Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-12-25
Lord Carlisle on American Institutions

Lord Carlisle on American Institutions
The other evening the Right Hon The Earl OF
Carlisle, read h- printed lectures ON his Travels
IN America. before the members Of the Hull Lit
erary and Philosophical Society. Ia acknowledge
ing tho vote of thanks which accorded him ut
the close his I.ordshp said: With respect to tho
subject Of the lecture that hnvo Ind tho honor
and qualification Of reading to you, in the outset
Of the evening, ntimatel that | thought it would
he more Consistent, both with fairness and strict
historical accuracy, that should not mix the i'm
rlessions which had derived on the spot, and at
the time. with any further ones which | might
have imbbed from anything TINT has reached Inc
in the succeeding interval
Now, however, Tint nm not speaking from the
book or from the printed pnge. but 10 living men
and women, and in reference to the actual hour,
must permit myself To ray that almost every thing
that have heard or read concerning the United
States since the period of my visit has not, on the
whole. tended to an increase of my admiration of
their public proceedings. or 10 move favorable and
sanguine anticipntions of their coming destiny
On tho contrary, cannot but feel that many Of
the failures and drawb Mt which venture to
hint have come out, M time wearw on with greater
frequency and with deeper shade. yhe pickering
animosty Of classes; the jealousy and hatred Of
the respective geographical divisions the spirit Of
political selfseeking and corruption the loose
ness and dishonesty Of commercial operations /;
the high handed ruiliansm OF the outlying district;
the lust of territorial aggrandzement; tho disin-
clination of the polished, refined and up
! right portion Of the citizens TO take any prom-
nent part in public affairs the absence of fair play
in the deliberations of the Congress, and of digni
ty and Independence on the judicial bench; but
above ALL the intensity and ferocity which gather
round every face on the portentous question Of
Slavery appear 10 to have assumed more
terrifying. increasing and menacing proportions.
In such a state Of things ! certainly cannot feel
more inclined to see my countrymen exchange
the form Of government, the institutions, or the
frame Of society which they possess for those Of
the great American Republic. Cheers. say
nothing Of the reform or removal Of abuses which
undoubtedly must still attach ~ form of poll
ey. cannot question that there are many things
which we might copy advantagcousy from Amer
cn-there are things we might copy from France;
but till the respective character and condition and
conduct Of the two nations are immensely chan
gcd ! do earnestly hope that the people Of this
country will remain English-not American.-
Cheers
am aware that what have Just tuken the lii.
efy 10 say may be subject to some suspicion be-
cause it is not to be concealed that it comes from
| one of the terrible aristocracy to whose account
we have heard, from high authority, are to be laid
all the wars III which the country has been enga-
ged since the Revolution Of 1898. applause.
Now fairly say. If believed that TO be the case,
| should at once he democrat; but believe that
the truth is very nearly the reverse. 4..
When | was in the United States came to the
| conclusion that the American people were far
more inclined to war than the English; and Of the
English people, believe that the class least like
| ly to be hurried by their own icclinations into
war, is what il termed tle aristocratic class.
| believe this was the case with most Of them with
| respect to the late Russian war. AN sure 1t wss
the case with me-; and believe even tho town Of
| Hull, which you would thiAk 80 interested IN
having the navigation with the Baltic kept opsn,