The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-08-18
JARED SPARKS RELATES HIS EXPERIENCE

IN EUROPE
At the recent meeting of the Massachusetts, His
torical Society," the President called upon Mr. Jared
Sparks, who made interesting relation of things
he had seen abroad. At Florence he found valuable
papers relating to Vespucius which he ordered to
be copied and should present to the Society for pub
LEGATION. The members of the family, who, though
not opulent, are in good circumstances, informed
him, that some years they parted with an original
portrait OF the great navigator to American gen.
teman who avowed that he desired it for an Ameri-
public institution; and that it had been traced
to New York. but its present place OF deposit is not
known. 1t matter of deep regret to the fam
lily that this original is not in our national halls
Copies of it represented the same melancholy face
with map in the hand, which is seen in this coun-
try.
MIR. Sparks then spoke at some length of the
British State Paper Office, where there was an in
valuable collection of materials relating to Mas
suchgsetts, copies of which ought to be taken Here
Mr.. Sparks alluded to the liberality of New York
as to its documentary history, and suggested that
Massachusetts, ought to follow her example. Espe-
ciaily too, at this time, when the rule of the Brit
lsh Government, as to allowing copies to be taken,
was remarkably liberal. He found no difficulty in
getting almost anything he wanted. Even the pri-
vate and curious diplomatic correspondence of Lord
Stormont, who was on the Continent in 1775-'6-'7,
was freely thrown open to him. The rule simply
required that the matter copied should be bound
and submitted to a responsible officer 1t was held
that no public policy now required concealment,
and it was time to bury up all feuds. Mr.. Sparks
found Holland, also very liberal; but France less
so. Mr.. Sparks, in conclusion spoke of our ma
tonal reputation abroad.
On the Continent, and especially in Paris he
Judged the reputation of the United States was bad;
and he remarked at length on the disposition ofthe
faris Press and OF monarcbists generally, to mag
nlfy against us such things as quarres, mobs,
dues and political troubles. There were two class
es OF minds, the Monarchical and the Red Republi-
cans-and both dislike the United States-the latter
Ihink our Government is bad because the people
ho Ehartr IL
us because we are Republic. In England the tone
OF opinion was widely different. He found there
was profound respect for the United States. 1t
was considered nation worthy to be conciated,
worthy of closer ties with England, and looked to
as an ally in the future great contests with abso-
lutlsm Reverting to Paris, Mr.. Sparks said that
occasionally favorable account was seen in the pa
pers and he instanced as an exception publication
by Baron Charles Dupin of paper read to the AGA
DENY OF Sciences, and printed in the Honiteur of
March 2, 1858. This had the following allusion to
Massachusetts:
cat the west of the Atlantic, Massachusetts,,
small by territory, comparatively less fertile
than the basins of the Mississippi of the La
Plata, of the Amazon, is made great by agri-
culture, and above all, by industry. 1t takes the
LEAD IN science and arts among the one hundred
and twenty States of the New World. To its too
limited territory it adds two oceans towards the
polar circle, to attack the great cetacia it sends
more seamen than all other nations put together
1t seeks even in Asia the treasures of the Equa-
tor ana the aromas, the priceless perfumes of the
torrld zone it pays for with the ice of its lakes
10 turn its running waters TO a course more as
tonishing, it transforms its cataracts, its rapids
into regular motive powers, rivals of steam. 1t is
not enough for this State to create its Cambridge
Alma, to push farther out the boundaries of science
and add even stars to its conquests, it POUNDS at
once its Manchester, its Glasgow, its Leeds and its
Halifax. During. the half century which continues
the describe it prepares against the colossus
of British industry, giants wrath. The struggle
has begun, New England braces herself To tho
second war of independence, and triumph will be
the independence of art."-Boston Post.