The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1896-03-26
OUR ENMITY TOWARDS ENGLAND

History has continually noted, and the
events OF the past few months have en-
phasized the dislike which Americans,
as people, feel for England. Since the
days when the first mutterings of dis
content were heard among the colonists
at the exactions of the mother country,
the attitude of the people on this conti-
nent towards the English nation has
been one of antipathy. One of the con-
clusions to which the children of our
schools first come is that America and
England are arrayed against one an
other in enmity. The causes that led
to the Revolution are grasped by the
childish mind far better than the i'm
portant occurrences of later times. While
not the result of intention on the part
of historians, the effect upon the minds
of the school children from the study of
history is to create fprejudices against
England which later years do not over
come.
Such conclusions are right, and are
justified by the treatment England has
given our people since the beginning of
American settlement. A god deal has
been written of late about this universal
feeling on the part of Americans, (the
class known as Anglomaniacs alone ex-
cepted) and some writers have sought to
ascertain the cause of this unfriendly
feeling which the Americans fpossess.
The real cause of enmity between these
peoples OF the same blood can, as is
stated by one historian, be expressed by
the figures 1S61-5. The action of the
government during these years of trouble
for the United States was most repre-
hensible.
We remember with gratitude John
Bright, Mr.. Golden, and those other
statesmen, few IN number, who refused
to sanction the efforts for disunlon. We
shall never forget the friendliness of the
Queen and the Prince consort who
used their great influence to allav the
British feeling which threatened war
after the Trent affair. But the list of
our friends in that hour is soon exhaust
ed. On the other hand we are com
PEELED to remember the pronounced
feeling of the social and political leaders
of both parties.
The Alabama" got to sea in spite of
the warnings of our representatives at
the English court, the sympathy of the
statesmen being understood bv the
silent approval that attended the action !
OF Mr.. Laird, who, as a member of par
lament, rose from his seat and boasted
that it was he who built the Alabama.
The building of iron clads for Confeder. |
ate service went boldly on in England,
and was not checked till our minister,
Mr.. Adams, wrote to Earl Russell: "It
would be superhuous to point out to
your lordship that this is war"
These actions of England during the
civil war did untold damage to the
North. Our commerce was swept from
the seas and the place it occupied has
never been regained. The struggle was
prolonged longer than it otherwise
would have been had it not been for the
encouragement given the South by Eng
land.
The material injury done this coun-
try by England was supposedly adjusted
by the Geneva conference, but the rep
Grafton could not be made alone by
money. Those who suffered the horrors
OF that deadly war; those who lost
father, brother or friend, and those of
the younger generation who read the
story of that black period will remem-
Der England's culpable deeds and think
of her still with feelings of dislike. All
talk of good feeling between these ma
tions will prove vain. England has al
ways been our enemy; she is now, and