Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-11-03
Mistellaueuns &eading.

AN ENGLISHMAN AT YORKTOWN.
Archibald Forbes Impression Of People ant
Events at the Celebration.
From the New York Tribunc.]
YORKTOWN, October 19.-After the cere
monies of the day were over the Tribune cor
respondent asked Mr.. Archibald Forbes, the
distinguished English journalist, who had Of
fered, in spirit of friendly comradeship, tc
help with the work of writing, to give his i'm
pressions as an Englishman of the exercises
and the audience. He wrote few pages, but
with protest against having his name at.
tached to them. The liberty is taken of dis
regarding his modest request. He was the
only we'll known subject of Queen Victoria
on the ground, and it is obvious that the
American public will be glad to hear from
him directly and Immediately, instead OF
later through the medium Of the London
press. Mr.. Forbes wrote:
To the outsider, it seemed that there was
no pre- arrangement at all. One conversant,
through dire experience, with the confusion
and chaos that so commonly follow on an alb.
sence of settled plan could scarcely avoid the
apprehension, that mischief would come of
the indeiniteness that circumstances had
brought about, in the details of the arrange.
ments, but there was no mischief, not even the
hitch of moment. The all prevalent deter.
mination that the occasion should be success
full confuted every obstacle. Instead of
crowding, jostling and sel6shness, the features
of the throng were orderliness, courtesy and
selfabnegation. Simplicity reigned, but it
was the simplicity of self:respect and conside-
ration for others, not the crudeness which pro.
vokes smile. In the massing Of the crowd
around the rostrum, from which the addresses
were made, there was absolutely no attempt
whatever made in the direction of assigning
seats. The area of chairs was free country.
There was 10 respect of persons, further than
the foreign guests had places in the vicinity
of the President and the officials of State.
Yet as the Informal procession from the La
Fayette Hall, trampled on through the sand
toward the auditorium, its head unmarshaled,
its track unguarded even by single police.
man, there was not the faintest semblance Of
an "ugly mob" For ladies there was the first
thought; the next was for the guests. They
accommodated them, every man in quiet,
busnesslike fashion, and he did the best he
could for himself as regards finding loca-
ton. 1t was the most democratic Of assem-
blages, and the best conducted imperceptibly,
with no hustle, no thrusting, no swapping Of
advantages. The great area became filed by
dense mass of humanity. Of ceremonial,
in the Old World sense, there was nothing at
all.
The President stepped into his place, helped
on to the platform by a quaint Old Virginia
farmer, who happened to be leaning against
one of the supports. A little lady who had
quietly wriggled to the front affably leant Oh
the back of the chair occupied by Col. Van
Steuben and clapped her hands at Mr.. Win
throp's good things in immediate proximity
to the gallant Germans ear. A corporal Of
foot rubbed shoulders with the General of the
army contented citizen in blue suit ap-
peared nowise discomposed to find himself in
corporated bodily into the brilliant staff Of
the Governor of Maine Perhaps the deco
rum of the throng was equalled by its evident
intelligence. To the very end of Mr.. Win
throp's prolonged Grafton all around the
fringes Of the audience were to be observed
people with their hands to their ears, jealous
lest word should escape them. No point
made by the speaker was missed, or failed to
obtain its fullest need of appreciation. Du.
ring Mr.. Winthrop's fervent and eloquent Pc
roration the intentness of attention on the or
ator's words was so close that you might have
heard pin drop. The people bad come to
listen, and they listened with all their force.
Swiftly and inexorably falls the thunderbolt
of outraged public opinion on the one man in
all the throng who thought fit to misconduct
himself. He stood on a chair in the back
ground, and he interjected Interruptions OF
character at first irrelevant and presently in
solent. He was tolerated the first time and
the second time. The third time he got a
stern warning. which he disregarded, with the
consequence that two strong men caught him
up and simply threw him away outside the
bounds.
To speak of England on such day was a
matter of no little delicacy. 1t was not that
there was any danger she shonld be hardly
spoken Of That, never very likely from
American lips, was less likely than ever just
now. But there was some fear least in such
a connection expressions of good will with
England might have certain tone of gauche
rie. The man with memory of defeats finds
it not easy to smile under the patronizing COM
pliments of the man self.compacent in the
memory of success. But to day afforded a
fresh proof that warm heart is the truest
guide to good taste. 1t was impossible that
there should be any arriere pensse for the
Englishmen who listened to the hearty and
unaffected expressions of loving good will for
"OId Mother England" as Mr. Winthrop
phrased it, that came warm from the lips Of
every speaker, to be caught up and responded
to by the audience with fervor that was
clearly genuine as it was stentorian. Presi'
dent Arthur gave the keynote at the COM
mencement of the singularly graceful and
tactful observations in which he inaugurated
the proceedings. The French representatives
spoke of England with no less genial consid.
Grafton, and the Presidents order command
ing that the British flag should be saluted at
the close of the ceremonial was not less kind
ly in its spirit, than it was tender and beauti-
full in its wording. Read by Mr.. Blaine in
accents that were fervent with emotion, it was
endorsed by the audience with storm Of en-
thusiasm that told how welcome it was to their
sympathies. 1t is to be regretted that no off,
cial British person was present to convey to
Queen Victoria some idea of the warmth
evoked by the Presidents graceful compli-
ments, and especially by the mention of her
Majesty's own name.
THE GREAT BROOKIYN BRIDGE.-As the