the immortal Washington.’  His lordship’s speech was again interrupted by a demonstration of surprise on the part of the audience.  He paused a moment, as if questioning the cause.  Sir Mathew’s aid was again called into service; reminding his lordship that his history was at fault, he added, in a tone most prudent, ’Not yet one hundred, my lord; 1776 marks the date of the declaration of independence.’  Thanking Sir Mathew for the kindly hint, he apologized to his hearers, and proceeded.  ’One hundred years, then have hardly rolled around, and we find that wonderful country presided over by a commoner—­the choice of a free people, who raise him to that proud eminence once every eight years—­vieing (here Sir Mathew again interrupted by saying, ’Every four years, my lord!’) with the oldest and most powerful nations of Europe.  Thanks, Sir Mathew,’ interpolated his lordship, rather tartly, turning round.  His Honor now proceeded for some time on a rather smooth course, except that he left out a great many h’s and put in a great many a’s.  The great minds of America, he said, had done a world for her greatness.  Here he condescended to pay what he was pleased to consider a very deserved compliment to General Flum of New York, whose broad and deeply wrinkled face he espied at the extreme end of one of the long tables, where it loomed up like a careworn lantern amidst a cluster of delicately tinted foliage.  America, said his lordship, sought her great men, not from among the effete walks of the haristocracy, from the more legitimate hemisphere—­the common walks of life.  With a strange elongation of the body did our speaker emphasize the remark.  Great men were the gift of an age, and a nation’s fortune; and with which he was more than happy to say Hamerica had been blessed—­would that his conscience and love of truth would permit him to say as much of his own country!  He saw the personification and embodiment of America’s great minds in the countenance of his much esteemed friend General Flum, whom his very soul joyed at recognizing present. (We will here add, by way of parenthesis, that the knowing ones of New York had a less exalted opinion of Flum’s talent, which had remained hid under a pewter pot, but for General Pierce, who dragged it to the light of day for the purpose of eventually harmonizing his cabinet).  Fortunate was it for the welfare of a great country that such men existed; they seemed born to a special purpose, which to him was a medium of conserving and protecting the great international well-being of the two peoples.  That purpose was the greatest the world could contemplate in this great age of pounds, shillings, and pence; and with such a mind as he knew General Flum possessed, and the stronger arguments with which the generous host had conciliated all differences international, the two countries were sure to continue in a bond of friendship.  To this distinguished compliment our general was pleased to make an approving bow.  Again, his honor, in compliment of himself, informed