Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-07-17

Correspondence Associated Press.
London, July 16.-One of the most
noteworthy English comments upon
American policies among those which
have been called forth by the war be-
tween Spain and the United States was
the speech delivered by Right Hon.
James Bryce, member of Parliament
for Aberdeen, south division, at the
dinner Of the American Society on the
Fourth OF July. No other Engiishman
has made so careful study of Ameri-
can affairs as the author of The
American Commonwealth and the
opinion of no other has greater in
terest. The Associated Press has Sc
cured 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 English
men as well as to Americans. 1t is
by us a day both of regret and of re-
joicing, 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 I'M
happy errors which brought that sever
ance about, and the unhappy strife by
which the memory of it was embit-
tered. But it is also day of rejoic-
ing, for it is the birthday of the eldest
daughter of England, the day when a
new nation sprung from our own, first
took its independent place in the
world. And now, with the progress
of time, rejoicing has prevailed over re-
greet, and we in England can at length
join heartily with you in celebrating
the beginning of your national life.
The presence of so many Englishmen
among you tonight, indeed the very
aspect of our great London thorough
fares, bedecked from end to end by
your national ensign, show how COM
pletely all sense Of bitterness has
passed away and been replaced by
sympathy with all which this anne
versary means to an American heart.
Yet it is not only the lapse of time that
has
WORKED THIS HAPPY CHANGE.
England and America now understand
one another better than they ever did
before In 1776 there was on one size
monarch and small ruling caste,
government can no longer misrepre-
sent the nation, and across the ocean
a people speaks to a people. The At
latte Is ten times narrower now thar
it was then, the passage of men to and
fro has increased thousand fold; and.
through the personal knowledge of
Americans by Englishmen and of Eng
llshmen by Americans, there has been
laid the best foundation 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 ever the
world the interests of America and
of England are substantially the same,
and in the recognition of this fact, we
see solid basis for a permanent CO.
operation. There is also another
change that has powerfully worked for
good on the relations of the peoples.
A distinguished statesman has recent
ly said that the powers of the world
may be divided into those that are
living and those that are dying. The
United States and Britain are among
the living powers. Those powers are
now few in number. They are grow
ing stronger. while the others grow
always weaker. They are imposing
their languages and their types of civ
ilization 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 COM
mon to you Americans and TO us Eng
lishmen. We speak the same tongue,
we enjoy and are instructed by the
same literature, we live under laws
which are in their origin and are still
largely the same, and we have created
institutions essentially simihr in
SPIRIT AND CHARACTER,
though differing in minor details, just as
the colors in these two flags which
see intertwined at the end Of this hall
arrangement in lines and stars is differ
emit This sense of our underlying unity
over against the other races and forms OF
civilization in the world has been po-
tent force in drawing US together; and it's
potency is shown by this, that it is
work all over the English speaking 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 dur
ing those last fatefuI months: and their
hearts, like ours in England, thrill at the
record Of the exploits Of your soldiers
and sailors, Of the herossm and devotion
which the children Of America have been
displaying, with a pride and delight
which no Ike feats done by men OF an
other speech and blood could inspire.
The thought of these exploits suggests
one more reflection. Your ambassador,
in the singularly graceful as well as eIo-
quent speech 10 which we listened with
so much pleasure, said that this Fourth
of July Is day Of happy augury for man
kind II has been said tonight that she
stands at the parting Of the ways She
may. il she WILL become great conquer
ing power, ruling over subject races She
may civilize lands hitherto left TO saw
agery. Whether she will do well to enter
on this new path IL IS not f. rus here to
say. But whether she does enter IL or
not, her highest claim 10 the admiration
and gratitude OF mankind will continue
to be this that she was the first country
10 try the great experiment Of popular
government, and that she has gone on
trying It upon the grandest scale. Upon
the success OF that experiment, upon the
peaceful and orderly development OF
her DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS
the futute of the world very largely de-
ponds. 1any nations have had a car eer
OF corc&est and OF ctviiizing dominion