Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-31
AMERICAN SUPREMACY.

Less than thirty years ago all
Biographies in describing the ma
tiOns of the earth conceded that
Great Britain was the richest, most
populous and most powerful among
them all. Doubtless every Ameri-
can boy in reciting the passage
made a mental reservation in favor
Of hnS own country. He felt con-
fdent that American superiority
would assert itself in a century at
least and that his great grandchil.
dren would see the same claim
made for the United States that
he had to cOncede TO Great Britain.
That generation of school boys
have only become we'll settled in
their business or profession, and
yet one OF the leading organs of
English public opinion is already
admitting that the palm OF su.
premacy is passing from Great
Britain to America. The extract
from the London Spectator pub
lshed in the Sunday Press, saying
that the United States is "becom.
ing the greatest nation in the
world" aud that the only way In
which a successful attack could be
made on the great Republic would
be by a confederation of all the
European powers, is a candid and
truthful admission OF the real
situation. The further statement
that We are exercising u practical
prOtectOrate over the Western
IIemishere is an acknowledgement
OF the manifest destiny doctrine so
dear to every American heart.
10 was TO avert this result that
made a great majority OF English
statesmen sympathizers with the
Southern COnfederacy during the
War of the Rebellion. They right
" argued that the steady march Of
the United States to the primacy
among nations could not be chOked
unless it was divided into two or
more powers. John Bright in a
speech made in 1861 related how
member of Parliament came to him
when the news Of the secession of
the Southern states reached Eng
land and expressed his satisfaction
with the disruption of the American
Republic, adding: "Why, II no
separation had occurred, they
would have bullied all Europe III
fifty years" George Bancroft
touched on the same point IN his
memorial Grafton of Abraham
Lincoln, when he described the
British Minister at Washington as
Fastening, after the fall of Fort
Sumpter, to send adyices to bis
home government that "the great
Republic was no more, and that
all that is now needed is tomb.
stone in the graveyard OF nations
to indicate the day of It's birth and
the day of its death"
As Americans look back to that
crisis from their present vantage
ground they can perhaps feel a
little more charity for the attitude
England and English statesmen
assumed then. 1t was only human
nature for them to look with
jealousy on the only nation the
growth of which in power and
riches was likely to threaten future
British supremacy. If that rival
could he removed through Its own
folly in quarreling and lighting so
much the better for England. That
hope has passed, however, and
English newspapers are ready TO
acknowledge that the dag OF
American supremacy is Mt hand
If it is to be primary OF material
wealth and achievements alone II
would be better for the world II 1t
had never been gained ; but If 1t Is
to be marked by an advancement
in all that makes mankind nObleT
and better, more refined and Gull
tiyated, then future generations
will rejoice that the close OF the
Nineteenth Century saw the sOver.
eighty among nations transferred
from Great Britain to the United
States. Philadelphia Press.