New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-13
SYMPATHY FOR AMERICA.
THE GREAT EXETER HALL MEETING.


IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
LONDON, Sept 29-In addition to the account
telegraphed you of the American meeting on Satur-
day. there are one or two points which should like
to notice or to notice more fully First as to the
composition of it. NOminally convened, as one
journal remarks, by Americans for Americans, IL
was impossible, even if it had been wished, to shut
out Englishmen. / fluid my impression that the ma
jOrity were English confirmed by every body whom
have asked. Thereare not ever, supp Sc, Americans
enough in London to fill Exeter Hall, which is
estimated TO contain 5000 people and certainly
holds over 1000 seated No attempt was
made to discriminate at the doors between English
and Americans. If such discrimination had been
possible it would not have been desirable. One OF
the best things about the meeting was its mixed
character. Whatever diversity there may have
been in nationality, the audience was one III teel-
ing The sympathy of the English for President
Garfield was not less marked than the devotion OF
Americans to Queen Victoria. 1t happened moro
than once that psQple were in tears all over the
hall, and they wereEnglish as well as Americans.
Mr.. Lowers speech must have made every
American thankful thatat such amoment his country
represented by Mr.. Lowell. He said for us what
each one Of us would have liked to say, and no ono
else could have said with the same business. or
with anything like the same beauty Of FORM Mr.
Lowell would dsclaim, | presume the name of
orator, but this address, though written and read
from manuscript, had many of the high qualities OF
Oratory, and was delivered with singular feeling
and force. A sentence or two from English Journals
will show how it impressed the English public
" IL went straight to the hearts of his audience"
SAYS one. "Mr. Lowell" observes another, eek
pressed in dignifcd and yet feeling language such as
few other speakers could have rivalled. just
what such an audience would wish to be said on
| + ~ III hot
has any man, prince or statesman had such a pane
gyric at once simple, modest, manly, dignifed and
tender as that which Mr. Lowell Delivered Ii may
be said that no important Journal spoke IN ohe:
than terms of hearty praise | will quote one more
only, which describes the address "a funeral
Grafton well worthy in its noble simplicity OF the
| man whom it celebrated" adding that "ir was in
no respect more admirable than in the faultless
proportion of its parts and the perfect balance of
| It's appeals to the various emotions which oratory
seeks to arouse"
These encomiums ] qnOte, not because they are
catering to Mr.. Lowell, but because they graft
| flying to rs lie is our Minister. We sent him
abroad lie is the Envoy of the United States, an-
whatever fame Mr.. Lowell achieves is national prop
cry. We have all a right to be proud of what he
does well, and of the golden opinions he wins
And this further thing is to be said. The occasion
was one in which the eyes Of all England were
turned upon the American Minister 1t fell 10 him
to speak for his country on subject which
set all English hearts beating as never be-
fore. His words TO be read by all
the reading millions of this co1ntry. Ii they had
been cold inadequate ill-chOscn or devoid Of
TASTE a certain discredit would have fallen upon us.
1t makes ono shrink to reflect what might have
happened with an unfit representative. And as the
other thing happened rs Mr.. Lowell delighted his
HILL t,o
course of listeners throughout England, cannot
but be thankful for what he has added TO our good
name in the Old Home.
| shall venture another remark, and make il
with some hesitation because a merely critical oh
servation seems out of place at time so solemn
Mr. Lowelps address went to the furthcst permissible
limit Of literary excellence TO the limit but never
beyond it, There never was moment whcnhe talked
over the heads of his bearers There sentence
which was not per ecty comprehensive. But the
whole speech such piece of mosaic it was so
admirable as n work Of art; every sentence was 80
finished; there was such an ab,ence OF common
place. and such a fullness of style, that the average
auditor felt called upon for IN unrcmitting attcn-
ton. The result was that he seldom remembered
TO applaud Probably il would have been better
there should be no applause at AL on such
casOn, but better or not it was out Of the
question TO a profoundly moved assembly Of
9 900 people not in a church, silence inpossi-
bic If it may ever be said it is 10 be said OF Mr..
Lowelrs audience that they hung on his lips. He
spoke so slowly that everybody could follow the
movement of his glowing sentences But not many
had time to spare for anything else. The deep
feelings were stirred but they were also rcsrained
and the expression OF them came in the form of
muunur that spread softly the hall and never
grew noisy.
When Bishop Simpson spoke, the exact contrary
occurred. The Bishop made effective speech
without any prctensions TO grace or subtety Of die
ton. His mind ran on levSl with those before
him. He expressed with emphasis just what every
body was thinking and feeling. and in just the
words each one of them might have used. His aud
fence perceived at once that demand was made
| upon their intellectual faculties, and they broke
into applause with much freedom Speaking Of this
sort has its merits apd of them is that il leaves
TO the nearer so large share in the partnership into
which he and the speaker have entered. The Bish-
ops reference to the Queen was an example. An
English writer observes that the American
! people have, with fine sense Of fitness
accepted the Queens letters and messages ~ the
proper representative of English regret and good
will, We all felt that personal feeling well de
noted by single person On Saturday this senti-
ment was exceedingly vivid. When Bishop Simp-
son gave expression to it, a Bishop well might, in
the form Of a benedicton on the Queen, he touched
a cord which vibrated instantly Nobody stopped
to think whether it was right during such
solemnity to give cheers. The cheers were not
given. They burst out. Men sprang to their feet
all over the hall. In second the whole audience
was up. Mr.. Lowell himself rose. The hundreds Of
men and women who thronged the platform rose
with him. On every lip the echo of the Bisl
ops God bless Queen Victoria"
OF the other speeches, all good in ther way, bir.
j. $. Morgans perhaps the best. 1t will sur
prise him TO hear it, but that was the opinion of
most people whom heard express an opinion. Mr..
Morgan is not in the habit of speaking and yielded
| Il -. ] l.