The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-08
,oHN BRIGHT ON AMERICA.
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@To-day is what suppose might be considered day that might be termed historic [hear hearl. A century ago it was a day of grief and humiliation to multitudes tn this country. On the other hand, it was day of exultation and joy vith multitudes on the other side of the Atlantic. Now we meet together, and, without using language that is not ac- eu,a.e, we may say that we rejoice that. notwithstanding the events of that period, the greatness and the grandeur of Eng land have not been diminished, and at the same time we must acknowledge that the new nation that has sprung into ex- ;s,ence stands in its vastness and power, and offers itself to a wondering world {cheers) Among eminent citizens of the tinted States that have known-and in some cases with some intimacy-was the great statesman from Massachusetts, Charles Sumner. When he was in Eng land he visited me. and his last night in England he spent in my house. He pub hshed little book called "Prophe.ic Voices" which was a collection of prophecies to the probable future of America He was revising the title-page of that volume in the very last sitting he ever attended in the senate of his country
 He goes back far beyond the time many centuries of the time-of the dis covery of the American continent. He goes back and quotes a remarkable pas sage of old Rome-A passage left in the pages of Seneca. He comes down cen- tunes and quotes from an Italian poet if remember rightly, named Pulei-who wrote some centuries before the time of Columbus. Then he comes down to later periods, and quotes the opinions of many eminent writers and speakers; but he curiously-l cannot understand why he omitted i,-has no reference to a sing uar opinion and prophecy of David Hume. When Gibbon sat down to write his great history of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire he proposed to write it in French. David Hume, a great friend of his, on hearing of this, wrote letter of remembrance, and he said, among other things, that he wished him to write in English, because our es- tablishments in America promised supe- rior stability and strength to English history. We owe it to David Hume th at that great work was published in our own language, and not in that of a neigh boring nation. But you see how these men saw the future of the American CO., tinent in vision. We see it in fact, and we see the prophecies fulfilled. At this moment England, Canada, Australia, and the Cape of Good Hope show a popula- ton of about 45 COG, 900 of persons. At this very time, as you are all aware, the new nation of which speak, and which started as nation 100 years ago, num- bers now not far short of 6o ooo GOO, and is rapidly increasing. do not knew but what at the end of this century, or soon after, 1t may amount to 100 900 900.
 Now, at the present, there are more than 100, 900 GOO of what call the Eng lish speaking people-that is, the United Kingdom, its other connected colonies, and the ancient colonies of the British crown, which are nov the United States of North America, and these English speaking nations, in my opision-it may be presumption, it may be egotism; but hold the opinion that they are the fore most in ali the liberties which are the most valued by the most intelligent peo- pie living in civilized countries. But al- though in population-I am speaking to American gentlemen-you have over passed us so much that in time to come it is possible we may have to ask the pro- lection of your vast country against the enemies that may assault us, yet am net disposed to give up, at any rate, the leadership which think we have in our political freedom think we are about as free as you are. At the same time, must say there is another description of passed ourselves. Many gentlemen here will know to, what refer. l believe the time will come-l do not expect to live 10 see it myself, although may see some advances toward it; but believe my children and grandchildren will as cer- tainly see it as anything before the eye now-l believe the time will come when the American nation having, by vast sacrifices of blood and treasure, accom- phshed the freedom of men, the labor of the men will be as free as the bodies of the men, The duke of Argyll said the great men of D ,tions help to form the greatness of nations. Well, should say that these great nations-the one on this side of the Atlantic, and the one that promises to be much greater on the other side of the Atlantic-these two nations will, to great extent, guide the future policy of the world. It often strikes me as very curious thing that in America the Massachusetts man has not the slight est objection to deal commercially with somebody in California or in the extreme south, in Louisiana or Texas but he has the greatest objection-no one can tell why, except that it is superstition-to trade with people in Canada or in Great Britain and Ireland. But why2 If we were all showed into the United States {; if we were one country with only one ob- ject, nobody would deny that any thing would be more natural than that the manufacturers of the two countries should intermingle, and everybody would agree that it was not only the best, but also the most profitable thing for the populations of the two countries.
 My point is that the great question of military preparations, establishments,