The Portland daily press., 1865-07-17
TEE NEW Ar1ANsfrrc cAHEn.

'1'' -. - -
THE NEW ATLANTIC CABLE. .oN
When the old Atlantic cable was being pre-
pared, and especially when it was announced
hat it had been successfully laid, there was
noticeable difference in the way in which the
news was received at the two extremities CT
the line Our English cousins, it is true, talk
ed the matter over very sagely, discussed its
importance as a commercial enterprise, and
made few newspaper paragraphs upon it, but
that was about all. On this side of the water,
however, the event was hailed as the most glo-
Ii,us triumph of modern civilization the
browning achievement of an age pre-eminent
in materia achievements, and as thing des-
tined to bind in closest ties of harmony and
friendship the old world and the new, to aid
the cause of peace and further e advance
ment Of mankind in greater degree than any
single thing had ever done before. Especially
was it noticeable among our people, that every
one seemed first to consider the enterprise in
the light of its effects on the cause Of humani-
ty and universal progress. One general out
from the whole country The press rhapso-
died, public speakers waxed eloquent, songs
were sung, toasts drunk, bandsplayed, cannon
>thdndered, and locomotives screamed in hon
or of the great events and Byron's line about
the "electric chain wherewith We are darkly
bound,' was quoted, at moderate estimate, a
million and ahalf Of times. oa
Everybody remembers how suddenly over
all this glowof enthusiasm fell the vet blank
ct of disappointment; and the recollection of
that experience may have something to, do
with our cooler way Of looking upon the new
project. Rut that does not account for all the
difference observable between then and now
The cause lies deeper. And it may be noted
that in the manner in which they look forward
to the result of this second experiment, the
English and the American people seem to
have changed sides. Allthe extravaganza, all
the fuss, all the grand anticipations and SPLEEN
did prophecies are now over the water, while
our own people display no excitement and on
ly a langui1 interest in the matter. There
is significance in this fact 1t implies more
than want Of confidence in the enterprise, or
mere dissemination to be again betrayed into
premature and rztravagant felicitations 1t
indicates the COMMENCEMENT Of change in
the mutual relations of England and America
which must become constantly more noticea-
bic and important.
Until within.a very few years America and
her affairs have been matter of much less
importance to England than those of England
were to her. We might be said to subtend for
her much smaller visual angle than she did
for us. Not alone in the matter of feeling
though our attachment and veneration for
what we liked to call our motherl nd was far
strong than any friendship we received in re-
turns-5ut in the relations Of interest and ben
eft the balance was, or atleast seemed to be,
largely in her favor In literature, art, science,
in all the products of the realm of ideas, we
drew from her more than we gave in return
At least she said that we did, and it had not
YET occurred to us to dispute the wisdomofher
decisions.
Now, much of this mutual relation is alter
ed. For some time the change had been 60
ing or silently, slowly, unperceived except bya
few; but of late its progress has been rapid
and apparent. The mighty events of which
our country has been the theatre, the great
IDEAS which have here found DEVELOPMENT
and which our people have been the FIRST DIS "a
pc pie to comprehend and successfully apply,
could not fail tohaveT this effect, That Amer
lea i to-day the most powerful nation inthe
world, is not so much owing to the material
resources she has developed, as to the moral
force she wields. The tide of great ideas. of
ideas which move the world, is not SO much.
towards as from her. In the grand march of
human progress she is leading the vanguard
Every friend of liberalism, Of progress and of
truth, no matter hl what part of the world be
may be fighting the battle of humanity, looks
to her as to his white plume Of Navarro" and
strikes all the more stoutly for the right
We have been led much further in this'train
Of thought than we intended. We only be-
gan to say that the reason why the new tele-
graph, it'll all its promises and possibilities is
50 much more an object of interest to Eng
land than to us, is that it has come to be true
that England has the heavier stake ia the mat
ter. 1t is Of more moment to her to be link
ed America-and by America we do not
now mean one nation, buttAe continent-than
it is to America to be linked to her. The rca-
sons for this arc many and indisputab,e, but
there is no room for more of them here
---------------r---4r -r-------