The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-13 00:00:00

SLAVER)* IN SOU7IIERNAMERICI

A meeting numerously attended, waq held last
night at the large Bath-room, Westminster-road,
to express sympathy with the Anti-Shivery move-
ment in America. At eight o'clock the chair was
taken by the

Rev: NEWMAN HALL, who, in stating the ob-
jects of the meeting, denied that the feeling in
this country had undergone any change with re-
spect to slavery, or that the usual feeling of abhor-
rence against slavery had undergone any change.
He was a friend of labour, and believed the labour-
ing man had his rights as well as the landed pro-
prietor ; but slavery interfered with the rights of
the working man, and it was on that account, and
because he denounced the principle of any property
in man, that he called on them that evening to ex-
press their disgust and indignation at the conduct
of those who upheld it. (Cheers.) The Southern
States of America upheld it, and its vice-president
said it was the corner-stone of their future institu-
tions; and, for his Fart, he hoped he never should
see the representative of such a Government recog-
nised by Great Britain, or the hand of the Queen
of a free people should be touched by such foul
hands. Already 200,000 negroes had escaped from
thraldom since the war commenced, and on the Ist
January next, according to the proclamation of
President Lincoln, the entire would be made free.
As to the contest now going on, he did not see but
that when it ended slavery should also cease; and for
his own part he sincerely wished that that consum-
mation may soon be accomplished, and the sword
once more sheathed.

Mr. MURPHY moved the first resolution, which
was to the effect that slavery was subversive of the
cause of labour and of the great principles of Chris-
tianity. They all had heard of the great William
Wilberforce and his labours in the cause of the abo-
lition of slavery, and how, 30 years ago, he succeeded
in achieving that glorious object. (Hear, hear.) He
contended there ought to be a fair day's wages for a
fair day's work, and no one had a right to call on a
man because of his colour to do anything contrary
to that great principle. (Hear, hear.) What chance,
he would ask, had a free labourer to compete with a
slave ? and was it not therefore true that slavery was
subversive of labour, and should, even on that ac-
count, be denounced by every civilised community,
especially England, that had been always foremost
in the great struggle to abolish it. (Cheers.)
The Rev. Mr. EVANS, as an Englishman and a
working man, gladly seconded the resolution. He
had been four years in America, and could, from
his own experience, testify as to what had been
said of the horrors of slavery. He had been him-
self literally a working man ; he had toiled with
his hands and the sweat of his brow until he
realised a little money, and then proceeded to Ame-
rica, where he got educated, and had ever since
worked hard in his profession. He believed that
those who originated the present unhappy war cal-
culated, in the first instance, that the distress occa-
sioned in England by the loss of cotton would
drive England and Europe to recognise the
Southern Confederacy. He believed slavery de-
graded labour, and it was on that account ho
heartily seconded the resolution.
Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON next addressed the meet-
ing in support of the resolution. He did so be-
cause it was founded on the eternal principles of
truth and justice, and he knew on that account it
would pass unanimously. If he were addressing
shipowners and brokers who fitted out vessels
with munitions of war fir Charleston—if he were
addressing those whose sentiments coincided with
the Times and other kindred journals—he might
despair cf such a result ; but that was not so ; and
accordingly there could be no second opinion as to
what would be the decision of the meeting. He had
been in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyne
last week, where, before going, he was given to un-
derstand a formidable opposition would be given
him ; but no such thing, for scarcely a single voice
was raised against him. A twelvemonth ago he was
in Manchester, where a large meeting was held, and
addressed by Mr. Massey, chairman of ways and
means in the House of Commons, for the purpose,
he believed of testing the feelings of the working
classes, in order that the Government of this
country and trance should interfere to raise the
blockade. Bnt his efforts failed, and so would
every other directed to a similar purpose. (Hear.)
Did they know that a Confederate associa-
tion now existed in Devonshire-place, to become a
member of which one had only to pay ls. a week;
but it was a complete failure. The object of the
present meeting was to give their sympathies to all
those in America who were known to be engaged
in putting down the foul and atheistical system of
slavery. The message of the President at Wash-
ington was now on its way, and would arrive in this
country on Sunday or Monday next, and he, for
one, pledged himself it would uphold the proclama-
tion lie had already issued to put an end to slavery
in January next. What side would England take
he wished to know ? When Mr. Clarkson was la-
bouring to pass his bill, was he supported by royal
princes, dukes, or marquises ? No, but on the con-
trary, he was stigmatised, and his life endangered
at Liverpool, and Mr. Wilberforce described as a
weak and sickly sentimentalist. The fact was the
measure was carried by pure accident, during the
short administration of Charles James Fox, and
he regretted to say the royal assent was
reluctantly given to it. So it was with every
great measure, including the corn laws, and the fact
was that the sympathy now manifested in this
country for the Southern States was in consequence
of the existence of an oligarchy there that sup-
ported slavery and produced cotton for this coun-
try. (Hear, hear.) The question of the abolition
of slavery had grown up in a wondrous manner
since 1834, and he himself recollected that in the
very neighbourhood of Washington auctions of
slaves were held ; but now no such thing took place.
It was well known that previous to Mr. Lincoln's
Administration no less than forty slavers left the
harbour of New York annually, but that was imme-
diately put an end to, and a slaver convicted of the
offence forfeited his life on the scaffold. Was that
nothing ? (Hear, hear.) And was it for them,
now that it was written that slavery was virtually
abolished—was it for England now to hold back,
and not give their sympathies to Abraham Lin-
coln? The correspondent of the limes at Richmond
stated, in a recent communication, that the slaves
there were contented; that they were anxious to
take up arms on behalf of their masters, and that
those who escaped to the Federal lines were glad to
get back again. No w, that he believed to be utterly
without foundation, and had he been near the wri-
ter, he would have said to him, " Don't make such
an assertion, for it is not true." The hon. gentleman
concluded by introducing a negro, who, he said,
was Jefferson Davis's runaway coachman, and re-
sumed his seat amid loud cheering.
The resolution was then put and carried.

Mr. LAW proposed the second resolution, to the ef-
fect that the people of Great Britain had no sympathy
with any nation which encouraged slavery. He con-
tended that the Northern States were anxious to libe-
rate the Southern slaves, and as to the opposition
given to the movement by the 7imes,he could only re-
mind it that it always pursued the same course that it
sneered at Catholic emancipation, that it sneered at
Reform, and even at the corn laws ; when it found
these great questions triumph, it then turned round
and followed the stream of public opinion; and so
it would be in the present instance. (Hear.)
Mr. SPARKS seconded the motion, and declared
that, since his father had been tarred and feathered
is the Southern States, he hated slavery and all
connected with it. (A laugh.)
The Rev. Mr. RvLANCE supported the resolution.
aHedhad travelled through the states of America,
s:ll7u:iv:ads
to
ovetlhl
the conduct
with the comiition of the
ftelrhvaeirnsnesoltrhuaenieildattdhetohorrors of slavery, which ought to
Put an end toas soon as possble! (Hear.) He
wish that he had
Lwe of John Mitchell, who went
New York, and there expressed his
tilynausni-deirab g
rood plantation of niggers ; and
quasi-Liberal Edwin James, who left
—on arriving thereP
adopted
laugh)
eptietid the Democratic side,
and expressed similar s
eumingm, eeevnpetne.eifNrlo,omw,suinch men,
lief, such opinions,
kwneerwe
idisgracefultvvasnotthetofeethlienmg
in this theycouyntrwyh.e(nhuise
abre .