The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-05

1t is long since we had occasion to chronicle
50 pleasant passage-at-arms with our English
friends as the ceremonies which attended the re-
ception Of the Arctic discovery ship Resolute, in
England Every one knows, by this time, THAI
this vessel, abandoned in the Arctic ocean by
Sir Edward Belcher's orders, was found by an
American whaler, brought into New England
port, bought and refitted at cost of $4,000
by the United States government and sent to
England, under Captain Hartstein, as present
10 Her Majesty. We believe we are only render
ing justice to Senator Mason, of Virginia, in
credting him with the happy idea Of this grace
iul international compliment.
The EDglsh, as all who know them expected,
have received the compliment like q courteous
and high-toned nation. The Queen visited the
Resolute, and, being something Of sailor herself
inspected her minutely, inquiring curiously from
Captain Hartstein, the meaning OF the various
Arctic implements she saw Captain Harts.ein
dined with her, and both he anG his crew received
civilties without number from public bodies and
private Individuals. The tone Of the press has
never been go friendly TO the United States. Al
together. this little affair seems to have doae
more to put John Bull in good hinour With
us than any thing that has occurred for years.
Even poor Sir John CHAMPION is forgotten in
the general excitement, and successor viii
probably be named 10 him before the cnigate cor
d,dle is cloudcd over.
When one sees how much can be accomplished
by tri1e Of this kind, il il amazing that such
tac4i ranpiaIc of fnal;uu f,a
quent. In the constant daily intercourse which
We maintain with England, opportunities for
small civilities Of this kind are very plentiful.
Enelishmen are constantly coming here, and
countrymen Of ours going there. Scores Of ships
OF both countries leave the ports OF each every
day of the week. Indeed, our intercourse could
hardly be more constant or larger if we were CO
terminous countries; and the opportunities for
displaying good feeling are in proportion How
differently the two countries might have worked
along in the world had there been an annual
shake hands like this Of the Rcsolute.
In point of fact, our connection with the
Englisb. as q nation, has been almost uniforml,
Of an unplea,ant character. We, on the sea
board, know them az traders, perhaps; but in the
interior, where the people think little abou,
foreign trade, what do they know of England and
the English? They hear that their Minister is
breaking cur laws; that their ships are inter.
fering with our people in Central America
and they read an article pcnned by some thought
less London editor, aud recopied by our presses
making very merry over the comcalites and de-
fccts of Brother Jonathan, in tone not az al
remarkable for geniality or kindly mrtb. IL
they hear Of dealings between this country aud
England, the two nations are invariably pi.ted
against each other as antagonists; the native OF
Kentucky, Ohio and the West cannot conceive
that England can ever want to have anything 10
say to us except W cheat or bully us. Readers
of history know what foundation there Is for this
gross deusion; it exists certainly, and means are
not taken TO dispel il.
In one way this dclusion has a slight adyan.
tsge. II helps TO keep down that provincial ten
dency which leads 80 many persons in this coun-
try TO copy servilely everything that is English.
But this gain is more than countcrbalanced by
the loss the feeling entails. We have hardly sccn
the full effects of it; those could only be brought
out by a war of some kind; but the waste Of en-
orgy and force occasioned by the maintaining Of
constant international prejudces, must he osti-
mated very highly. No man, il may be safely
said, can ever rise 10 the rank Of statesman or
a man of broad common sense, who cntertsns a
prejudice against foreign nation: yet the pre-
vailng ignorance of each others views and mo-
tves and the constant friction of irritable points,
retains at this moment large section of the peo-
pie of Great Britain and Of the United States in
state Of chronic mutual hostility.