Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-01-14
John Bright on the United States.

During the dark days Of the rebellion the
United States had no warmer or truer friend
than the venerable John Bright, and his re-
peated public utterances since give abund-
ant evidence that he watches our progress
with discriminating and sympathetic eyes.
At a late public meeting at Rochdale, to
welcome the return OF the Hon. Thomas b..
Potter from his travels in the United States,
Mr.. Bright made the principal address. He
began by abiding to the hundreds of invita-
tions which he has received to visit Amer
lea and his deep regret that he has never
seen his way clear to accept them. In
this connection he made special reference to
a letter which he received from President
Hayes last summer at q time when the news.
papers were reporting that "John Bright
purposes shortly to make the tour of the
United States" The president wrote to re-
quest that he would make the White House
his home while he remained at Washing
ton. After gracefully and warmly acknowl.
edging this compliment and his appreciation
Of all his American friends, Mr.. Bright
quoted from Charles Summers " Prophetic
Voices" TO prove that many hundred years
before America was discovered, writers who
were also seers had foretold that westward
there was new world to be discovered.
He then passed to discourse in terms of
wonder and admiration upon the size of our
country. " 1t is an astounding fact" he re-
marked to his fellow Englishmen before
him, "that your countrymen have gone
over TO that western continent and taken
possession of a country twenty-five times as
big as the country they have left behind"
Proceeding in this strain, he reminded his
hearers that Texas by itself was more than
twice as large as Great Britain and Ireland
together, and that the United States would
make fifteen times France, fifteen times Ger
many, and twelve times Austria.
Mr.. Bright approvingly quoted Mr.. Ban
croft's remark that " the history of the colo.
nization of North America is the history of
the crime of Europe" This reference, it
appears from the report Of his speech, was
greeted with cheers, and it further appears
that the cheers increased in numbers and in
tensity when he charged that land monopoly
constantly tended to diminish the population
occupying the soil of Great Britain. But
perhaps the most interesting portion of the
speech to Americans is The conclusion, which
he devotes to answering the question, What
has the United States done ?" His account
of what we have done is well calculated to
nourish our national pride. No one of our
own great orators under the inspiration of
Fourth of July occasion could make out a
more shining record for our country than is
by this generous hearted English
man. He adverts to the war, the abolition
of slavery, the magical creation of a vast army,
the colossal war debt and the adequate pro.
vision made for its comparatively speedy
payment, to our unexampled national pros
perity as illustrated in building of eighty
miles of railroads in fifty years
in short to all the salient features upon
which our home orators and statesmen pred
icate "manifest destiny"