till more convenient season. Accept
my thanks for your kindness; remember me most
cordially to your lady, and believe truly yours,
WILLARD FILLMORE
The President is, of course, best acquainted with
the nature and urgency Of his official duties;
but We would respectfully suggest that in May or
June the time occupied in such journey need
not exceed six weeks, giving fully three weeks for
sojourn in England. 1t seems somewhat strange
to US that, when the Emperor Nicholas, who is
himself the State, the government, the all-n all in
Russia, can be absent, without detriment to the
empire, from his territories, for weeks at time,
Mr.. Fillmore, who is at the head of constitu-
tional, and, to certain extent, self regulating
machine, cannot hazard six weeks absence from
the federal capital. We have known journeys
spread over as long period, taken by Presidents
before this. II 10 true that these confined to
the limits of the Republic; but the machine of
government was, during the time, left pretty
much to its own action. The journey now pro-
posed for the President would not keep him away
from the capital much longer than his predeces-
sore were detained by visit to Niagara. Besides,
the time is eminently proptious, inasmuch as the
session OF Congress now pending is what is known
as the short session, being terminable by law on
the 4th of March next. From that time to the first
Monday of the following December the Executive
will DO relieved from the presence of hostile or
crotchetty legislature. No time could, therefore,
be more favorable for the temporary absence of the
President. But, we have already said, he knows
his own business BEST and all that we can as
sure him is, that we shall be delighted to welcome
him whenever he may choose to come. He has al
ready secured for himself the respect and conf
dence Of the thinking portion of the public this
side of the Atlantic, 80 that both individual and
national grounds we can bespeak for him cordial
reception.