The Portland daily press., 1881-04-14
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL IA.

er European kingdom or republic sent English
commodities of all kinds to add lustre to the sue
cessful ensemble of the Centennial Exhibition.
The tact, courtesy, and geniality with which
the British Commissioner, Sir Herbert Sand
ford. executed at Philadelphia the delicate func-
tions intrusted to him by the Foreign Office,
won for him golden opinions from all classes OF
his countrymen. Having, however, in this
country looked on, not only without Jealousy,
but even with sympathy, at five years OF Amer
lean ebullitions of exultation over series of
occurrences which at the time were regarded
as the heaviest blows ever administered to the
Monarchy of England, we may be permitted
perhaps not less in the interest of the United
States than from any wounded self-love-to re-
joice that the last of these jubilees is at hand,
and that when the surrender at Yorktown has
been duly celebrated the normal relations ex-
listing between the mother country and her
eldest daughter will be permitted to resume
their ordinary current.
Undoubtedly it is not only natural, but even
right and seemly that our transatlantic kinS-
folk should wish to observe the centenary of
Yorktown, and that Engishmen should take
a more profound interest in the revived men,
DRY of the last than of the first armed encount-
er of a war which in the opinion of all right
thinking men and women now alive upon both
sides of the Atlantic ought never to have tax
en- place at ALL To American citizens more
over, Yorktown symbolizes the opening of a
Young unfettered and dsenthralled nations
career-a nation which then and there began,
like giant, to run its amazing course. To
Englishmen on the other hand, Yorktown
suggests no bitter or humilating memories,
seeing that the subsequent verdict of mankind
is undoubtedly that the establishment of Amer
lean Independence was boon, not only to the
family of man at large, but. most of all, to
Great Britain herself. Reckoning from the
first skirmish at Concord, the Revolutionary
War lasted nearly nine years. There were
occasions during that stormy epoch when it
might, perhaps have been brought by England
to what she would have deemed successful
termination; but it is far more certain that in
such an event the struggle would have been
renewed, for as the biographer of Lord
CORVALLIS sagaciously remarks-"no one can
imagine that the mighty nation which now
possesses SO large portion of North America,
would have permanently consented to be SUBJ
iect TO Great Britain"
There is, however, in the memories of York
town even now much to draw living English
men and Americans nearer together, and un-
questionably the bearing of General Washing
ton at the supreme moment toward his van
quished and Inundated enemy was of that
character which it is meet and right that histo-
rians should mot willingly let die" 1t is not
generally known that, at the moment when
Lord CORVALLIS surrendered to General WASH
ington, the humoied Engnsnman slmuitane-
ously uncovered his head. With Characters
tic thoughtfulness General Washington prayed
him to put on his hat, as-the weather being
chilly and wet-there was danger of his catch
ing cold. SIT does not much matter what now
becomes of me-" exclaimed the detected Eng
lishman; to which in firm voice General
Washington at once replied: "On the contra
ry, my lord, 1 anticipate for you long career
OF distinction and honor in the service of your
King and country" How truly these gener-
.l.>4s<. d.
be seen by those who care to read the epitaph
upon the monument erected by grateful
country to Charles, first Marquis Corvallis
in st. Paul's Cathedral.