The Washington union., 1857-08-21
From the Daily Post, Liverpool, July 2, 1851
THE BANQUET TO THE AMERICAN OFFICERS IN


the Adelph to the officers of the United States shsot
war, the Niagara and Susquehanna, were compelled
in consequence of the ateness of the hour at which the
proceedings terminated 10 omit the eloquent speech OF
Mr. Rittenhouse the purser Of the Susquehanna We
supply it,
Mr. Rtenhouse replying to the toast of The captains
and officers of the ships Agamemnon Susquehanna and
Leopard, said
Ma PRlsIDEsr AND GESrLKaES Conscious more than
ever this delightful occasion which your splendid hos
pity has accorded of the want OF the graceful talen
of conviyial eoquence for which, among their many a.
compshments Your oountrynen are so widely dish
guished tremble, the gallant soldier who has lust
addressed you could before charge of cavalry at
the new ordeal to which this ehage of glasses has ex
posed me. But little versed am in .candied words
of compliment" have TO sustain the generous SEN
tments which you have expressed the grandeur OF the
cause in which are embarked and the reflection that
great and glorious nation as yours is too proudly
conscious of its desnies to condemn any casual divergence
of views any honest mprudcnce of expression and least
of ALL to exact any homage of fattery at my hands
First with reference to the great event which has been
the occasion of assembling After expressing that
brave confidence in the of the undertaking. com
bined with that sublime reliance upon Providence which
characteristic of Brtons, and which the grandeur
the enterprise and the broad humanitarian interests in
volyed appropriately suggest, the possibility of fail
has been considered Sir am reminded of a scene
which occurred but few days since in that greater than
Roman Senate--your once humby, but now beyond all
of your distinguished statesmen misunderstood
perhaps, in doubling of the Of your noble pre
ratons for the reconquest nay should have said or
the retention of your magnificent empire in the indies
he was interrupted by storm Of indignant exclamatios
from his side Of the assembly So in this calise no
less grand and no less patriotic in which British capital
enterprise, and science thus heroically embarked il
seems to me that to deny the accomplishment of step
promotive of human peace, happiness, and progress
almost If not impious distrust of the goodness Of
Heaven betrayal of the just hopes Of humanity and
treason to the best interests of your country Sir one
who by the miracles of his said TO have mada
all past glory doubtful and all future fame impractiea
ble arrogantly declared that the word impossible"
no longer French. With equal truth and noblet
may it be asserted that English enterprise has de-
cided that the term despair is longer English
Yes sir, will venture to swear, by my confidence in the
noble intellects and intrepid energies enlisted that
though wind and waves may temporarily olstruct you
it is not in the power of Of tempests to prevent
the great results of peace and civilization which this
d ltng of the worlds must produce.
Gentlemen, during this my delightful visit to your
beautiful country, whilst musng upon the exquisite Of
ects OF its landscapes the oveliness of it's villas, the ad
nirabe perfection of its agriculture and the bewidefig
greatness and magnicence of its cities could not for
bear excaimng, why from land 50 charming fertile
and refined this should its children to roam
Where more than amidst the lakes OF Cumberland the
ocs OF Scotland, and the mountain scenery OF Wales
can the lovers of nature and the votaies of the
meet with views of hoer beauty and spots
Grated by song And yet leaving this your beautiful
nome, we everywhere ma you, you restless Islanders
upon every and in every Cline either advancing
merce, searching for the picturesque colonizng
nents And all honor to you too, that you have the
manly sedcpendencc the irrepressblc energy and the
ndcmtabe courage that prompt and compel you thus
roam 1t is to such yours that Providence has
committed the conquest and civilization Of our earth
You do not hesitate to leave land you have made thus
beautiful for you carry with you the daring genius and
the noble training which will enable you to make the el
ments ministers Of your will subdue the most rec
nt nature and cause every wilderness to blossom the
Does not this imply higher Of man duty
to the earth which he governs truer loyalty to the lin
cage which you boast than that serflike attach
to the soil which characteristics the Latin races Of
your continent and indeed the lowest forms of social
organization
Nothing has much surprised at least interested
me- during my sol ourn among you, the strong vitality
and fastncreasing prosperity which, every side
round me. 1t was Old England that had come to
its vied ruins its historic tombs, its noble Minister'S and
its grand old baronia castles, and upon all these have
in rapured wonder gazed But bark am aroused and
pleasantly too, from this loved communion with the pic
turesque and heroic past sweet recall of the roman
tic visions of my childhood The pleasant revelry is dis
pelled by the hum of your population the of your
factories, and the passing whistle of your engines
can no longer muse upon the past in the midst of such
present as surrounds longer dream OF
Old England with the far greater wonders of Young Eng
land before Perhaps needed to be taught this les
son. gentlemen; perhaps, coming from new land justly
confident of its desnies not fully of the
future OF which your evidently advancing prosperity as
stlres you Do not find you just emerged from IL
tanc contest in whose issues involved almost tho
empire Of the earth, with an increased revenue i'm
proved commerce. and thoroughly-uned peoplea Do
not you able and willing to submit to burdens
tracted in vndcatng the rights and glory of your coun
try which none of the despos of the earth dare attempt
to impose upon their most submissive slaves Who can
call such people oldl Who doubt of its destnics'
Who fail to predict for it future of inteminabe years.
But have not done with the paStthat glorious pasto
yours of ours also not proudly say Is there any
free people reverent of their past conservative
of its claims, cautious and hesitatng in every re-
form they adopt Ever mindful of the maxim of their
great Bacon, that time respects nothing that 1t has
not had hand in erecting, these naughty Brtons refuse
to write their constitution and satisfy themselves in pru
ming growth instead of planting institution
temptuously smiling at the versatility Of their volatile
neighbors, who easily construct you system
upholster procession Well though circumstances,
perhaps allow us oishoot Of your nation, with we
trust equal respect to the just considerations Of order
and stability to be rather trenchant and summary
in reforms respectfully orbear to pass any judg
ment upon the policy that governs YOU and sincerely &C
knowledge obligations to you in every branch OF the
science of government But since you insist on time
effect your comparatively easy political experiments may
we not claim that You allow to great and distant p
pie right to Judge of the time and the manner
which the ncomparably greater difficulties of their soca
condition shall be met
Citizens of Liverpool is it here of all the communities
of your land, that should have to apprehend The &
natcal Intolerance and presumptuous propagandism 70
which allude Do you also listen with applause to bc
bold bad who would dare to solve in the midst of 100
probable and confagraton the awful problem
of the social relations that own1 Have i to REMIND
you, generous people, that have inherited the oI
cumstances that you reprobate; and how transmit