The Portland daily press., 1868-04-20

young man; constantly refer u my nrSt sue
cesses, and my Sous will hereafter testify of
their father, that he was always st a lily proud
of that ladder by which he rose (great cheer
ing); if it were otherwise, should have but a
very poor opinion of their father, which, per-
haps, upon the whole, have not daughter
and cheArs); hence, gentlemen, under any
circumstances, this company would have
been exceptionally interesting and graft
tying to me. But whereas, suppose, that
like "the FAIRIES pavilion" in the Arabian
Knights, it would be but mere handful and
find it turns out like the same elastic pavll-
Ion, capable of compromising multitude. So
much the more proud am / of the honor of
being your guest, for you will truly believe
that the more widely the views of the repre-
sentatives of the press in America may enter
tain the more l must feel the good will,
and kindly sentiments towards NE of that
vast multitude. (Applause.) Gentlemen, so
much of my voice has Lately been heard
in the land, and / have for upwards
OF four hard winter months so cODtended
against what have been sometimes quite adj
miringly assured was "a tue American ca
tarrh,, (aughter) possession of which have
thought highly appreciative, though might
have preferred to be naturalized by any other
outward and natural means (renewed laugh
ter)-I say, gentlemen, so much of my voice
has lately been heard that might have been
contented with troubling you no further from
my present standing point were it not a duty
with which L henceforth charge myself, not
soever and wheresoever, to express my high
and grateful sense of my second reception in
America, and to bear my honest testimony to
the national generosity and magnanimity.
(Great applause) Also, to declare how aston
Ished have been by the amazing changes that
have seen around on every side, changes NOR
al, changes physical, changes in the amount of
land subdued and cultivated, changes in the
rise of vast new cities, changes in the growth
of older cities almost out of recognition,
chances in the rrOufh of the md ma
mites of life, changes in the press, without
whose advancement no advancement can take
place. (applause.) Nor am l. believe me, so
arrogant as to suppose that in fiye-and-twenty
years there have been no changes in me, and
that had nothing to learn and no extreme
Impressions to correct when was here first.
-(Applause.) And, gentlemen, this brings me
to point on which l have ever since l
landed here last November, observed a strict
'llence however tempted sometime to break it,
but in reference to which / will, with your
good leave, take you into my confidence now
Ego on, go on); even the press, being human,
may sometimes be mistaken or misinformed,
md rather think that have in one or two
rare instances known its information to be not
perfectly accurate with reference to myself
daughter and appause( Indeed, have now
and again been more surprised by printed
news that have read of myself, than by any
other printed news that have ever read in my
present state of existence. (Laughter). Thus
the vigor and perseverance with which have
for some months past been collecting materials
for and hammering away at new book on
America has much astonished me (Ienewed
laughter), seeing that all the time it has been
perfectly well known to my publishers on both
sides of the Atlantic, that positively declar-
ed that no consideration Oh earth should in
duce me to write one. Ndughter). But what
[ have intended, what | have resolved upon,
and this is the confidence / seek to place in
you, is, that on my return to England, in my
own English journal, manfully, promptly,
plainly, in my own person, to bear, for the
behalf of my countrymen, such testimony
to the gigantic changes in this country
as / have limited at to- night. (Applause).
Also to record that whenever have been in
the smallest places, eqaally with the largest, 1
have been received with indispensable polite
ness, delicacv, sweet temper, hospitality and
consideration, and with indispensable respect
for the privacy daily enforced upon me by the
nature OF my avocation here and the state OF
my health (Appause.) This testimony, so
long as live and so long as my desceEden
have any legal right in my books shall cause
to be republished as an appendix to every copy
of those two books of mine in which have
referred to America. (Tumultuous applause)
And this will do, and cause to be done, not
in mere love and thankfulness, but because
regard it as an act of plain justice and honor.
("Bravo," and cheers.) Gentlemen, the tran
sition from my own feelings towards and in
terest in America to those of the mass of my
countrymen seems to be a natural one, but
whether or no l made it with an express OBJ
iect, was asked in this very city about last
Christmas time whether an American was not
at some disadvantage in England as foreigner.
the notion of an American being regarded in
England as foreigner at ALL of his ever be-
ing thought of or spoken Of in that char lct-r,
was so uncommonly incongrLous and absurd
to me that my gravity was for moment quite
overpowered. AS soon as it was restored, /
said that for years and years past hoped I
had had as many American friends and had
received as many American visitors as almost
any Englishman living; that my unvarying
experience, fortified by theirs, was that 1T was
enough in England to be an American to be
received with the readiest respect and recogni-
ton. Thereupon, out of half dozen peo-
pie one American gentlemen spoke out with a
cultivated taste for art, who, finding himself
on a certain Sunday outside the walls OF GER
tain historical English castle famous for its
pictures, was refused admission there accord
ing to the strict rule of the establishment on
that day, but who, on merely representing t. a.
he was an American gentleman on his travels,
had not only the picture gallery, but the whole
castle placed at his immediate disposal llaugh-
ter); the other was lady, who being in Lon
don and having great desire to see a partcu-
lar museum, was assured by the English fam
ly with whom she stayed that it was impossi-
bic because the place was closed for week,
ard she had only three days there; upon that
ladys going to the museum, as she assured me
alone. self introduced as an American lady 4,
the gate flew open, as it were, maglcaily =
am unwillingly bound to add that the LAZY
| certainly was young and extremely pretty
| Iaughter0 Still the porter of that institu-
| ton is of an obese habit, and according to the
| best of my observation OF him not very I'M
| pressble. (Greay laughter and cheering
| Now, gentlemen, I refer to these tribes as a
collateral assurance to you that the English
man who shall humbly shine as 1 hope to do,
to be in England as faithful to America as to
England herself, has no previous conception to
contend against ('Good, good"). Points of
| difference there have been, points of differ
ence there are, and points of difference there
probably always will be, between the two
great people. But broadcast in England is
sown the sentiment that those two people are
| essentially one (great applause) and that it
rests with them jointly to uphold the great
Anglo Saxon race to which our President has
referred, and all its great achievements before
the world. ("Bravo'). If knew anything Of
my countrymen, and they give me credit tol
knowing something, gentlemen, the English
heart is stirred by the huttering of those stars
| and stripes as it is stirred by no other flag thai
flies except its own. Great applause). If
knew my countrymen in everv or any relation
| tlwards American, they begin not, as Si
| Anthony Absolute recommended lovers t.
begin, with little aversion, but will
great liking and q profound respect, ant
whatever the little sensitiveness of tht
moment, or the little official passion there ma,
be, take my word for it, that the tirst endurins
great popular consideration in England IS
generous construction of justice. Finally
gentlemen, and say this subject to your cor
recion, do believe that from the great ma
Jority OF honest minds on both sides, there can
not be absent the conviction that 1t would D
petter for this globe to be riven by an earth
quake, Tired by comet, overrun by an ice
berg aad abandoned to the Arctic fox and bea
than that 1t should. present the spectacle {
these TWO great nations, each Of whom has il