The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-17 00:00:00

--~. Y ,

exerted upon us by the great American Repub-
' lie. (Applause.) American freedom acted upon
Europe, and there was nothing better known
at the west end of this great city. (Laughter
and applause.) He had left the House of Com-
mons about 7 o'clock, just as they were proceeding
to a discussion on the ballot. There was not in
general much discussion, because the whole question
was conceded. (Cheers.) There was no practical
argument against the ballot; but if there was it
was one which its opponents dared not use. But if
this argument were used—that in the United States
at the recent elections in several States by means of
the ballot returns were made which were hostile to
the existing Government, and the popular will was
freely expressed even in the face of a Government
with 600,000 or 800,000 men in the field—the oppo-
nents of the ballot would wish somehow or other
that the United States were ever so far off, because
it might, unhappily, come to pass that the people
of England might think that that which saved
people in America from the power of individual
oppression or Government dictation might have
precisely the same beneficial effect in England.
(Hear, hear, and cheers.) The people of England
had an interest in everything which happened
in America, and when he spoke of the people of
England he did not mean the wearers of coronets
and crowns, but the 20,000,000 of the people who
lived upon their labour, and who having no votes
were not counted in our political census, but with-
out whom there could be no British nation at all.
(Load applause.) These had an interest, as great
and almost as direct an interest as though they were
living in Massachusetts or New York, in the tre-
mendous struggle for freedom which was now
shaking a whole continent. (Applause.) During
the last two years there had been much said, much
written, and something done in this country to gain
us the hate of both sections of the American nation,
the North and the South. (Hear, hear.) He be-
lieved a course of policy might have been taken by
the English press and Government, and by the in-
fluential portion of the American people, that
would have bound us to the hearts of the
20,000,000 of the North, that would have
obliterated all remembrance of the war of the Revo-
lution and of the war of 1812, and we should in
heart and spirit have been for all time virtually one
nation. (Applause.) He could only hope as time
passed and our people became batter informed they
would become more just, that ill feeling of every
kind would pass away, and that in future all who
loved freedom here would hold friendly con-
versation with all who loved freedom there, and that
the two nations, separated as they were by the
ocean, but come as they were from one stock, might
in the future be united in soul, making together
every possible effort for the advancement of the
the liberties and happiness of mankind. (Loud
applause.)
Mr. BRIGHT then introduced to the meeting Mr.
Conway, a gentleman from Eastern Virginia, who
gave an account of his experiences both in the South
and North.

Other speeches were made and resolutions passed,
and the meeting separated.