Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1898-05-24
MAYLEADTHEWORLD
FUTURE OF AMERICA AS PREDICTED
BY GLADSTONE.

W. T. ste.d's EIacidasion of the Grea
Commoner's Views on Our Lands Coming
Power-A Union Of Territory. Popala
ton and Power beyond All Prec~a~.t
He who. since the death of Abraham
Lincoln, has been the foremost and
greatest Of all English speaking mer
passed away when the late Mr. Glad
stone died
OF all who speak the English tongue
none ever ignored more absolutely the
distinctions which divide the men OF
our common race into different states.
1t was indeed often brought against him
as a reproach that he was absolutely
devoid of that insular parochialism
which confounds the patriotic devotion
due To the English speaking race with
the mere jealous self assertiyeness Of a
particular state. OF the sentiment which
regards the English speakers living in
the British colonies as altogether sepa-
rate and distinct from those who inhab-
it the United States-which is one OF
the distinctive traits OF the latter day
imperialist-Mr. Gladst me showed no
trace.
No British statesman ever recognized
so ungrudgingly the splendor of Amer
lea s promise or hailed in advance with
such cordial welcome the prospect of
her future ascendency. Like John the
Baptist, when he said, He must in
crease and / must decrease, Mr.. Glad
stone contemplated the inheritance by
the United States of the pre-eminent po-
sition So long held by the United King
dom without a grudge or regret. The
commercial primacy of his own country,
he held, could be seriously challenged
by no rival except it be America I"
That she had not already outstripped
England in the race he attributed to her
reliance upon the cramping swaddling
clothes of protection. The day when the
United States frankly adopted with a
resolution steadily to maintain system
of free trade would, he always declared,
date the beginning of the end of British
supremacy III the markets of the world
America, he wrote in the early nine
ties, will then probably take the place
which at present belongs TO us, but he
added with generous confidence: "She
will not injure US by the operation. On
the contrary, she will do us good.
The frank recognition of the greatness
and probable ascendency of the United
States was coupled with no misgivings
as to the future of his own country 1
once ventured TO demonstrate with him
for the severity with which he abstain
ed from all appeals to national or i'm
perial pride He replied good humored-
ly that one had to be careful in praising
a son if he seemed to be somewhat for
ward and too self complacent-praise
may be allowed as treat, it ought not
to be his daily bread. But he went ON
to say: Il fully recognize that we have
a great mission. The work of England
has been great i'll the past, but it will
be still greater in the future. This is
true, l believe, in the broadcast sense of
the English speaking world l believe
this is also true of England herself. L
think that the part which England has
to play and the ip{3psassu OF ERGlaQa ia
= &Ese a. N 10 tliz[n she nlls ever Dsstff
Great as England will be and vast as
will be her influence, Mr.. Gladstone De-
lieyed that the greatness ana ihhueIce
IF the United States would be vaster
still In one of his frequent contrlbu-
tions to periodical literature Mr.. Giao-
stone touched upon what he called tine
paramount question of the future OF
America. He spoke i'll almost prophet1c
tone upon the magnitude of the influence
which America must one day exercise
and dwelling, as his manner was, upon
the immensely of the moral responslpli-
;tv which would be borne by the cit-
izens of the United States The passage
is so remarkable that l venture TO quote
it as the one paramount question: .
use his own phrase. which, even IRON
his bier, Mr. Gladstone would address
70 the American public Speaking O
the spectacle which America offered Y
the world. Mr.. Gladstone said:
.There is union of territory, popn
lation, power, passing beyond all experl
moo Together with and behind thes
vast developments there will come
corresponding opportunity OF social an
| moral influence to be exercised over tn
| rest of the world. What will be tn
| value of that influence? viii 1t max
| ms the children of the senior races, WI
will have to come under the Inhuenc'
better or worse? Not what manner
nroducer. but what manner OF man
the American of the future TO be! do
| will the majestic figure about to becon
| the largest and most powerful ON q
stage of the world make use of his po>
| er9',-William 7. Stead in New fol
/