THE ENGLISH SPEAKING RACES.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 122, 20 April 1897, Page 3

THE ENGLISH SPEAKING RACES.

At the banquet given in honour of Mr B;.yard by the Lord Mayor, at the Mansion House previous to the departure of the Ami assador from England, the toast of the English-speaking races was given by Lord Peel. The following is the speech by Lord Sal ; sbury in response : My Lord Mayor, your Excellencies, my Lords, and Gentlemen, 1 heartily thank you for my share in the reception which you have given to the toast which Lord Peel has proposed. At this time of the evening 1 should not venture to expatiate much upon the many thoughts which that teast surges'*. Wc u c here to express to oar distingushed guest our deep regret that hi.- term of oliiee has conic to an end. I am here to express tie admirat'on which ny (tlicial connection wi'h li'in has left upon my mind, of the deep fe-cPng t I avc of the debt which both countries owe to him for his dtep love of peace and his enlightened patriotism. We have listened with deep sympathy and emotion to his own cxin itien of the ftelings which hive guided him in accepting the ollice which ho las pei found so well. In his estimate of the p si ion ol the two countries we can a I of us hcarti y concur. I belii ve that tin re i« not—l doubt if tbi re evi r has be n—any subject which wou'd serioi.s'y separate them ; but of this I feel cci tain--t'n t it is mt in the traditions of the Gove or the tendencies of r fficial persons that the danger, if any mi h le, to good relations ex st. If you will kcop the unofficial people in order I will prourse you that the official peop'e will utv r make a war. But that brii g-i ir.c lack to the toast proposed by Lord Peel. H : s Excellency is not enly the representative cf the United Stat'B tf Anioiica, hut he is one who has done his utmost to guide and impress with high sentiments the Eng-bsh-spenk'ng people of the world, and that is no mean Held to work upon. While wars and rumours of wars arc g. ing on, while the waves are troubled up above, there is a silent process of creation going on which some day or other wi'l show itself in great continents and mountains. V\ bile we arc discussing and diplomatizing, by the steady opera* t'on if uatu til causes and the superiority of the English-speaking races, that Linguae is becoming dominant in the world. It is spreidint, not only in the United States of America one! in England, but over vast territories in Asia, Africa, and Australia ; ami • hink think well —what it means, that all those distant races of the world should speak each other's language. It is a great stumbling block and a great opportunity. If they are well guid.d it means the rule of good feeling, Christianity and pea:c. If they are not well guided it means a perpetu 1 opportunity of taking olTer.ce at each other's words and action', which adds infinitely to the danger ami difficulty of thc : r nlations with each otln r. The progress if the English - spiaking lacis is the most marvellous phenomenon of cur time. It means a grent niach'iieiy for the manufacture of the public opinion that is to guide Ihe world. As in all times, there have been two forces that have contested with each ol her the power of governing the societies of men the i ttioial, oirr,anized Government and the public opinion, by which, more or less, that oiganizcd Government has always been controlled and influened. But in our t me the organized Government is dislinctly losing force and the public opinion is distinctly gaining in power, and as that process gois on, more and more important does it become that that public opinion should be rghtly guided. Those whose voices arc heard by the English-speaking nations have a tremendi us power and bear a terrible responsibility. It is with them that the reai shaping of the future destinies of the world Pes ; and if I .'ook back with at'miration to the official life in this coun'ry of the distingu'shed Ambassador who sits here to-night, it is tot mainly though it would be greatly- for his i facial distinction and for the work he has done in bis othce ; but tu this country he has thrown himself with great zeal and power and indefatigable effort into 'he duty of presenting American and Kngiish opinion to each other, and moulding tin in in a common and a blessed lorm. In that he apt ears to me to have deserved highly not only of this country and of his own, but of Englishspeaking races a'l over the world, and not only that, but of the English-speak-ing races in the world that is to be. If there are no nun to take up the torch that he hands down, if no effort is made to present the public opin'on of the two nations to each other, to enable them to understand each other, and overcome temporary causes of offence, it may well be that a 1 the power that is given to them w 11 be given to tin in only lor their own destruction and the calamity of the wi rid, and all that force will be utilize 1 in injuring each other ; but if, on the other hand, the high standaids which he has set forth, the noble sentiments which he has impressed, the unwearying zeal for the public good which he has uniformly displayed—if tiny can impress then-selves on the public opinion of our time, then the growth of the Englishspeaking races and the vast influence which they exercise may well be a more powerful maclr'nery than has existed yet for bringing to us the reign of justice and of peace. (Loud cheers).