The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-25
DO YOU BITE YOUR THUMB AT US, s1R1

DO YOU BITE YOUR THUMB AT US, SIR2
From the NJ Y. Tribune.
If we knew exactly what Mr.. Disrseli
wanted the British Government to do by way
of cbastisiDg American iusolenoe, we should
doubtless appreciate more justly than we can
at present the whitening observations upon
our behavior which form the most valuable
portion of his recent speech in the House of
Commons. We know very well that Mr.. Dis
Taeli does not regard us as gentlemen, for
when be put an American colonel into his last
novel he was careful to explain that our
countryman got into such fine company ouly
by virtue of being Southern planter. We
know, too, that in the philosophy of 'Lothair'
the greatest Of the Creators works is a high
old Tory aristocracy around which the rest of
mankind revolve as planets around their
sun. To 'insult" such an aristocracy as
this is of course very serious matter; and
MIR. Disraeli is almost as much shocked by the
''rowdy rhetoric of American orators as his
own st. Aldegende might be with a rabble of
shopkeepers and costermongers who should
make faces at him through the windows while
he dined with Mr.. Pinto. MIR. Disraeli has a
complacent conviction that he has never pro-
voked us. 1t is true we have taken good
meny liberties with the English language
nevertheless he never proposed to recognize
the Southern Confederacy, and tho Tory party
in its conduct during our civil war has nothing
to reproach itself with. In spite of this for
bearance, we have several times spoken dis
respectfully of the British aristocracy, and
have gone so far as to assume towards Eng
land a more hostile tone than we permit our
selves to use towards any other nation in the
world. Actually the Yankee beggars are
rude, you know-positively rude
Mr.. Disraeli thinks it is time this insolence
should stop, and suggests that the departure
of the high commissioners for Washington
''will be COED opportunity to come to clear
understanding on this point-that England
cannot be insulted or Injured with impu-
nity," and will notpermit herself to be treated
differently from other nations. This means
either that England must fight us if Mr.
Sumner or General Butler makes another rude
speech, or that she must threaten to fight
without the least intention of carrying her
threat into execution. The latter course is
the ono which Mr.. Disraeli evidently prefers
Perhaps he has been reading Romeo and
Juliet
Abram.-Do you bite your thumb at u.s. sir?
Sampson.-l do bite my thumb sir.
Abr.-Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
sam.-No, sir, do not bite my thumb at you, Sir |;
but bite my thumb, sir.
Gregory.-DO you quarrel, sir?
Abr.-QuarreI, sir? No, sir.
And now suppose we turn the tables If a
rude speech is sufficient cause of war, why
should not we bully little too? Why should
not the High Commission be politely inforned
by Secretary Fish that this is good oppor-
tunity to come to a clear understanding on the
subject of insolence in Parliament, and espe-
cially that we do not mean to stand any
more of Mr.. Disraeli's speeches? Here is an
ex-Premier not only accusing us of bad man.
ners and rowdy rhetoric, but even aspersing
our parts of speech. Let us bite our thumbs
at Queen Victoria which it is disgrace to
her if she bear it! But joking aside, the
spectacle of Mr.. Disraeli standing aghast over
one of General Buffers speeches, and rising
with preternatural solemnity in the House of
Commons to call for an immediate increase
of the army and navy to teach America
politeness, is an absurdity so wild that one
cannot think of it without amusement We
know he doesn't mean fight; and if we judged
him only by his early career, we should say
that he does not really believe disrespect to
the British Government to be a sin for which
the sinner ought to be swept off the face of
the earth. But Mr.. Disraeli has kept very
grand company of late years. and may be he
has come to think that rudeness to the
Foreign Office is a sort of leze majesty which
cannot be too severely punished, nor avenged
at too dear cost.