Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-10-14
SAT Edward Bulwer LyttOn on Eng
ianass Position.

Sir E. 3. Lytton presided at the din
ner OF the Herts Agricultural Associa-
ton, on Thursday evening, Sept. "a.
In proposing the toast of the evening
the Right Hon. Baronet, after some re
marks on the improvements which are
taking place IN our whole agricultural
system, spoke az tollows:
-When | addressed you in THIS room
about two years ago, dwelt, perhaps, a!
some length upon those remarkable
events which had rendered the age in
which We live memorable for startling
and sudden changes. During the two
years hat have elapsed since that time.
Europe has continued to exhibit the
same political elements OF change and Of
disorder. While in America civil war,
unprecedented for the merciless waste Of
treasure and Of kindred blood, continues,
animated By passions which appear to Us
at q distance so void Of reason. At this
moment the newspapers Of the Northern
States OF America are actually inviting
Canada to exchange the disorders and
expressions OF British dominion for the
mild blessings OF American peace aud
brotherhood. Hear, hear, and laugh
ter One might have supposed hat
even the vaiuest American would have
thought that this was not the most f.
vorable moment to pursnade Canada to
desert the old Union Jack for the
American flag Of Stars aud Stripes, just
at the moment when that flag is torn in
two, that the stars are gone and the
stripes remain. Hear, and laughter. |
Now, whilst the Old World is TINS dis
turbed, and tho New World is thus con.
vulse 1t seems too commonplace to say
tina England must remain upon her
guard. Not that am one of those
aiarmists who suppose that these shores
are always on the point of being invaded
aud certainly | am not disposed to rem
der this as expensive as war by costly
preparations for imaginary dangers.
Bat still I consider that there is 20
duty more obvious to . British states
man than the vigilaDt maintenance Of
the British navy, for, if even tight for
England as first rate power is to be
decided by force Of arms, the battle is
more likely 70 be fought in the midst
at The Mediterranean or the Atlantic
Ocean than in the Straits Of the Brit
ish Channel. Hear, hear. 1t is not
from any boast Of national vanity th at
say how much the great interest of
universal civilization and the noble
cacse Of national freedom are bound
up With the naterisl prosperity and
moral power of England for it is not
! the least remarkable feature Of those
changes to which have adverted, that
they all take England ~ their modest
example in the institutions VI ich they
seek to establish. Hear, hearl You
recognize in the material prosperity Of
England the advantage OF her political
ssytem: and you revere it in the moral
power of England az the advocate Of hu-
manity and freedom. Hear, hear. You
will observe that while in all foreign
counties they have gone 10 one direc-
tion against forms Of government based
upon absolute despotism, they equally
discourage systems that are based upon
onmitigsted democracy; and perhaps
the close Of the century will be chiefly
remarkable to historians by the estab-
lisbment throughout the whole Of the
civilized world Of constitutional monar-
chiee more or lees initiative Of this old
monarchy of ours. THaar. hear