Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-06-14

conclusion:
"The English aristocracy have ruled Eng
land for ages. Their position is more envia-
ble than that of any similar class in any 9TH
er country on the globe. They rule the
wealthiest empire in the world. Their landed
estates embrace large portion Of all the
lands in the kingdom; and these estates arc
cntailed in their families. The House Of
Lords is composed exclusively Of the aristoc.
racy; and they have such influence in the
elections that the members of the House of
Commons are to a great extent the near rela
tives of the Lords. Offices of honor and pow
er, and sinccurc offices with large incomes, in
the church, the army, the navy, the colonies,
at foreign courts, and in all the departments
of home government. are in their gift, and can
be bestowed at their pleasure upon their rela-
tives and friends. They have inherited these
privileges from their ancestors, and their great
aim, their ruling desire. is to retain them in
their families, and to transmit them to their
posterity. Their control of the public press,
and of all the fountains of popular opinion and
sentiment in England, has enabled them to
impress the minds of the great body Of mid
die classes there with the belief that the Eng
lsh aristocracy, with its powers and privi-
lesps, is essential to the prosperity and glory
of the English nation.
"Recently, however, this belief has been
seriously shaken by the success of Democrat
ic institutions in America. Englishmen are
getting now to be well acquainted with Amer
lea; and they see there people of the same
race with themselves, speaking the same Ian
guage reading the same books, holding the
same religious opinions. loving the same pur
suits in short, like themselves in every respect
except that they have no aristOcracy; and
vet, under their democratic institutions, Amer
leans are advancing even more rapidly than
Enclish,nen, in commerce and the arts, in
population, wealth, and all the elements of ma
tional greatness; and intelligent men of the
middle classes in England are beginning to
think that aristocracy, with its heavy taxa
ton for the support Of sinccurc Offices, may
not be so essential as they have heretofore
supposed to the prosperity of England; and
that the English people would, perhaps, rake
more rapid progress if they should throw off
this burden, by Rcpublicanizing or American
izinr their institutions The great danger to
the English aristocracy lies in this idea in tho
minds Of the English people; for if it should
take root and spread it might end in rcvo-
IutlOn Ill WNlCH tucy "ou'u Aosc u'' tie'' Pi'N-
ilcges. Hence they study everything in
America and in England with tho deepest in
tcrest ir its bearings on this matter
"The English aristocracy know that the
English people are liberty-loving. liberty
va,inting people. They saw with what ease
numcrously-signed petitions for the abolition
of slavery could DO obtained in Districts and
among classes, where was no interest to check
the current Of the popular feeling. They
kmew that Mcy could hare found no difficulty
in disposing efsmch petitions in Parliament
with0ut granting them, FIR they could hare
continued to rcceire them respectfully, and
postpone action xpos them endlessly, If their
interest had required IT, But after a time
they, doubtless, reasoned with themselves
thus:
"What will be tho effect of encouraging
and finally granting these petitonsl If sla-
very shall b. abolished in the British colonies
by compensating shareholders for their losses,
nobody in England will then have any inter.
est in opposing the widest and most enthusi-
astic expression or anti-slavery sentiment.
Englishnen will then love to refer with pride
and boasting to the large sum sacrificed by
their Government, with their concurrence. on
the altar of liberty, justice and humanity.
They will then look to America, and they
will see slavery sill there, for Southern slave.
holders in America, of course, will never ruin
themselves and their country by initiating
Great Britain in abolishing it.
Englishmen can then be easily excited,
on account Of American slavery, to look down
with scorn upon Americans and American in
stitutions; and if any popular orator. or wri.
ter. in England shall propose to deprive the
aristocracy Of their powers and privileges, and
to fortify his argument shall refer to the pros.
perity Of America under democratic institu.
tions, he will be met with this scorn and de-
fsated in his purpose.
This will b. the effect in England Of the
abolition Of slavery in the British colonies;
but the most important effect will be tho IT,
feet in America. America is divided almost
equally between frre States and slave States
between States in which the negroes are 70
few that no harm results from their c,nanci-
patton. and States in which slavery is so
deeply rooted that it cannot be safely abol
ishcd without ruin to all classes Of the popn-
lation. In the free States fierce anti-slavc-
ry sentiment, q bitter hatred Of slavery and
shareholders eau be excited almost as easily
as in England. and in process Of time. by con-
stantly tanning the fame. such hostility can
be kindled between the people Of the two
great sections that it would lead to the des-
truction Of the American Union. and the fail
ure Of the grand experiment Of democratic gov
srnment by men Of the Anglo Saxon race.
and this failure Of democracy in America will
10 q new lease. and long lease. to the Eng.
lish aristocracy Of their powers and privileges.
In short Mr. Lcggctt. Ibr'iere tAas the Esg-