THE REAL CONTEST WITH AMERICA.
IT is but a few weeks since we have had a report of " another difficulty" with the United States, accompanied by all kinds of gloomy anticipations; and even hints of some breach of friend- ship between the countries. There is no chance of such a thing. The Governments of both countries know their duty. In these days men who are called to the administration, of England and America alike, are gentlemen and men of the world, who know the people with whom they have to deal, the interests which are influenced by their conduct, and the responsibilities imposed upon them ; and as those gentlemen are far less likely to think of any mere injury to themselves personally, than of the mischief or the good which they may do to their countrymen, so the cost of the war in the shape of taxes imposed upon the public would be the smallest part of the mischief. We should have to make up our millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions, without in any manner approaching the fearful sum total of loss occasioned by the break up of trade in New York and Liverpool, in New York State, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts,—in Lancashire, North Cheshire, and Middlesex,—throughout the Union—throughout the United Kingdom. But even that would be far less than the fearful evil inflicted upon the world. How many families in both lands are united with others across the Atlantic, by the ties of affection ; all of which would have to be torn asunder. It was felt in the first war, but the ties have so multiplied since that time that the two communities have become veritably reunited. And yet again, even the evil inflicted upon so many living mil- lions would be small compared to the unmeasured mischief in- flicted upon mankind by the antagonism of those two branches of
the Anglo-Saxon family, which can do so much for the future of the world by a generous rivalry and enlightened combination. These truths are so plain that, whether consciously or un- consciously, they influence the action of statesmen, who know that they are acting for the two commonwealths ; and hence, we say, there is no chance that a statesman, on either side, would commit the crime.
Indeed so far from any severance between the two countries, there is at the present moment a constant increase of new re- lations of a positive kind and of the most friendly character. We may see it in matters of the most important, and the most trifling,—from the union in search of knowledge and of our fellow countrymen in the Artie expeditions, to the generous temper with which our American friends consent to contend with us on the race-course and the cricket-ground, without so much as throwing in our teeth many another match in which they could beat us hollow,—as any Yankee inspecting the drill and practice of our rifle corps at present must have thought. Besides these obvious instances, events but little known to the public are almost daily occurring which exercise a powerful in- fluence in strengthening the bonds of individual friendship be- tween the two countries. We speak from direct personal know- ledge of transactions in Washington, when we say that within the present year not less than eleven British naval officers and mer- chant captains have received. testimonials in some form or other from the President of the United States, sent in acknowledgment of services rendered to distressed Americans at sea.
A handsome gold chronometer appropriately inscribed together with a gold chain was presented by the President, in February last, to Captain Charles Robertson, of the British ship Sir John Moore, for rescuing sixteen seamen and thirty-five passengers from the wreck of the American ship May Queen on the 1st of September, 1858.
A similar chronometer and chain were presented in June last to Captain Hodgson, of the British brig Antigua Packet, for res- cuing the crew and passengers of the American ship St. Peters- burgh from their sinking ship in October, 1858. In the same month a gold medal with a neat inscription was presented to Cap- tain C. Matthews, of the British ship Admiral, for rescuing the crew and passengers of the ship A. Z., of New -York, at sea, on the 5th October, 1858.
In July of the present year a gold chronometer and chain were sent to Captain Straker, of the British barque Constellation, for rescuing from the wreck of the American three-masted schooner Gulf-Stream in December, 1858, the Captain and crew of that vessel.
During the month of September a gold chronometer and chain were presented respectively from the same high functionary to Captain Robert Waite, of the British ship Retriever, for rescuing the crew of the American ship Sarah Minot, destroyed by fire at sea on the 29th June of this year ; and to Captain Peter Conrad Petrie, of the screw steamer City of Washington, for the same service to the Captain and crew of the American ship Grey Oak, by taking them from their boats after their ship had foundered. in the month of March last.
The President has also lately presented a truly valuable Sword. of Honour to Lieutenant J. Jenkins, of H.M. gun-boat Banterer, for rescuing certain American citizens and their property from Chinese pirates in the river Min, in December 1858. A gold chronometer and chain have been presented to Captain William Williams, of the British barque Imogene, for rescuing the crew of the American ship Fleetwood, lost in the South Atlantic in May last. In February last the President's thanks were transmitted to the officers of her Majesty's vessels Kite and Jaseur at Bermuda, for their alacrity in searching for the American barque Parthian in November 1858, at which time she was reported. to be in dis- tress off that island.
At the same time, the President's acknowledgments were made to the officers of her Majesty's ships Semarang and Vulture, for service rendered to the American barque Sea Breeze, at Gibraltar, in October, 1858.
Since that a similar compliment has been paid to Captain Hand, of the Royal Navy, for detailing Lieutenant J. Jenkins with the Banter against the Min pirates. Although not strictly from the United States Government, the forty-one gold medals recently presented by the Chamber of Com- merce and citizens of New York to the officers engaged. in laying the Atlantic cable are not to be omitted form this list. They, like the gifts from the President, will prove heir-looms in the families of the recipients, and will aid in creating ties which the quarrels of politicians will fail to break. Now each of these instances tells doubly ; for let us remember that every gift in the list is a return for English services,—Eng- lish services of such a kind as to challenge attention and public recognition from the chief of a great State. But he who serves is bound to those whom he has served. This generous rivalry is the contest which is really going on—may it never leave off!
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