New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-18
GREAT BRITAIN.
DINNER TO MR.. THACKERAY AT ED1N-
BIIRGH
From 7Ae London TiHeG

burgh. The company comprised many Of the most
distinguished connected with literature, science
and the fine arts in Scotland. Lord Neaves occupied
the char the crouper being Mr. w. Stirling OF keir,
N. p. After the usual preliminary toasts,
The Chairman proposed " the health Of Mr.. Thack-
cary" their distinguished and honored guest. His
Lordshp paid an eloquent and graceful tribute to The
merits Of Mr. Thnckeray, and entered into length
eDed review of his works and style, and pronounced
high eulogium upon their tendency TO promote truth
and cultivate virtue. He defended the distinguished
authors recent lectures from the charge Of disoyaty,
contending that in dealing with such subject the
vice Of truth should not be sted by that of attery,
and concluded by renarkins on the philosophical
treatment and benevolent spirit that characterized all
his writings.
Mr.. Thackeray in reply, said-My Lord Neaves
and gentlemen have ~ thank you rs best may FOX
the immense kindness and hospitality with which yoa
have been been pleased 10 receive me- and for the eI
traordnary and generous welcome which ] have had
here, and which have met with during the whole
time that have been roaming through Scotland:
Wherever have been, from Dumfries to Inverness,
assure you that have met with welcome as
kindly almost ard rs great as your own at whatever
town have landed have found the kindcst hand
stretched out to shake mine the wanest friends ready
10 make me welcome and the most extraordinary sym.
patby, and goodness and friendship and affecton-f
! may be allowed TO say so-shown toward me
lCheers. If this kind of reception il to contnue-f
such hospitality is to 20 on-i am to be feasted
every day in this way or in way almost equally
good-allow me to say that, with these dinners and
with this kindness, and with this hospitality, you
are taking my bread out of my mouth Laughter
and cheers II is quite an error to suppose that
l am q man possessing any benevolent feelings or
any generous sympathies with my fellow-creatures.
Ny business is to find out snobbishness and mean-
ness and vugarity and base motives in oil the people
among whom / 20 ILaughter] read in scores
and Of valuable critical works that such is my
only task that such is the dreay occupation of my
stence 1t said that if try to speak of agood man,
render him absurd, and mean, and vulgar; and of
good woman that She too, is foolish, and vapid and
insignificant that il is only with agreeable vice that
somehow or other my business in life lies, and in fine,
that TO picture wickedness and sefshness, and mean
ness is my task. know that this must be true, be-
cause l read it very short time ago IN Liverpool
newspaper Ilaughterl; and not only in Liverpool
newspaper, but in O Liverpool newspaper which was
quoting Scotch newspaper Renewed laughter. This
Scotch newspaper enounced these facts winch have
been mentioning TO YOU totally contrary TO the theory
of Lord Neavet. "Catch this fellow, says the Scotch
newspaper, "saying anything kind about anybody;
and the Liverpool newspaper which pngged my
lecture backed up the opinion OF the Scotch critic
Catch him praslng anybody or saying anything go9d
praises Nothing that IL praisabe. And yet thought
that in those lectures which some OF you were pleased
to come and hear had certainly not praised some
monarchs who had lived hundreds of years back, but
had praised Burke and Reynolds, and Goldsmith
and johnson and the literary men, the men of art and
the OF science, the good men OF the tune whom
value more than the Star and Garter wearerz of those
old dlss Applause | had thought that 10 those
lectures had spoken in terms not ot dsrespect or un-
kindness and in feelings and in language not un-
Fprlish of Her Majesty the Queen lchcersl and,
wherever have had to mention her name whether II
was upon the banks of the Clyde or upon those oil the
Mississippi-Wheher il was III New-Engand or Od
Engand-whethcT II was IN sonc great hall III London
to the artisans of the suburbs OF the metropolis or TO
the potcr audiences of the West End 10 the people
in the mightier West by the banks Ut the ONO, aud
away OH the American cOntment--wberever had to
mention her name, II was received WIN shouts OF OPP
pause and with the most heartfelt cheers. And why
WIS this IL not account OF the pcdkCr: TX
was on account of the truth i was becsuse the En-
gsh or the Ainercans-he people of New-Orlcans a
year ago, oi the people OF Aberdeen week aSo-au
received and acknoH edged with due allegiance the
great claim to honor which that lady has who so
vorthily holds that great and awful situation
which our Queen occupies. 1t is my loyalty
that is called in question, and It IL my loyalty that
am trying to plead to YOU Suppore for example, that
in America-in Phlladephla or in New-lork--that l
had spoken about George ". in terms of praise and
affected reverence do you believe they would have
hailed his name with cheers, or have heard with
anything like respect They would have laughed in
my face il had 80 spoken OF him. They know what
know and you know, and what numbers Of squeam-
sh oyasts who affect TO cry out against my lectures
know that that mans life not good llie-that
that king was not such king We ought TO love- or
| regard, or honor Cheersl And believe, for my
part that in speaking the truth, as We hold it. of
bad sovereign. are paying no durcspect at all to
| good one CheerS Far from II. On the contrary,
We degrade our own honor and the sovereigns by
duly and uusty praising him; and the mere eaverer
| and fatterer is one who comes forward a. ii were
with hashnotes, and pays with false coin his tribute
| IL Cesar lCheer don't Disguise tha, feel some
how on Iny trial here for loyalty, for honest English
feeling |" No, no, and cheers do not hold any
| dangerous revolutionary opinions. l am sure there
| il many Conservative here who might follow my
| opinions or at any rate who might hear them out,
| and not be very much alarmed at them when l had
got TO the end. As far as know Of my political opin
ions, belong to the class that around me here,
the class Of lawyers and merchants and scholars and
| pxvho viz on fhp N of he
educated middle classes Of this country. And belong
ing 10 them my sympathes and my desires are with
| them Ifit happened that we were all here assem-
bly, Of nob,mcn and earls. should, no doubt form
| NscOunts Government aud think il the best of al
| Governments possible CheerS. IL difficulty arose
| in China for instance, should look for my Lord
| Duke A. to 60 out and settle the difficulty or We
| should ask Earl b. to 20 If my Lord Duke a. were
| not inclined fla Minister were wanted at Washing
ton We should send my Lord A. to fill the place. or i,
| Minister wanted elsewhere, there would be
some other lord who would be quite ready to accept
the Office Ii We had u war, should select noble
lord from the Hone Guards to FL the place Of Gem
| mander-iuC Chief, should select coupe o! noble
earls 10 command the cavalry laughter and cheersl
and We should hnd out number OF gentlemen of the
| best families 10 20 on the staff Of these noble lords
| lChees and laughter. Ii L. for example, Were the
noble lord who occupied a high position II, home
and especially if ] should possibly have Il relative
| in a far distant land where the war going on.
should most undoubtedly and most jusiaby write
out TO those in authority ut headquarters 10 take
of my relative IGreat iaughter Against that system
could scarcely protest because it perfectly natural
think il is quite fair that noble lord should send
out and say, For Heaven sake, take Of Dowb
| renewed laughter; but for side think that
| bound also TO look after Tu and Mac Loud
cheers. Tul and Mac belong 20 our family they
OF the working sturdy middle classes lCheer. They
are men in whom lie, As | believe the safety, the
hope and the main part Of the intelligence OF our
country 1t is to their party that would Ike say
that belong, and hope that my confession Will carry
nn dlslR with