A Chat With President Harrison.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 426, 7 December 1889, Page 3

A Chat With President Harrison.

SiuEuwiy-AujvOLDjin a tetter printed in the • Pa.ily Telegraph/ givos an account, of an interview he had with. President Harrison", at tho'-'W hit/6 Houi*o; c Washington. He ■ says : — President Harrison" was 'sitting InRebate with certain of his .Ministers. On receiving my card ho -did.* me the signal honour to receive me ac once in the inner Council Chamber. Uising from a group of Secretaries of State, comprising Mr Noble, Mr Moiton, and others, the President approached with a cordial welcome to Washington on his lips — a courteous, kindly, shrewd, and business-stamped gentleman, of middle height 01 le.-*s, with light hair, beginning to ' catch tho snow,' simple in style as were his surroundings. After some very friendly words our dialogue took some such sh,(Vpe as this ; 'You are pleased, I hope, with the States?' • ' Who could fail to be pleased, Mr President, having eyes to sec and mind to appreciate ? Any reasonable Englishman must be proud and glad, I think, ,to be able to wander over so splendid a country, and ne,ver feel himself otherwise than at home in this your Transatlantic England.' * We know you have always been and are a true friend to America.' 4 1 consider m.yself half an American. My children hear the American name of "Emerson" an,d,' "Charming ;" , my late wife was an American. 1 represent in a very humbley>vay the bond of common blood and language which 1 hope will' gi'ow evor stronger and closer between the countries.' • We hope that, too, most sincerely ; and my son, who has just returned from England, assures me that good will and good wishes towards America are more and more felt in England.' 4 1 venture bo cay, sir, that that is so. A constantly increasing number oi Englishmen—and I trust and believe of Americans also — ardently hope that no question will ever ajrain arise between us which cannot and will no', be settled, by Reason, and by Right, tho on^y proper arbiters between two such, iTiep,p,les.' ' That ougufc to he so,, and will be so, if wo make proper WUtuaJ allowance* for each other, \Ybat has impressed you chietly in youy journeys here?' , < The magnificent distance. Mr President !

I see a large terrestrial globe standing by your choir. Ib makes me think rather ruefully of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes'e line, when he describes the Western giant as ' Twirling the spotted globe to flnd us.' ♦Ah ! we do not measure Great "Britain by her acres ! She also is so large^that we never could have remained' under one Government even if the war of independence had not happened.' „ f ' Yes ! Still it is sad to think" that "that stupid affair of the Boston Tea Chests was caused by a majority of a single vote in the House of Commons.' ' W oil, if we had remained one people geographically, you would have had to be governed fiom Washington, perhaps-; as wo are preponderant in numbers and area.' ♦As to that, eir, jou must put Canada and our colonies in the scale, and India. Ho.vever, I hope that together Undand and America will some day dictate peace, in tho interests of universal h'umntiity, to the world, and that the language ofSh&k'epeie will become tbat of the globe.' ' ■ President Ilai.rJsoHL .smiled, and said gently ho hoped such a clay would arrive ; and, after some further general remarks, the pleasant interview terminated. '