COMMENT ON THE LATE FIGHT.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 289, 27 July 1860, Page 3

COMMENT ON THE LATE FIGHT.

This straggle, then, brought face to face the old world and the new—Old England and Young America. The American giant is tall and strong, like the trees of the New World; his frame is in proportion to the forests, the lakes, and the rivers of America; he reminds us of primaeval nature, of the men who measured seven cubits in height, as in the early ages of the world. Face to face with him we have seen the Old World tke product of the ages that have passed awa y —the highest expression and product of civilisation—the creature of art. And yet, after all, these two athletes are of the same blood, sprang from the same stock. It was England in its youth and England in its manhood, but the race was the same. These two men were rivals, but they could not be enemies. They might accost each other, as the Homeric heroes were wont to accost each other, and to engage as they did, in single combat. But woe to the stranger who should nieddle with them, for surely in such a case would their united strength be turned against the meddler ? The Englishman, looking at the American as he recoiled from his blows, could not but think with pride, " It is I who have done this thing;" and yet he was also proud of the blows he received from the giant of the New World, for therein he could not fail to recognise the vigour of the race. What we wish to point out is, the Englishman in this struggle appears as the faithful type of his nation. What are the attributes of the English race? What but endurance, patience, and energy, ever latent, bat always fierce, and

that never knows defeat—an obstinacy that will not be conquered, and a secret oath to die rather than yield ? Even in the story of this fight we find one and all of those attributes. Even at the risk of offending the delicate tastes of our readers, we will say that in the sternly obstinate and inflexible resolution with which the Englishman, apparently unconscious of the pain in his right arm, supported with one arm only, and that the left, the shock of the terrific avalanche which fell upon him, is, in our eyes, the triumph of moral force, and a miraculous exhibition of will. Five-and-twenty times was he flung upon the sward, and five-and-twenty times he rose again, the living image of England in the field of battle. History tells us that Englishmen are always beaten in the first campaign; like all men of strong character they gather force from misfortune. It seems that like Anteus, they must kiss the earth before they know their strength, for arter a series of defeats we find them ever masters of the field of battle. If they are not thoroughly beaten at first, their destruction will be a work of time. — -•-■* i But there is still another'reaaori which has made us allude to this singular fitrht. We mean the profound and universal and ardent interest which it has arousal in England, and which seems to us to have political significance. During the last three years and a half volunteer rifle corps have been formed in England, aid the newlyawakened popular interest in the recent fight is intimately connected with thy prevalent idea among Englishmen ot the necessity of taking measures for the defence of their territory. Several of the French newspapers, in speaking of this fight, have only seen in it a rude and disgusting exhibition. For ourselves we recognise the play of animal instinct, but think that there is something else to which attention should be paid. The first defence of England consists in her wooden walls; but her second line of defence consists in the broad chests and formidable arms which play their part in contests like that which we have described. England sees in them a provision for the defence of the country. Such, it seems to us, is the moral of this fight—such the explanation of the interest it has excited in every class of English society—and such is our excuse for having occupied the attention ot our readers with a description of it.— Debate.