THE ERROES OF MESSRS COBDEN AND BRIGHT. 93 



Before I quite rested thus from the fatigue of travel 

 ling, I desired the steward to fill himself a glass of Bad 

 minton, when, on his expressing satisfaction, I told him 

 that henceforth and for ever by that mixture he would 

 be able to distinguish the real Englishman, nobleman, 

 and gentleman, from the mere English adventurer and 

 the vulgar ass, who, by aping eccentricity or other 

 affectation, desired to pass himself off for a great man. 

 The steward had only to ask the traveller in hot wea 

 ther if he should make him some " Badminton," when, 

 if he declined, or expressed ignorance of what the mix 

 ture was, then he certainly was no peer. Laughing 

 at the serious and thankful way in which the steward 

 seemed resolved to bear himself in regard to these 

 injunctions, I dismissed him and gave myself up to re 

 flection. . 



Thus far then on my travels I had learnt a great deal, 

 and the last thing was that the title of " honourable " be 

 ing bestowed on men elected by universal suffrage or 

 by ballot, as practised in America, was not regarded as a 

 distinction, but passed by as a casualty not deserving of 

 any peculiar respect whatever. In this democratic coun 

 try, by whose political institutions, according to Messrs 

 Cobden and Bright, Old England is in future to shape her 

 House of Commons, a title by birth is deemed more 

 worthy of veneration than one temporarily gained by the 

 universal approval of a giddy multitude ! A liberal as I 

 have ever been, I cannot but congratulate the citizens 

 of America on this wise opinion, for where intimidation 

 of the conscientious use of the suffrage is enforced by rifle- 

 balls and knives, instead of being simply governed by 

 the desire of a landlord, and where millions in lieu of 

 dozens dictate at the poll, why, no sensible man of liberal 



