Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-02-18

England. And this confession concern.
ing the country in praise of which he
has said so much has come at time
when Englishmen were congratulating
themselves that whatever animosity had
existed in the Americans toward them
was dying away. They have been felic-
itating themselves that the Alabama
claims were paid, that an era of goodwill
had been inaugurated between the two
countries, and they have looked on with
interest as lecturers and literary men
have been fitting over to you, and re-
ceiving apparently hearty welceme.
There never was time when Ameri-
cans were more welcomed in England.
At the Cosmopolitan Club, the most dis
tinguished assemblage Of public men
and literary celebrities in London, there
is hardly gathering which has not in it
some representative from America, who
is sure to be the object Of special atten-
ton and politeness. Again and again
have observed such attentions in re-
cent months at that and other clubs, and
the objects of them have never failed to
reeiprocate the kindly feelings ex,
pressed. In the best society here Lord
Loughton, Baron Pollock, Thomas
Hughes. Anthony Froude, Professor
Tyndall, the Argylis, Howards, Amber
leys, and host of others, are unwea-
ried in their care to find out Americans
and give them every opportunity to en-
Joy English society. In bringing his
fist down upon all this, Professor Gold
win Smith is no doubt acting conscien-
tiously, but he certainly is acting very
thankless part; it is rarely that any one
speech from a gentleman in his position
has awakened so much unpleasant feel
ing.
Those who know most Of America, and
most of the Professors career at Ithaca
and of the circumstances under which
he left its university the most skep-
teal concerning the sweeping statement
he has made. The understanding among
such is that the Professor happened to
be at Cornell University at an unfortu-
nate moment, that, namely, in which the
preliminaries to the Geneva arbitration
were being discussed with some warmth
and irritation. Students do not gener-
ally have have old heads on their shoul.
ders, and it is probable that those OF
Cornell University make no exception;
at any rate, it has long been understood
among Mr.. Smiths friends here that he
was subjected to unpleasant remarks, if
not to insults, and that he found Ithaca
an uncomfortable place Of abode. This
was certainly not enough to warrant a
scholar and philosopher in generaliza-
ton as to the normal feeling of
whole nation; but the eagerness
with which Americans in England have
protested against his speech on the point
in question, is gradually leading to that
inference. Whether the inference be
true or not, the representatives of Amer
ican opinion will no doubt take the pres
ent occasion of telling the world plainly.
| need only add here that if indeed there
be in the American breast such hatred as
the Professor says, not only has it been
suppressed, as DR.. Tyndal states, in the
presence of himself and other English
guests in America, but it has been sup
pressed by eminent Americans when
they have been guests of England. On
these points expressions might be desira-
BILE from Emerson, Fiske, Lowell, Chas.
Norton, Samuel Clemens, Geo. Smalley,
and others from across the Atlantic who
have had recent experience OF the feel
ing in both countries.