New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-04
.roBy BRIGHT md HIS CRITICS

Sturdy John Brights panegyTic on the United
States has aroused the virtuOus Indignation
of the English press. The London Times re-
proacbes him for his inability to enumerate
the achievements of the Americans with
ont proportonate depreciation OF every
thing in his own country" and charges him
with INDUCING d" 10 the full that strange vein
" of sentiment. or rather of unrcilecting Won
" der which seems,tO blind him 90 some OF Ihe
greatest Of political and social facts" Inc
steady-gong Standard rebukes him for ignoring
the caucus system, the lobbying, ihe purchase OF
indicial decisions IN the open market" the
railway corruptione, and many other scandals
of American life. The Telegraph fairly toalns
Mt the mouth in dcnOuncing hlm as mag
"nifcent demagOguc," who docs not seem
to understand the responsibilities Of power"
and who belongs, moreover, TO that type
" of purely commercial Liberals VINO nave
ono sense of imperial duties, no essentially
English instincts, no consciousness OF Eng
LAND as a great historic State.' During the
last eighteen months The Pal MoH GG-ette
has done little but crOak over the tendencies
of domestic administration and foreign policy,
but its shrill treble now rises high above the
hoarse BASES of this chorus OF dissent as 1t re-
fuses to sit in sackclOth and ashes and mourn
over England's low position in the scale OF hui
mainly.
These critics. with one consent, brush aside
Mr.. Brights comparisons based upol popna-
ton and territorial extent. One of them TO-
minds him that Professor Huxley told the Amer
leans that these were small matters 10y the
side of high intelligence and moral worth; and
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measured entirely by the square mile, tic
British Government rules double the terri
tory of the Republic. Mr. Blight had aniic-
pated this outbuTst OF what Mr.. Charles keaue
would denominate rs British bumptiousneSs'
for he had referred to Her Majcsty's possessions
in Canada, Australia, India and South Africa
and had excluded them from his estimate, III
asmuch as they are continually drawing from
the revenues and resources of the Mother Staie,
and are neither in men nor in money source
of strength to the English people. But these
comparative views OF National domain and IN
crease of population were at the threshold OF
the orators argument. lie was contending that
the American Republic was not only the lar
gest and most pOpulou-, but also the
most prosperous State IN Chnstcndom, ana
he established his point by citing It's unpIece-
dented achievements in debt-paying. The causes
of that prosperity he enumerated as the DIS
bandment of the Army, Il reluctance to form
political treaties, the diseStdblishment OF re-
ligion, and exemption from land monopoly.
From these conclusions not one Of his critics
ventures to dissent. Yet they all rcproach
him for praislng the United States at the ex-
pense OF his own country.
10 hat Mr. Ilri
candid, but too republican for conscrva-
tive England. The natural inference from
his speech is this: if the American
people, in material prosperity and moral re-
sponsbility. are foremost among the nations OF
the earth, it is because their form OF govern
ment is a republic; and France is following
in the same path. Never has this resOlute
and uncompromislng friend Of America been
so outspoken in his admiration for our institu-
tons and the practical results Of our modes
of administration. In Europe he sees circle
of camps-a host OF armed men IN every
nation and in America he finds the smallest
of standing armies and an industrial popua-
ton mbued with the instincts of peace
Everywhere save in the United States the
burdens of military establishments are unen-
durable. In place of n thousand great landed
estates, as in England, here are " hundreds of
thousands of comfortable hOmesteads to
"adorn the land" While all the world is in
a state of unrest, one nation is prosperous
and fairly contented and that nation Is a re-
public Wherefore Mr.. Bright, albeit he con-
dennis our tariff system as utter barbarism,"
Is forced to admit that when men are moral
and honest enough to sustain a Government
like ours, it is entitled to their entire conf
dence. That is, it is not only good enough for
us, but for any moral and intelligent nation
under heaven.
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