St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-02-21
Abuse of England.

It US, and saved us possible embarras
ment. Abuse of the same intensity
now flung at Der. The South Africa
question is the prime cause. Son
) Americans are taking a hand in it,
: matter in our opinion both untimel
. and unwarranted. Let us see il it
not so.
Spanish ships long ago, controlle
the seas, Spain knew thing or two
she reckoned, about government b
divine right. She also had som
notions about government by inqu
sition. England had objections t,
Spanish ideas planted in that way
just as we, few months ago, hat
kindred objections about Spanisl
methods in Cuba. England also il
those days had a few remnants o
medi9valism. She has got rid O
many of them since; however, she
chose to beat off Spain, and cleaned
the seas in course of time of nine hun
dred Spanish ships. Colonization OF
North America by an English speak
ing race became possible. After that,
there was another trial of strength,
this time with France, for the con-
troll of the same territory. That issue
was decided upon the memorable
plain at Quebec.
In 1903 the great domain beyond
the Mississippi was controlled by
France. Napoleon, hard pressed by
England, had need ofmoney. Heknew
hecould not keepthe territory. Eng
land was master Of the sea, he wise
ly sold out to us, and we as wisely
Now every one ought to
have lively sense of the fact that,
in these three instances, an English
speaking race is UNNECESSARILY in
debted to England's policy in foreign
matters for the permanent establish
meut on this continent ofAnglo-Saxon
methods Of government. But, some
people will retort, we Americans
have had differences with England;
so we have, and we have had differ
ences among ourselves, as long and
bloody civil war sufficiently proves.
But what of it Must settled ques-
tons go on vexing US forever? Un-
doubtedly America stands as many
of us think for the largest measure
of civil rights consistent with the
safety of the state, ever offered the
human race. So does England, both
at home and in her colonies. In the
oroadest sense the principle of local
self government is carried to a higher
blame and to greater success under
English and American control than
lnder any other control whatever.
f this be admitted it follows that
he ultimate purposes of England |
and America are identical. The ques.
ion then becomes an ideal one, and |
t is highly important for us to FORM
1late another. In this, England and
America must stand or fall together.
There can be no alternative. The all
question then becomes,
shall the Anglo-Saxon ideal of gov
,rnment prevail over an ever increas-
ng portion of this world, or shall
we be Indifferent about it, and let the
Did discredited ways persist?
Shameful, intolerant methods of
government have been so common in
his world, it is highly proper to in.
ute Americans to suspend immediate
Judgment about England. They
ought to examine her governmental
methods dispassionately. 1t may be
they will learn she is a better neigh.
Dor than they think; that she has
done for the whole world some ex-
cellent policy work; that she has
swept the seas of pirates, girded the
world with telegraph lines, destroy.
ed or minimized the slave trade,
threaded new lands with railroads,
and made broad paths in the forests,
so that the sunlight of an advanced
civilization has fallen upon heather
peoples. Her ships have gone to all
seas; and the traveller, of whatever
nationality, may serenely fare on
protected by the flag of a great
people which in more senses than
one, though called an empire, is
to-day as much United States as
our own. 1t is the thing, the &C.
complished fact that should claim
our intelligent inquiry, not the name.
1t has been our lot, in this favored
land, to have some discreditable
political growths of our own. We
called ourselves a republic; but the