George Ticknor, Life, letters and journals of George Ticknor
George Hillard, Ed.

[428] with much less generosity in their natures than I believe my countrymen to possess, could not fail to accept, in the spirit in which it was offered. And they have certainly done it. I have no more doubt of it than I have of any fact in history.¹

The other thing is, that the open cordiality of the people here has rebuked and silenced anything that remained, in newspaper editors and reporters, of the old feelings of ill — will toward your country. I have watched the tone of our papers ever since the Prince touched at Newfoundland, and have observed how their tone has gradually changed, from occasional touches of ill manners to such as are unexceptionable. This is especially true of the old democratic papers; those, I mean, that have always taken sides against England, from the time of the French Revolution. It is most desirable, and important, that this tone in our newspapers should be kept up, and that it should be met in a similar spirit by yours. On this point, both sides have heretofore behaved badly enough, and done more, I suspect, than all other causes, to keep up an ill — will between the two countries. Formerly, we were most in fault. Latterly,—allow me to say it,—you have been most in fault, especially the ‘Times,’ the ‘Saturday Review,’ and. the ‘Quarterly’; whose occasional blunders about the most obvious things only vex us the more, that men, so ignorant of what they discuss, should undertake to pass judgment upon our character and doings.

Now is the time to change all this. We are in the best possible temper for it, and are likely to continue so, if nothing comes from your side to cross and disturb us. . . . . Our people are now in excellent humor with themselves, and with you; such, so far as England is concerned, as I never saw before, and never hoped to live to see. If your people are in the same temper about us, I think no trouble of a serious nature will arise in this generation. . . . .

I have written such a long letter, about matters with which I have very small concern, that I have hardly room to send the love of all of us to dear Lady Head, and C. and A. I shall look to hear from you very soon, and to have you all again under my roof-tree in February.

Faithfully yours,

G. Ticknor.