Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-02-02
A LETTER FROM GLADSTONE.
THE GREIr COMMoNER'S aDMIR1TfON
or FLASHING rows CHARACTER.
His Extraordinary Nobility and Purity--A Glance
at the Future of the English speaking
Race on Both sides OF the
Atlantic Ocean.

George W. Smalley, the London Corrcspon-
dent ot the New York Tribune relates that
Mr.. Gladstone speaking in the company of
several eminent Englishmcn not long since
declared, Washington to my mind is the
purcst figure in history Gladstone after
wards wrote u letter to SmallCy in which he
reiterated his admiration for the great Father
of his Country, at the same time expressing
the hope that all the English speaking people
would some day I've united in a common bond
of fraternal affection and commercial supre-
macy. The substance Of the letter is here
with given:
"Whcn first read in detail the life of Wash
ington, was profoundly impressed with tho
moral elevation and greatness of his charac-
ter, and found myselfa at "A loss to name
among the statesmen of any age or country
many, or possibly any, who could i've his
rival. In saying this mean no disparage-
mcnt to the class of politicians, the men of my
own craft and cloth; whom, in my own land
and my own experience have found no less
worthy than other men of love and admira-
ton. | could name among them those who
seem to me to come near even to him. But
| will shut out the last half century from the
comparison. | will then say that it, among
all the pcdeStals supplied by history for pub
lie characters of extraordinary nobility and
purity, saw one higher than all the rest,
and if l were required at a moments notice
to name the tittcSt occupant for 1t, | think
my choice, at any time during the last forty
FIVE years would have lighted, and il would
now light upon Washington.
Mr.. Barham Xinckc, no incompetent cal
culator rcckOns that the English-speaking
people of the world an hundred years hence
will probly count thousand millions. Some
French author, whose name l unfortunately
forget, in recent estimate placed them
somewhat lower; Ht what precise figure | do
not recollect. but it is like Geo or 500 millions
\ century back | suppose they were not
much, if at all, beyond fifteen millions; |
also suppose we may now take them at an
hundred.
These calculations are not 50 visionary as
they may seem to some +: they rest upon a
rather wide induction, while the best they
can pretend to il rough approximation. But
as ! recOlleCt, it was either Inlay, or one of
those with whom the name OF that creature
is associated, that computed. a century back,
the probable population of the AmeriCsn
Union at this date; and placed it very nearly
at the point where it now stands.
What prospect il that of very many hnu-
dreds of millions of people, certainly among
the most manful and energetic in the world,
occupying one great continent, | may almost
say two, and other islands and territories not
easy to he counted, with these islands at their
head, the most historic in the world. In
contact, 10y vast commerce, with all man
kind, and perhaps still united in kindly
political association with some more hun
dreds of millions fitted for no mean destiny.
guage, and very largely in religion, laws and
institutions.
If anticipations such as these are to be real
iZed i'll any considerable degree, the prospect
Is at once majestic, inspiring and COnsOlatOrv.
The subject Is full of meaning and of power
| of so much meaning that the pupil of the eye
requires time to let in such a flood of light.
| shall not attempt after thus sketchiug il, Ia
| eNpound it, Ii would be as absurd as if a box.
keeper at a theatre when letting in a party,
| ShDlllI nttpmut ~ - ppnpI the niece
hope that some person more competent
and less engaged than myself will give this
| subject the study it deserves; taking his
| stand on the facts of the last century, and the
| promise, rGiedt qUdHtuH, of the coming one.
| | cannot but think as well rs hope that a
| good understanding, in the future near and
| far, among English-speaking peoples, though
| 1t may not be matter of certainty, yet is be-
yond the necessity of going begging, so tC
| speak, for recommendations from any indi
| vidual, earnestly and with my whole hear
| "a !, for one, should recommend it.
Clearly if the English-speaking peoples
shall then be anything like Whist we have
| now been suppOsing, and If there shall no
| be good understanding among them, there
| will have been "A base dcSertiOn of an easy
| duty gran ridUtO such as might stir another
| Dante TO denounce it. a remuneration of ths
| nOblcst the most beneficial, the most peace
! full primaCy ever presented 10 the heart and
| understanding of man.
on the other hand great as it would be, II
| would demand no propaganda, no su pcrla
tive ingenuity Of effort IL ought To be an
| orderly and natural growth, requiring only
that you should he reasonably true and Loyal
| TO your traditions, and We to ours To gain
| 1t will need no preterh uman strength or wis
| dom to miss it will require some pOTten
tous degeneracy. Even were ii daYdrean
il would be an improving one, lOftier and
better than that which prompted the verse.
super ct Garamantas ct IndOs
Proieret tmpertum facet extra siden tellus,
Extra ami sOlisque Was,
because it implies no strife or bloodshed. and
is full only of the moral elements of siren 9Th -