The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-01 00:00:00

THE NELCOME TO MR. WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.

Other distinguished visitors come to us, remarks the
Daily News, with high position and illustrious rank and
power to confer considerable advantages: Mr. Garrison's
titles to recognition are purely personal, resting entirely
on noble efforts and splendid achievements. It was
fitting, therefore, that he should be publicly re-
ceived by those who are the truest representatives
of whatever is worthy in our national character.
The leader for many years of the " forlorn hope" of aboli-
tionism in the United States, Mr. Garrison has • right to
a larger share in the honours of victory than has been pre-
viously accorded to him. He wears his honours meekly ;
but of that small band of men to whom the awakening of
the national conscience to the evil of slavery is due, he is,
perhaps, the chief. No man now living has known un-
popularity for the sake of truth and justice as Mr. Garri-
son has. For years his name was • byword ; he
carried his life in his hand, and there were multitudes who
thought that to kill Lim would do their country service.
No honour that is done to such a man in this prosaic age
can be toe great. He has reproduced before the present
generation some of the features of • more self-sacrificing
manhood than is ever common in prosperous times.
"Give him of the fruit of his bands, and let his own works
praise him in the gate." The wonderful success which
Mr. Garrison now represents has encouraged the friends
of humanity all over the world. The swift and sudden
overthrow of American slavery ham been taken as • warn-
ing by every kindred wrong, and all over the world the
party of defence is weaker and that of assault is stronger
for the labours and success of the American abolitionists.
Rendering tribute to the inflexible nerve and enthu-
siastic devotion which fairly entitle Mr. Garrison to the
homage paid to him by peers and philosophers at St.
James's-hall, the Times differ, from the speakers in at-
tributing the fall of slavery altogether or mainly to moral
agency. It was the infatuation of the slave-holding aris-
tocracy and the vital shrinking of • great nation from dis-
memberment, and not the articles of Mr. Garrison, or the
novels of Mrs. Stowe, that opened new destinies to the
enslaved negro. It is to be regretted that Lord Russell's
altered conviction—his conversion taking plasm whilst
the contest was still undecided—did not impart a more
conciliatory tone to his correspondence with the United
States, and did not more sensibly temper his speeches in
the House of Lords. The advice of Mr. Mill and Mr.
Garrison not to fear the reproach of visionary projects is
only good when taken subject to proper qualifications.
Present duties are not to be sacrificed to false conceptions.
Instead of seeking new worlds to conquer, Mr. Garrison
and his friends would do well to civilise that which they
have already won.
The Post traces oat the career of Mr. Garrison with
strong expressions of sympathy, and regards the admission
of Lord Russell as honourable to him. It is always diffi.
cult to bring ourselves to admit that we have been mis-
taken ; but when we find such penance performed in so
high and so unlikely ► quarter, we are still more ready to
concede to it the value which its rarity deserves.
The Standard ha. no doubt that Mr. Garrison is " a most
amiable person," very sincere in thinking the new world has
been regenerated by his efforts, but says it is a little too im-
pudent for Mr. Bright and his friends to think that they
have done anything inthe work, or have any title to speak
on behalf of liberty.

The Star be/levee thet apart from Lord Rolmll's speech.
this meeting would have proved an effective mean, of pro-
moting peace and brotherhood between England and the
United States. But the manly and generous speech