The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

FROM THE NEW-YORK AMERICAN.

MR. JEFFREY.

At the late anniversary dinner of the Fox Club in Edinburgh, the following toast and prefatory remarks were given by Mr. Jeffrey:—We publish them, not because we feel particularly flattered by the praise of any foreigner, however distinguished he may be, but to remove the erroneous impressions respecting the opinions of this country, entertained by the celebrated conductor of the Edinburgh Review :

"Mr. Jeffrey observed that they had already remembered the friends of liberty, and of those principles which they were then assembled to commemorate, in other portions of the empire, and they had, with due honours, drunk the healths of the Whigs of England, and of Ireland; but it occurred to him that there was another division of those persons, not much more remotely allied in point of consanguinity, nor much further, removed, he trusted, in point of friendship and affection, who ought not, upon such an occasion, to be forgotten. He alluded to the freemen of the United States of America—men derived from British blood: who inherited from us the genuine spirit of British liberty, and who administer the British Constitution and embody its principles in other forms, but who, in point of fact and in substance, had derived their principles, from the same source with our own.- They had accommodated these principles to forms of administration, and engrafted them on Constitutions probably better suited to their condition than any other; while we preferred the old fashion of our government, and adhered to those forms and practices to which all our habits and associations had been adapted. But though there were no doubt considerable differences in the forms of their Constitution, the identity of its principles, and the effects of these principles, hold out in every point the strongest claims on our sympathy and affection. The United States of America are assimilated to England in all the substantial and characteristick qualities of free government. They have submitted their concerns to the same representative government, and to the same code of laws; and they have also that blessed institution of TRIAL BY JURY, which has never been naturalized in any other community but this, and is altogether of British growth. Like us, they are distinguished by their pre-eminence in all the arts of peace— like us, distinguished by the spirit of commercial and maritime enterprise—and, like us, by the practice of such meetings as are here assembled in which every patriotick feeling is warmed, and the spirit of the people is excited, without danger, and without fear of tumult or disorder, upon all those subjects that come to be discussed In the hall of their Representatives, Considered under this aspect, it seemed not only unnatural but impious to contemplate the likelihood of any future hostility between nations so closely allied. We see so many traits of family likeness, so many bonds of sympathy, the Community of our language and literature, the resemblance of our plain and simple manners, our common predilection for those domestick affections for which we are distinguished in both hemispheres—that with so many traits of affinity he could not allow himself to anticipate any future difference
between the friends of liberty here, and the friends of liberty in that other portion of the globe. (Applause.)—He had already said, that while we naturally and properly prefer our own ancient institutions, and continue our submission to those forms which we have adopted, there were still some things in the administration of that country that well deserved our admiration. When we look at the great practical economy in all the branches of their government—at that unrestrained liberty of the press which is there enjoyed without much injury to comfort and none at all to authority—that constant convocation of the people in numerous and peaceful assemblies- that large extension of the elective franchise carried to an extent which few can have any idea of establishing here, but which is nevertheless said to be not only harmless, but of the most extensive benefit, it is impossible not to see and feel that the prosperity and good order, tranquillity, morality, wealth, habitual submission to lawful authority, which has characterized that rising community, is a grand practical refutation of all vain alarms on this subject, and point out to us an example by which we ought to steer our course.

Mr. Jeffrey, after observing that the existence of this great and growing empire would be a source of strength to all other free States, concluded by stating that he wished to hallow and exalt these sentiments he had been endeavouring to express, by connecting them with the name of the first great patriot and hero of the United States. (Loud and continued applause.) He then gave—

"The memory of Washington, and the Immortality of that free Constitution which he established by his valour and consolidated by his virtues."