The New York herald., 1874-12-19
.THE ENGLIsH-AMERIcAN ALLIANCE.


There was one point in Mr.. Forsters re-
markable speech which should not be over
looked, and it is this: that as a practical poll
tician he saw nothing more practical than the
cementing of an alliance between America
and England. His word on this subject de-
serves the most respectful attention, both in
England and America for Mr.. Forster is one
Of the solid, hard-headed, direct, earnest
Englishmen who represent the best type Of
the English character. When he speaks it is
not from sentiment, but from cold, deliberate
conviction.
There is nothing that could be more graft
| flying to Americans than the cementing of the
alliance indicated by Mr.. Forster The future
prosperity of civilization depends more upon
good understanding between the English
speaking nations of the world than upon any
other influence II take it," says Theodore
Parker, "that hundred years hence there
will be only two great factors in the ciiviliza-
tion of hristepdom-namely, the Anglo
Saxon family in two divisions, the Anglo
Saxon Briton and the Anglo-Saxon Ameri-
can, and the Sclavic family. The history of
mankind is getting simplified. 1t would not
be surprising if these two tribes, then, should
conquer all the globe. In due time trust a
nobler race of men will springup with higher
notions, to establish higher civilization
Russia, he thought might go as far as Con-
stantinople and Athens. England would go
to Naples, to Rome and to Thebes There
will be in this division an Anglo-Saxon Aus
tralian, for Australia must in time develop
race of men as distinctively Australian as we in
this country are distinctively American. Be-
tween these races or these families OF the same
race, there is no real difference of opinion
except what may arise out Of the contests Of
legislation and diplomacy. Mr.. Forster was
pleased to note-and in this he showed
shrewdness and common sense-that between
the North and the South, the men who had
fought for and against the Confederacy, there
was no anger; that, in fact, as he said with
wit and truthfulness the anger only remained
with those who had not fought This shows
that quality in the Anglo-Saxon charac-
ter that makes war when it is necessary
and peace when the war is over. They
!
if the North and the South can forget the bit
terness of that appalling strife there is no
reason why England should not forget all the
memories that cluster around the Revolution,
the war of 1912, the sympathy Of the English
rulers for the rebellion, and what CASTELAR,
calls "the sublime humiliation of Geneva
This alliance, if it ever takes place, must
come naturally. Sentiment will do something
toward it; the kind words of statesman
like Mr.. Forster will do great deal Every
Englishman who visits America (unless, per-
haps few forlorn creatures who come here
in the show business and don't succeed) and
every American who visits England with the
exception Of our adventurous fellow country
men who get into Jail for forgery and stock
swindling) is an ambassador. This universal
interchange Of good feeling, this getting to
know one another, is the surest means of
cementing q true alliance. The misfortune has
been that England never until the war appre-
ciated America. We do not mean by
this that she did not praise us, or minister to
our national vanity, or tell us that we were
the almighty rulers of the earth. But the
whole history of the diplomacy between
| England and America has shown, by private
correspondence, by the letters of Palmerston
and Bulwer, the diaries of Adams and others,
indications of ferocious, domineering, hard
spirit on the part OF England Lord Palmer
ston, for instance, the strongest man that
has ruled England since the times of Pitt
and Wellington, never could disabuse his
mind Of the conviction that he should deal
with America as he would with Honduras or
Brazil We actually find him regretting that
he could not stop the annexation of Cali
fornia by an English feet 1t was this med
ding, peremptory, superclious policy-such
a tone, for instance, as marked oil the debates
at Client between the commissioners who
made the peace between England and America !;
the threatening to continue the war if, among
other things, we did not draw boundary line
between our States and the Indian country
and respect that boundary line as we would
Canada or Mexico; the demand that we should
not have armed vessels on the lakes because
it might menace Canada, while England might
build as many vessels as she pleased for her
own protection that have prevented the
alliance to which Mr.. Forster SO eloquently
refers.
England win respect America when America
respects herself AS Mr.. Forster well says,
there is no sentiment of anger against Eng
land among our people. So far as the arbi-
tration at Geneva is concerned the material
victory in that contest rests with England.
That tribunal gave US some money which we
do not want, while it took away from us
privilege which might be useful, of sending out
Alabamas to burn English commerce in the
event of maritime war between England
and another country In other words, if