The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-10-10


Vay to deal with it. But what was
cy in Wales? Well, such is the |
oyaity Of the Welsh people that |
heir heart never has been aleniated |
rom the tkrone-neYer aieniated |
rom the laws of the country. No
part of this country exhibits greater |
obedience 10 the law than the coun-
les OF the principslity. There Is
10 legislative union, no act Of Leg
slative union between England and
Wales; there is nothing about that
nnion written in the statute book;
but the sacred terms of that union
are written in the hearts of the peo-
pie, and you might as well try to
tear England from England as to
tear Wales from England. But the
Welsh were a people of deep and
strong religious sympathies. In
those sympathies they were deeply,
and most uDjustly, and even madly
To their great honor
they have made provision for them
selves for theic own religious wants,
with zeal and an amount of effort
TO the means that they
possess tn; never can be sufficient
~ commended. But what lesson
that is to us upon the false policy
which we have pursued. We en-
deaYored to hector the Welsh peo-
pie into the abandonment of their
language. The consequence is that
they have chung to it with fidelity
absolutely unexampled; because it
has not been for them feeling of
language merely, feeling of pat
riotism has been enlisted on the
sido of the language, and in no por-
ton of the earth is language, con.
fined to the use of a few hundred
thousand people, cherished with
such extraordinary vitality. 1t is
q subject full of great lessons of
government applicable to all sub
jects and all peoples; and it is appli-
cable especially to the occasion
which has brought us together to-
day. presume to repeat what I
take to be the true canon that ought
to govern this matter of competi-
ton between the languages. 1t
should be left to be ruled freely by
the experience and the feelings and
the wants of the population. But
it is an ancient language, and that
language is connected with an an
cient literature. 1 say that. view
this as You will, it is q venerable
relic of the past, and there is no
greater folly circulating upon the
earth, either at this moment or at
any other time, than the disposition
to undervalue the past, and to break
those links which unite the b Aman
beings of the present day with the
generation that has past away aud
called to its account. If we wish
really to promote civilization, never
let US neglect, never let us under
value, never let us cease to Iever-
ence the past. Rely upon it, the
man who does not worthily esti-
mate his own dead forefathers will
himself do very little to add credit
or honor to his country. Among
you, ladies and gentlemen, 1 believe
that all worthy and honorable relics
of the past are thoroughly appre-
ciated. Indeed, if it were possible
to doubt that, TO these assemblies
which you hold from year to wear
it would be sufficient to point in Or
der to confutc any such objection
and l am convinced, not only that
yoil will yourselves be anxious and
Jealous more and more to foster
such memorials and to strengthen
the ties which unite you with the
ages gone by, but that likewise your
laudable and patriotic efforts will,
as they become to be more and
more understood, be more and more
respected ana regarded by the En-.
glish people at large, aud that pros
perity and honor will attend the
meetings by which you endeavor
to preserve and to commemorate
the ancient history, the ancient
deeds, the ancient literature of youI
country, the Principally of Wales
During the delivery of Mr.. Glad.
stones great speech some portion
of the English press pronounce i!
one of his greatest-the applause
were very frequent and emphatic
and it is considered universally to
have been he happiest effort of Eng.
land, if not of the worlds greatest
living orator. The English press
notably so, the London Times-with
some few honorable exceptions,
have always sEeered and poked fun
at these Eisteddvodan, but the noble
speech of England's Premier has
had the effect of opening the ewes
of English journalists wonderfully
With an assumption and self-com.
placency, very remarkable indeed
they have for years taken upon
themselves to criticise adversely
these national literary festivities oil
the Welsh people, without the first
requirement for the critics function
namely, u knowledge of the Ian
guage of the Principally of Wales.
just as Macauley, in the introduce
to his brilliant history of England.
followed the beaten track of former
Ignorant writers in reference to the
early history and people of Great
Britain. Lord Macauley thus pub
iished his own incapacity to express
q judgment on that subject from
the fact that he was no celtic schol-
ar, though otherwise man of pro-
found learning and versatile talents.
Since Macauley's History was first
published, now a quarter of a GEN.
fury ago, quite a number of the
English literati have made celtic
literature study, notably so, Prof.
Seeley, who seems to have a clearer
vision into the rich mines of an
cient British literary lore than any
foreign writer since Tiery, author
of the History of the Norman con-
quest. Henceforth the London
Times will have sour special COR
respondent" at the Welsh national
gatherings, and depend upon it,
since the Prime minister of Eng
land has announced his conversion
from some measure of the ignorant
prejudices of Englishmen in regard
to the Eisteddvodan, the Times will
do the next best thlug-for the
Times never condesends to admit an
error-it win give eopious reports
and Mandatory editorials. Mr.. Glad
stone might haye said, had he look
ed still further than he has done
into the relations of England and
Wales, that King Henry VII. on
his accession TO the English throne,
which he gained on Bosworth's bat
tie field, through the aid of the
Welsh, because he was of their lin
cage, restored the British (that is,
WELSH laws throughout his realm.
There has not been an instance in
the worlds history of such perver-
sion, misrepresentation, and SEXUAL
of facts as are to be