The Portland daily press., 1869-05-22
Goodwin smiih ON the Pending INTERIM,
tiOMnI Questions.

Goodwin Smith the Pending Infernn-
tional Questions.
Goodwin Smith, having been fast friend of
America at time when friends possessing
such character and influence as he does were
extremely desirable, and having fallen so
deeply in love with our people and our insti-
tutions as TO abandon his country for an in
definite period for the purpose OF cultivating
closer relations with us, is peculiarly deserv-
ing Of respectful attention when he has any
thing to say on matters of public Importance,
and especially those with which he is particu-
.arly conversant. His speech at Ithaca, the full
text of which has come to hand, is in STRIKING
contrast with the utterances OF his country
men at home, who have read Mr. sumner
speech, or imperfect abstracts OF 1t, without
apv precise knowledge of how far the Sena-
tor's statements are authoritative expressions
of the feeling of the people and government of
this country and without examining it carefully
enough to determine its exact meaning. While
the Bank of England has raised its rate of dis
count one-balf per cent with the avowed pur-
pose of discouraging Investments in United
States bonds, declaring that it will increase it
to ten per cent. if necessary to acco nplsh its
purpose, = while the Pail Mall Gazette advises
the Britis foreign Secretary to "use firm Ian
guage toward Mr.. Motley the London Times
accuses Gen. Grant of desiring to "piek
quarrel with England and the Saturday Re-
view sententiousIy says that ''Euglish patience
has limits" "-Prof. Smith discusses the pend
ing question for the most part with a.calmness
and moderation becoming in one who occupies
L nv of hiatorv
1t must be confessed that those who inferred
from the telegraphic abstracts of his speech
that he had made powerful reply to Mr..
Sumner were mistaken. On the Senator's
principal charges he only makes deprecatory
comments. He says, in effect, France be-
hayed more badly than we;' "our Tories were
encouraged by your Copperheads;" s'there
We're many friends of the North among us;"
"the conduct of England might have been
worse, for by recognition of the Confederacy
she could have ruined you;" "the Conieder-
acy was never actually Recognized 'your
friends, the Liberals,are now in power in Eng-
land, and they have assented to terms of settle
ment, as conciliatory as are consistent with the
dignity of great nation" !" Mr.. Summers anti
slavery monomania is the secret of the extra
ordinary vigor of his charges against Great
Britain" But while declining to grapple
with Mr.. Sumner in controversy concerning
the legal bearings of the question, Prof. Smith
does not hesitate at one point to emulate
him in the matter OF rhetoric. His peroration
is as follows:
The impression seems to prevail that the
English press in not giving Mr.. Summers
speech in full (which it is said not to have
done,) has been influenced by fear of its pos
sible effect upon the minds of our people, If
/ know anything of the English people, the
government to rouse them to fierce and unan-
imous resistance, has only to circulate that.
speech throughout the land. A whole nation
is accused of entering into conspiracy for the
subversion Of q friendly power, of protecting
and encouraging piracy, of itself sending out
pirates, of lending an infamous aid, in contra
vention of its professed principles, to the most
Immoral of all causes, and told that it has
righteousiy incurred immeasurable penalties,
both in the way of fine and humiliation. Does
Mr.. Sumner think. that he is declaiming
against some monster of history, who is dead
and can feel no more, or does he know that he
is pouring insults into living hearts? have
not felt such a sense of wrong since read the
libels on America in some English newspapers
at the time of the civil war; but those libels
were the work Of anonymous and irresponsible
writer's whose calumnies cannot touch the
honor of man or nation. This isathe speech of
the organ OF the Peuat6 ueHVefeU Win the
concurrence Of all his colleagues Insults are
not rendered less bitter when they are follow
ed by professions of desire for concord which
coming in the train of insults, becomes an in
suit in itself; nor is the sting taken out of the
throat of war by putting it into the mouths of
other persons, while the orator himself takes
the fine part of the Archangel of Peace. am
persuaded that the treaty might have been re-
ieeted without causing any irritation in Eng
Land, and negotiations might have been renew
III e. L. III -s-sL
cordial desire to give you satisfaction on the
part of the British nation if the organ of your
Senate had been speaker less unconscious
ness to honor in other men, 1 told you, my
friends, at the commencement of my address
that e was rash undertaking which you
sanctioned by your presence here; and of all
the things which have said this is the only
thing which will have commanded your re-
spect hope never to speak again on any
: >controverted question bordering upon politics.
My short public life, if it can be dgnified with
that name, has been bounded by the Ameri-
can struggle and the struggle for the exten-
sion of the suffrage in England, which was
closely connected with the American struggle,
and has been greatly influenced by its result
My first speech in public was made against
the Alabama; this, trust, will be my last.
repeat that there is no living Englishman who
has more reason 70 be grateful and attached
to America than have, but mans attach
ment to an adopted country is worthless If he
has no regard for the honor OF his own.
But it is when Mr.. Smith treats incidental
ly of the Canadian aud Irish questions that he
is most interesting. He declares that, speak
ing for himself, he would be glad to see Eng
land reliDquish all her colonial possessions ex-
cept India. Even ireland he would leave to
work out her own destiny, though she is an
integral part of the British Empire, were he
convinced that the consequence would not be
a war of races and greater woes than at pres
ent rest upon that unhappy country. Canada,
as he says, may get out of English leading
strings any day that she chooses, but he afirms
that the Dominion will never be abandoned as
an indemnity for the claims of foreign country.
He foresees clearly the time when the Queen
will no longer rule over country on which the
sun never sets. More important than ALL he
who is SO close an observer Of passing events
and who knows the feelings OF his country
men SO well, boldly avows that it may not be
long before the difference of political Institutions
as source Of discord betaoeen England and
Anaericd ,piu be removed.
The Springfield Republican tells two new