New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-16

England, and perhaps the most adequate pres
entation of 10 ever made to the English mind
But 1t was far from being the only discourse by
Mr.. Lowell on that subject in this country. he
never spoke in public that he did not refer, II
ever so lightly, TO his country and her politicai
faith. Nobody was ever long in his company Id
private without hearing of it. Mr.. Lowell De-
came identified with it. He was in this monarch
ical country an apostle of Republicanism. Inc
glow OF his genius Illuminated it. The idea ana
the faith became 20 the Englishmen who lis
tened to Mr. Lowell more visible and more at
irsctive under his influence and England drew
nearer TO America.
He became power IN English society, observes
the same authentic witness. 1t used TO be made
a reproach 90 him in some parts of America, that
be was. Some of his adopted fellow-citiZens re-
preached him. II he had swan with the stream
in London, the reproach might have been just
He preferred swimming against IL. He never con-
formed, never took his opinions at secondhand,
meyer suppressed an American opinion because 1t
American and not English. Nobody" re-
marks the English writer already quoted, must
talk in his presence of Americanisms or hint that
the standard OF language and literature observed
in America showed any detection from the best
standard of the race Nor did they, very often;
nor ever the same person more than once. Nor
punishment Mr.. Lowell used to administer. He
laid silxen lash across the offending back, but
il stung."
1t is hard to account for this odd quality OF
his" continues the puzzled Briton. 1t Is Just Us
hard as it is to account for an Englishman being
English, or an American American, and no harder
So much admired and liked was he that liberties
of speech were permitted to him which would not
have been tolerated in others. Said one English
man. who was often his host: like Mr.. Lowell
like 10 have him here. keep him as long as
can, and am always in terror lest somebody
should say something about America that would
provoke an explosion"
He has seen the inside Of more oonntry houses
in England than any American who ever lived.
He always came out alive and in grand order.
There is not one in which he has not let fall some
GOOD American seed. He was. for every season
of his Ministerial term sort Of social lion. Fs
marity did not dim the brilliancy of his presence
/" II have Mr.. Lowell said of those London
hostesses whose invitations are most coveted, Il
know my dinner will be a success" The sparkle
of his talk was perennial. His resources were
endless. The delightfulness OF his company was
as great at the end as at the beginning Of his
London career II survived his Ministry. tie
was not less welcome when he returned aS private
individual than when he had tie right TO walk out
to dinner next after Duke or In the rear OF
an Argentine Plenipotentiary. Innumerable as
were his social uiumphs. they never turned his
head
He was not less popular with his comrades in
literature, though he sometimes committed the
fault Of being more accurate than they. lie was
popular with the most various companies and
audiences, with the magnates of the city at the
Guildhan, where he sometimes dined, with the
hard-headed metal-worlers of Birmingham, and
with the fishermen of Whitby, where he used
often to spend some weeks of the autumn. His
to them, as to everybody whose life was humble.
was continual. His range Of personal friend
ships was as wide as humanity.
He heartily enjoyed his popularity here and
heartily loved England. That too, was flung
in his face by some of his adopted fello~-cilzens
at home He would not have disguised it to be
President. He claimed citizenship in both coun-
tries They were both his by right OF descent.
1t was but one remove from his first New-Engand
ancestor to his last ancestor in that England which
was not new. Why should line be drawn? He
would allow nobody to draw ii, least OF all
an Englishman; nor any Englishman to claim
Shakespeare or Milton belonging more rightfully
to their English than TO their American posterity
their spiritual posterity, as he used to say.
England and the United States were to him for
many purposes not two countries but one. 80
have they ever been 10 the best Americans, and
it is but spurious Americanism which could
find fault with Mr.. Lowell for net dsowninS
his forefathers. u. w. ,.