Evening journal., 1898-04-25
LETTERS FROM The PEOPLE
ANGLoMANIACs UNMAsKED

To the Editor of the Evening Journal.
Sir: will be remembered thatwhen the
question of an arbitration treaty with
England was first brOached Anglomani-
acs were quite indignant at the sug
gestion that the treaty was intended to
pave the way for an alliance which il
was hoped would eventually bring
about that union of all English-speak
ing people" so dear to the denatiOnal-
lied Americans known as Anglomani-
acs. This pretended indignation is no
longer manifested. The Anglomaniacs
have thrown off the mask and are
openly advocating an alliance with the
Mother Country" on the grounds that
our trouble with Spain demands that
we should strengthen ourselves by cb-
tanning the cooperation of the greatest
naval power of the world. In other
words, they assert that we cannot fight
our battles alone and must have Eng
lands assistance. Such is the humiliat-
ing confession the Anglomaniacs would
have us subscribe to. In this, as in all
their other professions, they are in
sincere. They have not so much an
eye to the advantage of the land Of
their birth as they have to the inter-
ests of the land of their love. 1T is Of
England, not Of America, they are
thinking when they urge an alliance
They would have us back up England
in the difficulties she has become in
volved in the far East. Because we are
a powerful nation in spite Of all that
England did in the war of the revOlu-
tion, in the war Of 1912, and in the late
civil war to impede our progress, we,
in the opinion Of these AnglOmaniacs,
should join hands with England to
help safeguard her imperilled interests.
1t was just about this time of the year
in 1861 that the nation was stirred to
its depths by the firing upon Fort
Sumter IL was a time when sym
pathy OF any kind would have been ac-
ceptable to the American people. How
did England act on that occasion? It
will be remembered that in '61 there
was no cable communication with Eu-
rope and consequently the news of the
first overt act OF war did not reach
London until ten or twelve days after
the capture OF Fort Sumter, in the lat
ter part Of April. On May 8 Lord Pal
merston moved a resolution in favor OF
1 recognizing the belligerency Of the
Southern States, and on May l3 procla-
nation was issued recognizing the bel
ligerency. What made the indeceney
! of this haste more glowing was the
! fact that Charles Francis Adams, ou1
new,y-appointed minister to England
was On the ocean when the proclama-
! ticn was issued. England refused us
! the scant courtesy OF waiting to near
| what our official representative had tc
I say before she accorded the right oi
| belHgerency to the Southern States
I 81. % fu hw
motives. First. she wished to feed fat
her ancient grudge against us. Sec
| ond she saw a chance of striking a
fatal blow at American shipping which
had become a dangerous rival to heI
own. It was these twin motives that
made England gleefully accord ibellig-
erent rights to the South. There was
then no talk Of sympathy or Of friend
ship No poet laureate nor rhyming
Imember Of Parliament sent expressions
of goodwill across the Atlantic. We
| were in every way reminded that oul
ancient and inveterate enemy rejOicet
over the perils American institutions
were exposed to. To-day the anglo
maniacs would have us forget all this
and make an alliance with England
| which would help save her from the
dangers threatening her. AS it was
a selfish regard for her own interests
that prompted her in 81 to rejoice ovei
our misfOrtunes, so it is a selfish re-
gard for these self same interests tha
induces her now to profess friendship
| with the Interior object of profitini
by an exhibition Of her goodwill in '9'
as she profited by a display Of her opeI
| enmity in 1861. I remain,
Yours. etc, CLIO.
Wilmington. April %, 1S9S