Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-03
HENRI wATrERsoN ON AMERIcA


Editor Henri Watterson of the Louis
Vile CONFECTIONERY since his sojourn in
England, is learning to appreciate more
highly the great American republic. Mr..
Watterson and his paper have been very
strong advocates of Mr.. Cleveland's in
ternational bimetallic policy and not
withstanding the great editor knows
from reading the cablegrams that at
home the political woods are afire, his
golden calf reclining in the shades of
Buzzard's Bay and the whole American
people stirred from center to circumfer-
ence over the all absorbing financial
question, he writes a two-column letter
to his paper under date of June IS, but
of this great question he once so loved
to write and speak deponent saith not.
But the able editor has not been vast
ing his time during his visit to the land
of Rothschilds. On the other hand, he
has been studying the people of England
from lords to serfs, their ideas, their
laws, their life and their plans, in speak
ing Of which he says:
Every nation must be answerable for
itself and to itself. But the American
union is at length a full grown power
1t rs in reality an imperial republic, with
aspirations of its own, and becoming
very conscious of its vast resources anu
strength. 1t will no longer consent to be
nudity among the nations of the earth.
Right or wrong, it means to assert itself
in the affairs of the world, in which 1t is
so essential part, and to have it's inter-
ests and its policies respected 1t long
ago threw away the small clothes in
which its babyhood was swathed. 1t is
getting itself a complete suit of plate ar
NOR and presently it will go a-gunning.
For whom and for what? For who
ever gets in it's way and for whatever 1t
wants Recall the spontaneity of nation
al feeling that sprung to life against the
Italians after the lynching of the Malta
in New Orleans. Mark the same spon-
taneity of national feeling which an
swered the presidents Venezuela p-mes-
sage and which rings responsive to the
call of the Cubans. Take note of the
Hawaiian episode and the fate which be-
fell the conservative policy of the adj
ministration.
do these things mean nothing? They
mean everything. The jealous advocates
of self-repression may cry lingo as
much as they please, but they will not
stay the national aspiration when once
it gets a leader and has a case.
LAS much as the next man do | glory
in the glorious achievements of the An
glo-SaXon race. They are nobly visible
here on every hand. The opulence of
England is prodiglous. If I be asked
why entertaining such sentiments, L
come here again and again, / answer, be-
cause it is a great historic city, the me-
tropolis of the universe, full of interest
to me apart from the social and political
aspects that offend my repubicanism.
Like the cat in the fable, / may look at
the king; nor yet be of him or his kidney.
Individual Engishmen I may like or dis
like, as they may be engaging or other
wise Your true gentleman Is of no race
or country, creed or caste. Some of the
most agreeable and disagreeable persons
I have ever known have been of the Brit
ish peerage. When Lord Rosebery and
the Duke of Devonshire and the Marquis
of Salisbury glow about America I am
willing to have Mr. Bayard glow about
England. and not till then. Meanwhile I
would buy a muzzle for him and for the
like of him. who may come after"