The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-07
No IIl-MiII for
British KinSmen
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
CD HE LONDON TIMES, in its COM
prehensive review of the events CT
the year past, epitomizes the in
ternal history of the United States
in the manner following: '"rhe
passage of the Dingley Tariff bill. the tri-
umph of Tammany Hall and the steady
growth of a desire for a strong navy. The
latter agitation finds its excuse in Cuba
and Hawaii, but the more vehement i'd
vocates of the new policy make no secret
that it is against England and not Soain
or Japan that the main effort is to he di-
rected" During recent years, though
often bluntly and brusquely critical of
American men and affairs, the Times has
exhibited no radically unfriendly feeling
toward us; that great exponent CT British
policy and sentiment has, upon occasions,
actually evinced "a DISPOSITION, after a
somewhat clumsy fashion, to be concilla-
tory, If not cordial, in its treatment of
this country, its people and their policies.
The suggestion of the Times that the
American desire for n strong navy is in
spired by antagOnistic feeling for Eng
land, and that our iron-clad fleets, when
achieved, are to be used, not against
Spain or Japan, but against that coun-
try, is about as wrong as the wrongest-
headed Engilshman's suspicion could well
be.
Common sensible, wellinformcd Ameri-
cans will regret to perceive that any
such idea haunts the British mind. All
such Americans know that ii IS an un-
founded suspicion, and vet they will
readily understand that ii is one which is
not unnaturally entertained Dy English
men. Americans may be justified in look
ing askance at England without going
back to find cause enough for distrust
or for possible dislike of her, in the
l.c 10 rot of I'm hA
OF 1912, or in the prolonged struggle for
the preservation of the Union. Genera
tion after generation, and stlll another
generation, have come and gone since
1I76. and even the memories oe the raa-
terial aid and sympathy which England
freely gave to our enemies in lSG1-lS65 are
dim enough in the minds Of the present
generation. We have let pass our old
quarrels with England, and we have not
harbored angry recollections OF the sorry
part that "our kin across the sea- led by
no less redOubtable Englishmcn then
Palmerston and Gladstone, played against
us when the stake for which We con-
! tended was the enormous one of the ma
| TONS life.
1t cannot be said that American memo
| ries are tenacious of wrongs done by
| England; that Americans are resentful,
| or hunger and thirst for revenge, or de-
|
| their British kin. They have not cher
| ished the many causes of quarrel which
| England has given them; they have been
not only patient and forbearing regarding
| them, but they have commonly forgotten
or generously ignored them. We 40 not
| desire ships of war to put I'm array
| against British navy. We want no
armed contention with England. We
want only peace, good will, and Justice
| so far as she is concerned. At present
| the United States has no quarrel with
England. The Venezuela affair was the
| last danger signal of possible or probable
strife and that passed when Lord Sails
| bury conceded the integrity of the
| American claim for the recognition by
| England of our unalterable national faith
the inviolability of the Monroe doctrine.
! Friction there has undoubtedly been
| during recent years between England and
| theUnlted States and sometimes it has
been serious but 1t was caused by Cana
| dian rather than by English aggression.
| There has been little or no menace of war
| In 1t. Arbitration has been all sufficient
| TO remove that danger, but II would be 8
| foolish as insincere to say that latterly
| American sentiment for England has been
| as cordial as II should he. That IL has
been, and that it now is, otherwise is
due, however I'm its origin TO the un-
friendly and unneighborly conduct of
Canada, and later to England's unfailing
| support of her colony Canada has been
| offensive and aggressive in its American
policy, and England has approved of
whatever and all that the Dominion has
either said or done to give offence or be-
get strife.
There are many reasons why the