The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-31
CYNICS ALWAYS WRONG
MIR. BALFOUR DISPELS THE FEARS
OF SOME FOREIGN CRITICS.
He Thinks the Friendly Relations
America VIII Not be Rupturcd.

LONDON, Jan. 30-Right Hon. Arthur
James Balfour, first lord of the treasury and
leader of the ministerialists in the House
of Commons, delivered his annual address
this evening to his constituents at Man
chester. After speaking of the intrinsic
difficulty which continental nations find in
understanding Great Britain's aims" he
continued as follows: But there is sure
one great country which, by community of
language, religion, blood, origin and even
institutions, is we'll fitted to understand us
and a country which we should be well
fitted to understand Need 1 say that the
country to which 1 refer is the United
States? Some foreign critics, cynical by
profession and training, hold the view that
the friendship now happily existing between
the English-speaking people on both sides of
the Atlantic is but the growth of the mo-
ment, and depends on a transitory COM
munity of interests. They affect to believe
that when this disappears friendship will
also disappear They hold that If British
trade should feel injured by some incon-
venient tariff, Immediately the sentiments
so generally felt at this moment in Great
Britain towards America would vanish like
the leaves in autumn.
According to my observations" contin-
ued Mr. Balfour, 1.-The world of cynics is al
ways wrong. / believe the cynics wrong in
this case. If our good relations really de-
pended these fortuitous circumstances,
while the latter might be the foundation of
ar alliance, they could not be the founda-
ton of what is infinitely more important
OF that species of friendship which, in season
and out of season, through good report or
Ill, is not shaken by mere personal circum-
stances It was in this hall in 1896 that
first spoke of the international relations be-
tween the United States and England-in
those dark DAVIS of the V1npZnqlan COntrO-
versy, when public feeling in America had
been aroused by the wholly unfounded sus-
picion that we had some designs of empire
in South America, and when, by natural
reaction, we felt that our brethren on the
other side of the water had neither judged
nor treated us with knowledge of fairness.
l then expressed .cly firm faith that the time
would come when all speaking the English
language and sharing the Anglo-Saxon CIV
iliZation would be united with a sympathy
which no mere political divergence could
permanently disturb.
Il felt then, though / spoke my Utmost
convictions, that must impress my hearers
as something of a dreamer and an idealSt,
or as prophet, only hoping for what he
nlmSelI can hardly expect to see realized.
But the three years that have elapsed since
have wrought a marvellous change in the
lat1onS between the two cOuntrfes-a change
winch L believe is not destined to be re-
Versed, change which has brought back
these two great communities to their normal
relations, disturbed as those normal rela-
tons We're by more than century of I'M
happy discord a change which once made
is a change that ought to be permanent,
for Ii is founded, as ] hope, upon mutual
sympathy, mutual comprehension and the
mutual belief that each great AMI free COM
munity desires to see the privileges II en-
joys extended far and wide to all continents
and among all nations. And, if l am right
and that common sympathy can be implant-
ed deep in the breasts of these two great ma
tions, there cannot be greater guarantee
for future peace. freedom, progress and civil
lization, not only of this or that country
or community alone. but of the whole hui
man race