335 
Chap. XX.-r-B.P.] STATESMEN OB POLITICIANS? 
tie has not descended upon any of his successors, and 
now that Lord Palmerston has gone, none of our states¬ 
men, or rather politicians, would commit such an act of 
rudeness for the world. The leading idea of Canning 
and of Palmerston was how best to extend the com¬ 
merce and influence of their country;—slightly dif¬ 
ferent from present notions. 
In this case England has once more proved no 
match for her Transatlantic offspring; the same farce 
was enacted at Grey town which had been previously 
carried out at Panama, where John Bull was allowed 
to spend his money; to discuss the best routes be¬ 
tween Chagres and Panama, to test the distance by 
means of rockets, etc. etc.; and, ultimately to read 
papers at the Eoyal Geographical Society. He was 
even allowed—and so was Prance, for that matter—to 
obtain concessions for carrying out the work; but so 
soon as Brother Jonathan thought it expedient, the 
poor old gentleman was rudely pushed on one side, 
while his more practical relative took possession of the 
ground, and in less than half the time spent in talk¬ 
ing about the importance of the work, actually built 
between the two oceans an excellent railway, which 
has subsequently earned for its enterprising proprietors 
an average dividend of over 25 per cent. 
As it was at Panama, so it has been on the Mos¬ 
quito Coast, save and except that in the former case 
deed is done, the nail is driven, Spanish-America is free, and, if we do 
not mismanage our matters sadly, she is English.’ Again, ‘ Behold the 
New World established, and, if we do not throw it away, ours/ ”— 
Canning and his Times. 
