Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-03-09
ENGLISH SENTIMENT ON ANERI-
CAN AFFAIRS.
Testimony Of General Badeau

and an authorized biographer of
that officer, is at present Assist
ant Secretary of the American
Legation at London. After several
months residence with Minister
General Badeau returned
on leave, to Washington, where
he has maintained confidential
with the President. He
has written an article for Har-
per's Monthly for March, which is
known to have had the sanction
and approval of the President, If
not also of Minister Motley, and
is published simultaneously in
Harper andin Macmillan's Maga-
zine, in London.
After stating that his object In
writing is to aid in removing any
misapprehensions entertained
here as to the temper of the Eng
lish people, Gen. Badeau says:
The English now understand,
not only that America feels that
she has sustained a great wrong,
but that she is extremely anxious
to have all the difficulties amica-
bly, settled, and to preserve here
after a closer harmony with that
country with which, after all, we
have more in common than with
any other people on the globe
The Johnson-C Clarendon treaty
was rejected almost unanimously
by the Senate on the 18th day o.
April last, and on the same day
a successor to Mr.. Johnson was
confirmed. The speech made BY
Mr.. Sumner on the occasion reach
ed England a few weeks before
Mr.. Motley's arrival, and produc
ed an immense sensation there
Mr.. Motley was known to be the
the intimate friend of Mr.. Sum
ner, and to have been urged BY
him upon the President for the
post of Minister to London; tt
have been confirmed by the Sen
ate Immediately after the utter
ance of Mr.. Summers speech,anC
on his motion; and there Were
not wanting surmises that the
new Minister might meet with
less pleasant reception than coulC
be desired. These surmises, how
ever, were speedily shown to be
unfounded. Compliments OF every
sort poured in on his arrival II
London. The Queen herself sig
nifed her qualification at his ap
pointment, and deviated from
court etiquette to pay a clvllIty
to the new Minister and his fami
ly. Every circumstance showed
that despite the rejection Of the
treaty, there was a disposition tc
be in every way cordial to the
new representative of the United
States.
Twas assured again and again,
and most positively, by Liberals
and Conservatives, by men OF all
shades of opinion, by members
of the Government, members OF
both Houses of parliament, by
dissenting ministers and men o;
letters, clergymen of the church,
and Irish barristers, that the
English people were by no means
such a unit in hostility to the
Union during the war as is COM
monty supposed in America.
1t is, however, only falr to say
that the loyal Americans who
were in England during the war,
almost without exception. reject
this view. They believe that the
friends of the Union, even among
the Liberals or working classes,
were as two grains of wheat in
two bushels of chat. They re
mind you of Liberals like Lowe
and Gladstone and Vernon Har-
court: and they can remember
little sympathy that was exten-
ded to them to set off against the
undisguised support everywhere
afforded to the rebellion. The
court, however, was always the
friends of the North. The opin-
ions of the Prince Consort are
well known, and his royal widow
never swerved from them. The
Prince of Wales, also, never for
got the hospitalities he had re-
ceived in America, and recently
took the opportunity OF the un-
yelling of Mr.. PeabOdy's statute
to say, that the nine years which
elapsed since he was the object
of those hospitalities have not
obliterated their memory. What
ever influence the royal family
of England could exert during the
rebellion was thrown into the
scale of the Union. This is ad-
mitted on all sides.
But whatever may once. have
been the feeling, there is no
doubt that now, among all class
es, a profound desire exists to
cultivate the closest relations of
amity with the United States. 1t
is not improbable that something
of this desire originates in mo-
tives of policy.
But the English are willing to
do much more than Americans
give them credit for: / speak
not now of any mere official will
ingness. All the world can read
what the present Government has
said for itself; but | mean that
the English people are sincerely
anxious to be in perfect accord
with the United States; that, III
| can Judge of their temper, they
are aware that theydid US wrong
and are willing to make Us a rep
Many persons whose
words are very significant assur-
ed me that there was no doubt
that England was answerable for
the damages caused by her rava-
ges; there was no doubt of the
entire willingness of the English
people to pay any fair amount