The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-19
George Bancrof, and the English.

Al the inauguration of the PERRY statue in
Cleveland, on the 10th inst, the orator was
the historian BANCROFT, who paid an elo-
Quent tribute TO the great Commander who
fought and gained the first battle of auadron
between American and English vessels, ex-
hibiting in that fight degree of seamanship,
energy and personal prowess which was never
surpassed by NELSON or BLAKE. Perry was a
young man at the time of this great achieve
ment--we believe only twenty-nine; an age
al which, in these days of slow promotion,
many in our navy have only arrived nj the
grade OF Passed Midshipman. lie belonged,
however, to a race OF sea kings, and ne had
been Graded upon the element which he was
dies tined TO illustrate by his enterprise and
yalor He loved Danger and adventure for
their own sake, and after the great victory
which immortalized his name and threw open
the gates of Canada 10 an American army, he
Joined the forces of Gen. HARRISON, and
fought side by side with that patriotic and
chivaIrous Nirginian. In private life, PERRY
was the very soul of honor and generosity.
No man was more ardent and faithful in his
friendships; none more humane and beneficent
TO the widow ami the orphan. He deserves
all and more than the honor that the Cleve-
land celebration has conferred upon him, and
instead OF picayune statue, costing ten
thousand dollars, he ought 10 have one OF
those grand and costly mementoes with which
Virginia knows how to do a handsome thing
in a handsome way.
But, whilst the historian, BANCROFT, paid
his emphatic tribute to PERRY's great quail
ties, we do not admire his tast in availing him.
self of such an occasion to fan the smouldering
prejudlces of his audience against Great Bri-
TAIN and to the extent OF his ability, to blow the
little San ] uan difficulty into afirst-class SUBJ
ject Of controversy, and, perchance, OF war,
between the two nations. We do not believe
that the "overshadowing arisIocratic element"
in Great Britain is always inStigating acts of
| injustice anu aggression towards the United
| States. The party in that country which en-
braces the elite Of The aristOcTacy is not the
which our government has hitherto found ii
| most difficult to get on with in peace and har-
mony. Moreover, the interests of England
| are vitality concerned in the preservation OF
| peaceful relations with America that she is
much more likely 10 claim less than she is en-
| titled 10, in points not involving her honor,
| than TO push matters 10 extremi:ies upon such
| trivial disputes as that of San Juan. Our
| country, unfortunately, is in much more dan
| ger from the mutual hostility OF its own I'M
| ana ulSlOSdl tllidTen IMAM II Is from
Great Britain or any other foreign power
! Nor do we like the sheer OF the speaker at
| liberty III England, as if that country were
| not in fact 4 free country, and liberty was no.
| where understood except III Massachusetts
| and Ohio. We could appeal from the orator
| BANCROFT TO the historian BANCROFT, who
| shows that all the liberty we possess worth
| having we obtained from England, as, indeed,
no one who aspires to the dignity of Il histo-
rian can deny. We may well be content with
| the victories we have achieved over her in two
| bloody wars, and let by-gOnes be by cones.
! We are perfectly satisfied that the American
| government is competent and willing to VIM
| dictate and sustain in all becoming ways the
| rights and honor of the nation without any
| hints from such men OF the closet as BAN
CROFT, who know nothing Of craftsmanship or
| of war, except as they r al OF ii in the pages
| ot history. A war between Great Britain and
| the United States at this time would be the
greatest folly and The greatest curse that could
betall either nation. Would BANCROFT have
us enter the arena OF arms single handed with
such a power as Great Britain upon such
quarrel rs that of San Juan II he would,
We trust that he possesses military capacities
eq ual TO the conduct Of our armies in such al
emergency, ana that he Will at once place them
at the disposal of the United States Govern
ma