The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-11 00:00:00

ENGLAND AND THE WAR.

A public meeting, convened by requisition to the
Mayor, was held on Monday night in the Athe-
naeum, Sunderland, to memorialise her Majesty to
observe a policy of strict neutrality in the present
continental war, and praying that the influence of
this country may be used only to bring about a
peace between the contending parties. The Mayor
(Mr. Candlish) presided. There were on the plat-
form the Mayor, and Messrs. E. Backhouse, jun.,
W. Morrison, M. Stobart, J. Wilson, R. Brown, J.
Halcro, Wm. Wight, Dr. Paterson, &c., and in the
body of the room a large number of the most in-
fluential gentlemen of the town. The gallery also
was well filled, among whom were several ladies.
The MAYOR, in opening the proceedings, stated
that the meeting
.had been called by a numerously
and respectably signed requisition, which he read.
He presumed they were of one mind, that war was
an evil. He did not regard it an evil under all cir-
cumstances ; for he conceived that there were worse
things than war. He believed the Crimean war
was just, but nevertheless war was in itself an evil.
The present Italian war was an evil ; but the justi-
fying circumstance, if any, was to be found in the
honour and interests of the respective countries en-
gaged. He denied that England was in either of
these respects involved, and that therefore our
course was_elearlyAo_endeavour to bring about as
speedily. ai Tiossible peace. (Cheers.)
Dr. PATERSON moved the first resolution, which
was as follows :—" That this meeting has, learnt
with deep sorrow that rthepeace of Europe has been
,broken, and that &terrible war threatens again to
deluge its soil with blood, to obstruct, the commer-
cial and friendly intercourse of States, to multiply
the burdens of the people, to retard the'progress of
civilisation, , and to spread desolation and woe
thr9ugh many lands. He was quite sure that
every one prdsent could not but regret that war
had broken out on the continent. He took it for
granted that no one influenced by considerations
of personal gain would be led to approve of the war.
In the requisition calling the meeting he was glad
to find the names of persons connected with almost
every Christian denomination in the town, and in
the requisition there was nothing interfering with
the prerogative of the Crown; and from the papers
he was glad to perceive that the English Ministers
of the Crown an dleadin g statesmen were uniformly
in favour of the prineiples of peace. He wanted to
see the principles of the Christian religion pre-
vailing, and he saw nothing in the present conflict
which was likely to promote that religion. In
Sardinia they had undoubtedly more of the spirit
of liberty than in any other Italian state; but of
course her civil and-religious liberties were looked
upon by Austria as revolutionary, and in the cir-
cumstances in which Sardinia was placed it was
natural she should cast about for assistance. But
what could be hoped from France ? (Hear, hear.)
Did France delight in the institutions of this coun-
try ? He did not profess to give an opinion on the
honesty of the French Emperor. (Hear.) The
Emperor had not given liberty to his own country,
and how could he be expected to give this great
blessing to any other country, or to seek to pro-
mote it ? (Hear, hear.) The only safe policy for
this country was in pursuing peace. England
should stand aloof, and when the contending par-
ties are exhausted, she might become a powerful
arbiter for peace. Nor had he much confidence in
Russia. He looked a long way into the future,
snd saw that Russia was a dangerous power. Her
people, like the Anglo-Saxon race, were fast in-
creasing, and we knew that she had an eye to Con-
stantinople; and whether she had a secret treaty
with 'France or not there was confessedly an under-
standing, and therefore for these reasons he saw
clearly that the only safe policy for this country
was in mediating for
.peace.
Mr. BACKHOUSE, jun., seconded the resolution
He agreed with Lord John Russell in the opinion
he expressed the other day, when he said that
former wars would have been of much shorter
duration had not England lent her assistance by
active interference, and by subsidies of money. Our
business was to attend to our own affairs, especially
was it our duty not to allow our attention to be
called off the question of reform. .(Cheers.) If the
Crimean war had served any purpose, it was chiefly
Tor the advantage of the Emperor of the French.
It left him with a prestige which he was not likely
to use for the interest of Europe. Emperors and
kings were again lighting the fires of battle, and
only for selfish purposes. He was of the opinion
that that Minister who employed a single English
ship, or used English money, to foster the conti-
nental war, was a traitor to his country and an
enemy of his race.
The resolution was then put and carried unani-
mously.
Mr. ROBERT BROWN, in an eloquent speech,
moved a resolution affirming that the meeting had
no sympathy with either of the leading disputants
in this quarrel, as it was only a struggle between
two rival dynasties for their own ambitious objects,
and further, that the meeting rejoiced that England
stood aloof from the strife, and that the leading
members of Government and distinguished states-
men of all parties expressed an opinion that it was
the duty of England not to meddle in the contest.
Mr. HALCRO seconded the motion, which the Rev.
Mr. REES supported, and it was carried unanimously.
Mr. STOBAIrr moved, and the Rev. Mr. COLLING-
WOOD seconded, a resolution pledging the meeting
to support Government in the policy of neutrality,
so that the country at the proper time might act as
a principal arbiter for peace.
Mr. MORRISON moved, Mr. WRIGHT seconded,
and the Rev. T. EVERETT supported, a memorial
embodying the sentiments of the resolutions, to be
presented to the Queen.—Carried unanimously.
Thanks to the Mayor closed the meeting.—
Newcastle Chronicle.