The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17
OUR BRITISH FRIENDS
WHY ENGLISHMEN ARE IN SYMPA-
THY WITH THE UNITED STATES.
Notable Fourth of July Speech by the
Right Hon. james Bryce, Author of
the "American Commonwealth
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

l.
worthy English comments on American pol
icies among those which have been called
forth by the war between Spain and the
United States was the speech delivered by
the Rt. Hon. James Bryce, member of Par
lament for Aberdeen, South division, at the
dinner of the American Society on the
Fourth of July. No other Englishman has
made SO careful study of American affairs
as the author of The American Common
wealth." and the opinion of no other has
greater interest The Associated Press has
secured the full text of the speech, which
was summarized in the cable report of the
dinner. and presents it herewith:
This is memorable day to Englishmen,
as well as to Americans: 1t is to US day
| of both regret and of rejoicing, of regret at
the severance of the political connection
which bound the two branches of one race
together, and of regret even more for the
unhappy errors which brought that sever
ance about and the unhappy strife by which
the memory of 1t was embittered. But, 1t
is also a day of rejoicing, for it is the birth
day of the eldest daughter of England, the
day when new natIon-Sprung from our
own-first took its independence in the
world. And now with the progress of time,
rejoicing has prevailed over regret and we,
in England, can at length join heartily with
you in celebrating the beginning OF your
national life. The presence of so many Eng
lishmen among you tonight; indeed, the
very aspect of our great London thorough
national ensign, show how completely all
sense of bitterness has passed away and
been replaced by sympathy with all which
this anniversary means to an American
hea aTa. :. - not or,, tho ,ansa of time +ba+
has worked this happy change. England
and America now understand one another
far better than they ever did before. In 1776
there was on one side monarch and
small ruling caste, on the other side a peo
pie. Now our government can no longer
misrepresent the nation, and across the
ocean people speaks to a people. The At
lantic is ten times narrower now than it
was then, the passage of men to and fro
mas increased thousand 1oio, ana, tnrougn
Englishmen and of Englishmen by Amer
leans, there has been laid the best founda-
ton for good will and mutual understanding
between the nations. We have both come,
and that most notably within the last few
months. to perceive that all over the world
the interests of America and of England
are substantially the same, and in the rec
ognition of this fact we solid basis for
There is also another change that has
powerfully worked for good on the relations
of our people. A distinguished statesman
has recently said that the powers of the
world may be divided into those that are
living and those that are dying. The United
States and Great Britain are among the iiv
ing powers. These powers are now few in
number. They are growing stronger while
the others grow always weaker. Ihey are
imposing their languages and their types
of civilization upon the world. The types
that seem destined to survive and maintain
their rivalry are now very few: One OF
them is represented by two nations. 1t is
that which is common to you Americans
and to us Englshmen. We speak the same
tongue: we enjoy and are instructed by the
same literature we live under laws which
were in their origin and are still largely the
same, and we have created institutions es-
sentially similar in spirit and character,
though differing in minor details, just as
the coors in those two flags which L see
at the END 6 or tnrS ns the
lines and stars is different This sense of
our underlying unity over against the other
races and forms of civilization in the world
has been a potent force in drawing us to-
gether, and its potency is shown by these,
that it is at work all over the English-speak-
ing world.
"Our colonists in Canada and Australia
and South Africa have been following with
the keenest interest and sympathy all the
events that have affected you during those
last fateful months, and their hearts, like
ours in England, thrill at the record of the
exploits of your sailors and soldiers, OF the
herosm and devotion which the children
of America have been displaying, with
pride and delight which no like feats done
by men of another speech and blood could
inspire.
one more reflection. Your ambassador, in
the singularly graceful as well as eloquent
speech to which we listened with so much
pleasure. said that this Fourth of July is
day of happy augury for mankind. That
is true, and why is it true? Because, on
that day America entered on a course and
proclaimed principles of government which
have been of profound Slgnlncance for man.
kind. 1t has been SAID tonight that she
stands at the parting of the ways. She
may, if she will. become great conQuering
power, runng over subject races. She may
civilize lands hitherto left to savagery.
Whether she will do well to enter this
new path it is not for us here to say. But
whether she does enter ii or not, her high
est claim to the admiration and gratitude
Of mankind will continue to be this: that
she was the first country to try the great
experiment of popular government and that
she has gone on trying it upon the grand
est scale. Upon the success of that expert
ment upon the peaceful and orderly devel-
opment of her democratic institutions, the
future of the world very largely depends.
Many nations have had a career of con-
quest and of civilizing dominion. But to
make an immense people prosperous. happy
and free is a nobler and grander achieve
ment than the most brilliant conquests and
the widest dominion So we here, who hold
ourselves the debtors as we'll as the friends
of America hope and trust that whatever
else she undertakes, nothing will be suf-
did task in her own ample continent Those
In every country who love humanity and
its progress watch with the warmest and
most watchful sympathy her efforts in that
t;tk. and rejoice in the prosperity of her
people But none can feel a sympathy so
deep and true as we in England, whose
pride ii is that you come from the same
stock and that we cherish the same ideals
and are swayed by the same traditions;
that you and we have been fellow-workers
foremost among the nations in spreading
freedom and enlightenment throughout the
world"