The New York herald., 1876-09-17
GRANT AND THE MONARCHS.
HIS REPLIES TO THE ROYAL CENTENNIAL con-
CALCULATIONS.
From the London Times. Sept. 81

GRATULATIoSs
from the London Times. Sept. 5
President Grant has been sending replies to the let
tiers OF congratuiation which he received from the
rulers OF Europe mark the hundrcdth anniversary OF
the day which witnessed the Declaration Of American
independence. Ills Message to the Emperor william.
summary OF which we published on Saturday, is a
dgnined acknowledgment Of the good will which has
always bound together Germany the United States
The Emperors letter is declared to have been all tho
welcome because 1t came from the sovereign of
u great Empire, 'wth which tho American Republic
during the whole period Of its existence has been
peaceablc and friendly terms" The reply TO tho EN-
peror OF Austria could scarcely say much because
during the Hungarian rebellion the United States gave
umbrage BY showing too great haste to recognize
the national existence OF the Magyars. But that
was merely trivial cloud bright retro
spect Indeed, there is not country in Europe,
cept our own aud Spain, with which America has not
been friendly terms during the whole OF its
republican existence. Tho cause OF this uniform
frendness is Of course, that the United States have
vigorously kept out OF all European quarrels The
wars OF the French Republic and the Empire, the war
Tor the liberation OF Greece, the contest between Me-
hcmct All and the Sultan, tho Crimean war, the bat
ties the independence OF Italy for supremacy in
Germany and for the first place among the military
nations of the Cont,nen-all these struggles America
could safely survey from the other sido OF n mighty
ocean, The only Power which has come into serious
collision with her has been our own, because between
US we divide great continent Yet the goodwill OF
nation could have been heartily expressed
than that which accompanied the letter OF congratula
tion sent by Queen 10 President Grant All
OF have to that the Americans did good TO
this country well us to their own when they con-
qucred iheIr independence. In the tory Ministries
who tried TO tax them without their consent We have
learnt TO see the champions of despotsm which, II
triumphant in Amenca would have reacted Eng
land and admit that the coionistS were lighting
the battle OF liberty Tor US AS well as or themselves.
The Chief Mag strate OF the American Republic now
addresses the proudest sovcregns in Europe equals
and brothers. He is, indeed, as great poteniatc
any Of them, although he himself Will soon sink back
into the obscurity Of private life. His countrymcn
may be excused II they boast that good many things
have happened in Europe since the United States be-
came independent and II they think that the effects OF
their political experiment have. been iet on this
OF the Atlantic The men who built the Union were
pioneers OF principles which arc the
commonplaccs OF every Parliament No doubt
they did but apply doctrines which were already
floating about the Old World well as tho New.
IL not much the msrule OF England the
growth of those doctrines, aud therefore OF hope
wrongs set forth by Jefferson would have provoked
little moro than murmurs. But In America, in
France, all reverence tor old institutions crumblng
away under the subtle criticism OF new political phi
losopby. So lar from being confined to France the
revolutionary teaching had begun IN England before
heard OF in that country, and, III truth, great
deal OF waited from London 10 Paris the light
wings OF Voltaire's Wit Here II proved TO be harm
less because wo knew how to widen our institutions
without the wrench Of revolution; bet France had
robbed herself OF that power by drying up the springs
OF po itcal liberty Our colonies, on the other hand,
peculiarly ablO to profit by all that WAS good IN
the teaching They had no social institutions keep
them III the ways OF conservatism by tho immense te-
nacty OF personal interests They were democracy in
all but Hence, in doctrines which tue
vaiivc lawyers OF England held to be alike absurd and
anarchical the most thoughtful OF the colonsts
little than the commouplsccs by which they
themselves had long been practically guided
Hence the tory statesmen oi England and the phio-
sophica lawyers OF America never really occupied tho
same ground. Even Chatham did not sec the immense
sweep OF tho consequences latent in tho demands OF
the people whom he beiriended The French were
more clear-sghtcd. sure instinct told their
radical party 10 join hands with tho people
who had dispensed with the machinery of q court
The French Revolution was more social than admins
trative. Destroying monarchy. arisoclacy, Church,
administration, the laws OF inheritance, whole sys-
tenn marked by thousand years OF growth It replaced
everything by arrangements fresh IRON the brain OF
the legislator. II was the greatest experiment ever
attempted by human audacity or skill, and II may
take France at least another generation to recover
from the volenc, OF the wrench This country has
been more fortunate Substantially our institutions
stili the same us they were during the struggle
with the cOonists. Crown, Lords, Commons,
Church, and the laws of property still untouched
although there has been beneath The surface change
the distribution or political power. OF all highly
civilized countries Germany, perhaps, contains the
largest ieaven OF the ieudalis which was still the ce
ment OF European society when the United states set
up Tor themselves. Even yet her arisocrAtc caste
more ike tho old notiesse OF France than
bilty IN its more exclusive days Proud Of ity
lineage, ana contemptuous OF all calhngs that OF
war the service OF the State 1t forms an admirable
class OF military leaders and expert bureaucracy
France felt the want Of such class whom she went
To with Germany In loose democratic array. So
did the Northern states OF America when they had
to beat down rebellion led by the planters Of
the south, who were aristocracy In all but the
name President Grant, however, may console him-
self with the reflection that such military caste the
aristocracy OF Germany has not always proved the
greatest OF strength In contests so prolonged
ana exhausiing as to put pressure every unit
national tcnacity In tho face OF disaster than tho
wagcd by France against the whole OF Europe at the
end Of last century, and by the Northern States OF
America against the South. Those contests show that
soldiers may hammered by defeat into fine tight
ing stun tho world saw IT, instead Of being
ANIMATE machines. they arc knit together by com.
enthusiasm for great ideal