The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-11
LETTER FROM EUROPE.

The season IL nearly over and Parliament s about 10
alo,rn No great things done during this session.
and no great reforms introduced The East India Com
pany in shape has got another lease and the
Jews bill, after al said and 1ione is, after ALL but
tady concession to the spirit Of the age England does
not profess to lead of in moral and social questions her
pride consists in pertinacously adherng to hereditary
traditions and established PRACTICES and to introduce but
with tho greatest caution and after the seyerest struggle
what may DO termed improvement in the direction of
social progress Not that the people of England have
not much 10 gain but that the governing classes of
Eugand have much to lose from changes introduced
the laws and institutions Of their country The govern
ment Of England, being based conquest is feudal in
its origin yet such has been its fortunate historythe
result Of isolation and Individual development In
the Introduction OF the aristocac element temper the
power OF the Crown and in the introduction Of the dem
oratc elements " temper the power OF the arstocracy
the old Institutions suffered to remain by the side Of
the ones in spirit of almost nconceivabe frater-
nifty to which the history of other country furnishes
parallel In all other countries the struggle between
arstocracy and democracy ended in the defeat of one or
the other party; in England alone it terminated in
compromise. Hence the attachment the reverence for
Gothic institutions in the midst Of the solid improve
ments Of the mechanic arts Of commerce. and OF navga
on the loyalty to the sovereign by the side of very
keen appreciation Of public liberty On the continent Of
Europe fur the influence of the French revolution
Is FELT royalty is by the thinking and reasoning classes
considered at best but necessary evil conuration
formula to preserve law and order in England it is still
Divine institution surrounded by the solcmnities Of
religion An Englishman may have to rejoice at
all that but 1t Is absurd to uphold the institutions of
England model for imitation to all other coun-
tries. You cannot initiate that which is the result of
historical growth through the progress of centuries nor
Int
ated, to enter with them into new compromise. No
government can deal in other but practical questions
no nation rear the edce of its power and grandeur
out of other elements than those which it actually pos
sesscs There isno Norman or Danish rabbe which
by the success of single pitched battle, may lay the
foundation to powerful feuda astocracy and we must
needs be content with such casua distinctions as honor
virtue patriotism lor and the like may bestow upon US
individually. Hwould certainly bctry very short-sipht
ed view Of human affairs to set up the government of this
or that country model OF imitation for all others
Aristotle has given the description Of several hundred
governments, all having less pretension to pub
lie freedom, and yet differing widely from each other In
the application Of the principle The history of each
nation marks distinct progress and it is only in the
tality of progress of mankind which we call universal
history that the true merits Of each be properly un
derstood and appreciated Viewed from this stand point
an American may admire England and yet feel proud at
the institutions Of his country, which not only mark
an immense progress in the direction Of harmony with
the present state of knowledge and civilization of the
human race but great historical movement whose r-
resistibe influence is felt in MI countries and perhaps
most by those who make the greatest effort to resisi It.
But to return to my subject The Jews bill has passed
both houses Of Parliament and il must have been re.
lief to their lordshps after the many they had
for differing from the Commons that the first person
who benefited by their abandonment of the preu-
dccs which disgraccd the middle ages belonged in
certain at least to their order Baron Roths
child may take "a front in the House, and If he
bo indebted to many noble lord for this mark of dis
tincton, there Is doubt but that many noble lord is
under obligation to the Baron which he will not discharge
during the present next session of Parliament Eng
land has In this instance, only followed the example of
the United States and Of France let hope that IL will
soon be followed throughout Germany, and that the re-
public ofSwitzcrand especially may disgrace herself
any longer by intolerance toward religious sect which
wherever II has been admitted to full equality with
Christians has dropped its peculiar characteristics and
contributed its full share to the progress of science and
the arts and to the development Of every branch of hu
man industry
The right ofsearch question is among the things that
were II there is statesman of England who still cher
ishes the idea of its being again successfully exercised he
Time power of England. FM Mium! TO expect Eng
land to say to u.s. in many words 1--WE are sorry for
what we have done, and shall do 80 again. s
porhaps exceeding the bounds of Diplomatic proprety
ana YET England has almost done SO in as many words
Inc rm attitude Of the administration the undivided
spirit OF Congress- public opinion North and South East
ana " est OF the Allegheny mountains have convinced
Ehgand and the world that matter how we may differ
On nome questions we are. in regard to oil others,
united people, ready ard capable to defend our rights
may also be well here to state that we have had an in
visible powerful ally in Europe in the person of his Ma
JcsV 'he Emperor of the French, Who lust IA mat
le" seemed to come to crisis plainly indicated to
the British ministry that France wosld never al
~" hT vessels 10 DO searched any other bellig-
eeht right to be exercised by England toward her sbps
IN ume oil peace After this intmaton, it was quito
natural for England not ITO abandon right as Tor,
Lyndhurst declared Inst night in the Lords, but .to do
ss IRON the assumption of right she never possessed
Now as the assumption Of right never possessed IL
nothing else but wrong, may hopo that England
Will make suitable amends for tho mistake and th, tho
more 80 as Lord Aberdeen with true Scottish honesty
40 not use the word in this sonsc ius did declared
mat ne considered the whole question settled in ls42a
uehera Cass will no doubt be glad to learn all this and
y only pity that Lord Palmerston should have fallen
into so palpabe error
me fall OF that distinguished British statesman s in
ueed lesson to all who allow idosyncracics TO interfere
WIN their reason No man Is more thoroughly polti
caiy dead than his lordshp and tho strength Of the
present Derby ministry is perhaps less owing TO the cn