The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-12
European Correspondence.
Regarded by the English.-Ths Cniho-
lie Question Paul Boyton and his e x-
ploits-MOody and sankey.-Americans s
Abroad
GENEVA, April %.

GENEVA, April %.
Just now, while patriotic feeling is at such a
high pitch in America, and constantly working
higher, it is interesting to note what our Eng
lish bretbern think of our centennials. give
a few extracts from a lengthy editorial in the
London Times, which of course represents the
feelings of the larger part of the better class OF
English people. 1t says, after speaking favor
ably of the Philadelphia exhibition, "The COM
memoration of the battle of Lexington brings
US into a more solemn atmosphere. On the
18th inst. the centenary of the first conflict be-
tween the American colonists and the British
troops was observed by services in the old
North Church in Boston, structure, or sue
cessor of a structure, which once like Faneuil
Hal, echoed to the eloquence of the Revolution.
At Concord meetings have been held. salutes
fired, and statues of Hancock and Adams un-
veiled, &C., &c. The commemoration, there
fore has a national character, and Americans
in every state will associate themselves with
it in sympathy. The occasion justifies such an
observance The Battle of Lexington was one
of the most important events in the history of
the world. 1t determined the character of the
struggle between the American Colonists and
Great Britain, it snapped the last overstrained
band of loyalty which bound them to their
King; it called the whole people to arms; it
brought the highest and most prominent per-
sons into the revolution, and it made inevit
able the great act of the succeeding year-the
Declaration of Independence, 1t was also
great political event which was destined to
change the institutions, laws, usages and hab-
its of thought of large part of the human
race, to react upon the ancient European
nations, to revolutionze France, to reform Eng
land, to excite the aspirations of millions in
the remotest provinces of Europe to break up
the colonial system of the European nations,
in the new world, to tear the conquests OF Cor
tez and Pizarro from the monarchy in Spain,
and to spread republican institutions to the ex-
tremities of the southern continent among the
most king fearing people in the world. The
true beginning of American History is the year
of Lexington, rather than the year of Inde-
pendence. There was determination to re-
sist by force the illegal impositions of taxes,
and place the Kings representatives and their
government in such straits that the British
Parliament would be forced to repeal the OBJ
noxious acts.'' The Times then gives, what
to the American mind. is a very impartial ac
count of the skirmish on the old Concord turn
pike, and then continues "This is the important
historical event which the American people
have just commemorated. The spirits of the
crowd were no doubt exuberant, the orations
eloquent and patriotic the pride of national
power and progress, such as is always displayed
bx, Ava 70 hau In read
the speeches made on the occasion, and the
comments of American journalism upon them.
We hope both will be pervaded by more just
and friendly tone towards this country, than
would have been possible half, or even quar-
ter of a century ago. If the invectives of the
living can affect the dead, poor old George III,
Lord North and all the subordinates of British
tyranny, must have expiated their guilt under
the pitless fire of American oIatory on every
successive 4th of July during the century.
Moreover, the spirit which this kind of ele-
quence kept alive, has, as all the world knows,
not been without its effect on politics. Let us
hope these centenary years will reveal fuller
knowledge of events, and O more kindly inter
pretation of motives, and that by the time
Americans come to celebrate the Convention of
Yorktown, the prejudces of one hundred years
will have vanished"
1t is pleasantto read such an article as the ex-
tracts above are taken from, printed in the
greatest newspaper in England, and / myself
hope, that when the journals containing the
accounts of the Lexington celebration shall
have reached me, shall read them with equal
pleasure, finding as kindly tone exhibited to-
wards England, as her greatest journalists
have shown toward us. 1t is time the tone o
ispa ragement, in which some on both sidel
still indulge, should ce ase, and that the hate:
of past ages should be buried. We each have
a mighty work to do, and we ca1 do it best
aiding and stimulating each other, extending
to indefinite limits, the use and sway of our
common language, our common laws and oul
common social life Those were noble words o
the Hon. David Dudley Field: MAY the light ol
the coming Centennial shine upon kindred peo
pies, rejoicing together in that mysterious
Providence which parted them. that they
might travel by different roads to the same goal
and which makes them at once rivals, and mu-
tual we'll wishers. The name of Washington
our great leader and father, whose birthday VIZ
are celebrating, is held in honor and reverence
by majority of the English people. For my.
self, am free to say that while love my own
starry flag the best of all that float, love mex
the fiery cross of England"
myself have fallen in with many English
men during the past five months and corrected
many an error, and dispelled many prejudces
which had harbored against England and he
| sons. am greatly surprised at the good feel
| ing have found, whe re l least expected it, TO
wards us Americans and our country And
| find that the only ones who harbor still an,
| illfeelng are those who have never been there
nor paid any attention to our rapid stride
| which have made us the undlsputed Empire o
| the West. 1t is terribly annoying to be aske,
by an intelligent looking English gentleman
| the Mississippi is in Canada, if Boston is il
New York, and even had highly educate
| English lady ask me less than fortnight since
| if the city of New York was as large as Gene
| va! When informed her that there wer
mo re inhabitants iu one street in New Yorb
| than in all Geneva, she was surprised; and whe
I told her that New York was as large twent
| Genevas she said, "You don't say sop' AM
when told her there were thousands Of bean
tiful stone bulldogs there, she said, wen ,
declare always heard the buildings were al
woodp' =,
A short time ago, at a hotel in Marsellle
| amonu the ouests was a fat old English gen
tleman, who like all of his class preferred hi
beef, bis beer, and his religion OF some wei wei
known brand, and a jolly, good natured gen
tleman from a town not over sixteen miles iron
Portland At table dhote, the Engishmal
found fault with some beef brought him
"There, said the old codger, turning to on
| American friend. "if you was only just to ca
one niece of the worst beef of Old England
you neverd want to 60 back to Americ
again. "The d. said the American, Il cal
stand in my office door on Broadway, N. Y
any day. and put bullet through buffal
that will furnish choicer cut of steak thai
any beast that ever breathed the air of Eng
land" "You don't say that you can shoot buf
ferers in New York, do yer?" PLENTY o
them," quietly replied the American, and shC
old gentleman believed it. You will run acros
English subjects all over the Continent VIII
will furnish you any amount OF "a amusement