The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-04
THE IMPROVED TONE or OUR RELATIONS WITH

THE IMPROVED TONE OF OUR RELATIONS WITH
ENGLAND.
1t is certainly gratifying to American pride, as 1t
ought to be- and doubtless u.s. to humanity itself, to
observe the higher and better tone Of public senti-
ment aud action IN England towards the people OF
this country. The two nations arc certainly IN
close contact not as governments az allies aud
friends merely, in national sense but in tho higher,
England and Franco hold relations of national ALI
ance and we have doubt, as such, arc really
friendly to each other for the true being; but such
conventions are mere casualties in the political
world, opiates to molity asperites for the moment
and they have of the clements OF permanence.
But when tho great industry of ono people be-
comes thoroughly identified with another, there
is ia such condition Of things something OF
permanent and controlling character. Unless the
ono or the other is determined to do great wrong
an impossible thing where tho people exercise SUI
preme control-tlere is the least possible chance OF
interrupting their relations thus identified in their
industry and productions We need not attempt
to disguise the fact that people have boon
accustomed for long time to ventilate their spleen
upon our irans-A taatic brethren but it must be
remembered at tho same time that the British have
"a great deal Of facility for making themselves very
disaereeable and offensive. Perhaps the most no.
table example OF this is to be found in tho comments
of Tho London journals the recent search fracas
When heard of tho persistent and grossly insult
ing and insuierablo conduct Of her Majestys CRUZ
sers in visiting American merchant ships, our peo-
Pile became much excited, and tho Senate and
House INDUCED in severe commentaries, and in
little denunciation When tho same subject
came up in tho House Of Lords and Commons it was
treated with great temperance of feeling and ex-
precision. This difference of manner was immodi-
ately seized upon by the London press, and vast
amount Of credit evoked for the Commons and Lords
much to the discredit Of our senators and members
of Congress- In point OF fact tho British navy had
been committing acts Of upon our merchant
ships against repeated protestationa, and we
were bcratcd for not manfesting on the occasion all
the temperance and GOODNESS which characterized
the conduct Of the aggrcssors rather invaders,
the moment they were acknowledging their errors
and renouncing their right to do what we declared
TO DO an infracton of sovereignty. Mover, per-
haps, in the history of national controversy, has
and quiet endurance as characterized our people
on the question of the exercise of The belliger-
ent claim of search in tmo Of peace upon our
commerce. When British cruisers seemed to
have been set up in business in our own waters and
every returning American ship told a common story
of invasion by them, lost little Of our patience
and displayed moro than ordinary indignation Well
it was quite natural, and had the British government
maintained their position it is certain that the ques-
ton would have been transferred to the arbitrament
Of tho sword Nobody, however in America anti
cpated such result So little did tho conviction
prevail that search would DO continued, that tho ac
tuai good temper and kind feelings of tho people Of
this country were never seriously disturbed We
had before imbibed the idea at least that we
were to 1.-Two in peace with England and that we
should continue with her people to maintain and
enlarge the relations of mutual benefit and advan
tage.
The recenty-reported conduct of tho British gov
ement on the Pacific coast ustifos those conclusions
Nothing Of which we are advised in the acts or
intentions of that government is in tho least degree
either oxceptionable or Of doubtful policy. Under
liberal regulations tho affairs of British America be-
come Closely luenLlneu IN all respects with tho
dustry and inhabitants of tho United States The
nero matter Of governments amounts to nothing. A
few years Of reciprocal trade and Of friendly por-
sonal intercourse will to remove every obsta
clio in tho way of cordial industrial alliance be-
tween our great progentors and ourselves.
&
MR. FRANCIS z. BLAIR sR., THE COMPLETE
WITNESS.
Nothing is moro interesting than to contemplate
how varied are tho endowments OF the human fan,i-
ly One has tho gift Of poetry, another of eoqucnce
another Of theology another of medicine another of
mathematics, and through tho infinite phases
of human life. Mr. Francis z. Blair sr is pre-emi-
nent az witness. Who shall say, after slight re.
view Of Mr.. Blair's lifc that in all tho country or
indeed in all the world, there is another man so
gifted as he in the art and mystery of testimony
He is absolutely complete in himself in the
great character he has 30 long represented tho
complete witness. No contingency has evor yet
arisen that did not end Mr. Blair's testimony ample
and emphatic for the occasion His resources, in
deed, in this respect, arc boundless During the
great struggle upon the question of Bargain and
fhe ntrv