Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-08-18
PUBLIC HUMILIATION OF AN AMERI-
CAN MINISTER

~ tne heetl1S OF tne international Statistic
wcIU assc'ii,iou tIUst ulstliis, uisnu,
in the English world of science and letters,
presided over by the man of highest DO ,iton.
socially and politically, in the Kingdom, Lord
Brougham availed himself of the occasion to
go little out of his way then and there to
make an example OF our minister to the Court
OF st. James. just as the exercises of the day
closed, the old gentleman arose and hoped "his
friend Mr.. Dallas would forgive him for re-
mnding him that there was negro present,
member Of the Congress-" Under ordinary
circumstances, and if addressed to any other
man in the assembly, such a remark would
have had no significance; but addressed to the
representative of the American government,
which denies to the negro the privilege of citi-
zenship or the capacity to require 1T addressed
to MIR. Dallas, who refuses colored people wish
ing to visit the Old World the protection of
his country's flag, the simple testimonial Of a
passport that they arc Americans, the remark
of Lord Brougham was certainly one of the
most humiliating public rebukes ever admins
tered by one statesman to another.
According TO the report given by the Lon
don Times the remark elected loud laughter
and cheers; every one enjoyed it but Mr.. Dal-
las, who was silent, and properly so-for what
had he to say? 1t was a very deliberate insult,
but what was he to do? He could not deny
the fact that there was q negro there; and the
laughter which the remark elected showed that
the audience thought the arrow well directed.
The assembly was not political one, and there
fore the case admits of no call for explanations
nor agltations of the cotton market. The oc-
cason had evidently been deliberately chosen
by Lord Brougham for the purpose of making
Mr. Dallas feel the disgust with which the
course pursued by his government towards
coiored people in Europe has inspired other
nations, and especially the class in England
with which Mr. Dallas's official position brings
him most in contact it was chosen to make
public spectacle of our Minister; 'to roast him."
as people sometimes "roast" person whose
manners they wish to improve, or whose society
they wish to have less Of As peer, or as a
member of the British government, he could
not reach Mr.. Dallas, but as a private gentle
man assembled with other gentlemen, the most
distinguished in the kingdom, he could if the
provocaion was sufficient, put Mr.. Dallas into
cu'en'iy, anu tlat was e,lueiit', ,ne purpose Ur
this speech. The occasion and the circumstan-
ces all conspire to convict him of malice afore-
thought
1t is painful to have our country, through its
representatives, so humiliated but what better
method has foreign gentleman of bringing
public opinion to bear upon those we send to
associate with them, than was adopted by Lord
Brougham? He showed to Mr.. Dallas in an
instant, by remark in itself perfectly true and
perfectly inoffensive, that every member of that
distinguished assembly resented his treatment
of colored people, and enjoyed his public hu-
initiation. A few such scenes would soon either
make a foreign minister modify the regulations
of his Office or drive him out of society. One
or the other of these results, no doubt, Lord
Brougham had in contemplation when he thus
made public spectacle of the American min
ister.-N \. Eeening Post.
The following is the Times report of the
scene above referred to =
Lord Brougham, seeing Mr.. Dallas, the
American Minister, present, said | hope my
friend Mr.. Dallas will forgive me reminding him
that there is negro present, a member of the
Congress. Loud laughter and vociferous cheer
ing
After the cheering had subdued Mr. Dallas
made no sign, but the negro in question, who
was understood to be DR.. Delany rose, amid
loud cheers, and said: pray your Royal High
ness will allow me to thank his lordship, who
is always most unfinching friend of the negro,
for the observation he has made, and l assure
your Royal Highness and his lordship that
am man.
This novel and unexpected incident elected
round of cheering very extraordinary for an
assemblage of sedate statisticians.