The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-25
Lord Nspae<'s Speech at tho 81. Georges
Dinner.

Dinner
If the st. Georges Society's dinners possess
no other merit, they at least seem to serve the
useful purpose of drawing out that generally
inecrutabe parsonage the British Minister.
Under the soothing influence of Burgundy and
hook, with fresh recollections of the national
last year, made the st. Georges dinner the
theatre of his first public manifesto to the pao
pie Of the United States 1t was no common
pest prandial flourish. He had come, he said
to dispel the notion from every American mind
that Great Britain was opposed to the progress
and expansion Of the United States; he 10
tended, on the contrary, to aid the expansion of
this country on every side so far as in him lay;
and he sought in return, not only the cor
dislity but the cooperation of the United States
for the Power which he represented. These
startling declarations, uttered with an air Of
evident sincerity by the Minister of the Power
whose especial mission seemed to be for many
years to carp at and quarrel with our necessary
expansion, not only attracted unusual attention
to Lord Napier, but actually rendered him the
most prominent and popular member of the
foreign diplomatic corps.
year has passed since then; and once more,
yesterday morning, we published report
Of Lord Napier's speech at the St. Georges
dinner, which took place on Friday. There is
a terrible falling of. Neither the matter nor
the manner will compare with his iordship's
first performance; the speech is in fact nothing
but mere epithalamium on the marriage of the
Princess Roysl-who, by the way, we notice is
already in an interesting situation. Little or
nothing is said about the business which it de-
capacity in this country. There is no allusion to
the delicate questions growing out Of the inter
minable Central American disputes. We hear
nothing more of the IRENE ndous interest which
England WAS said, on Esd April, 1851 to take in
the expansion of this country south and west.
Nor word about doing away with old dipio-
matte forms, and telling straight out to the face
Of tie people what the governments were plot
ting. Instead CT all this We have few obvious
phrases about India, some highhown vaticina-
lions about ChiDa and the epi,haamium, with
flourish oJl,gao about the great Protestant al
lance Of the North of Europe.
Baron Gerolt who would hardly have been
there to read his speech by the light of a
candle stuck in champagne bottle but FOR the
marriage aforesaid, was less demonstratiye than
his diplomatic colleague; but he too seemed to
lock forward to something more substantial
than mere matrimonial alliance between two
young people. Can it be possible that the Eag-
lish are satisfied that the French alliaoce is
about to end, and are already seeking to supply
the place Of France with Prussia,
We fear that Lord Napier is not going to
maintain the reputation be Hor by his first st.
Georges speech. During bis year OF labor he
has done nothing None of the complicated
questions which are pending between this oouu-
try and EDsland are settled though Lord Ma.
pier hss had the assistance of an extra smbas-
sador, whether above or below him in rank no
one knows. 1t looks very much as though his
experience at Constantinople Teheran and
Vienna had asserted its Influence over the com
mon sense impulses which he felt when he spoke
at Delmonco's in 1851