The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-18 00:00:00

MI?. SHERIDAN, 111. P., AT DUDLEY.

On Monday evening, according to annual custom,
Mr. Sheridan, M.P. for Dudley, met his constitu-
ents and friends in the Rose Hill School Room, for
the purpose of giving them some account of his
proceedings and votes during the past session, and
his opinions upon the questions which would occupy
the attention of Parliament during the coming
session. Mr. RUSSELL occupied the chair.
The CHAIRMAN briefly opened the proceedings
by alluding to the unfortunate national bereave-
ment which had just taken place, and the doubts
that consequently arose as to the propriety of hold-
ing the meeting that evening. As, however,
disappointment would have ensued if the hon.
member had not made his appearance, they deter-
mined upon holding the meeting.

Mr. SHERIDAN:who was received with loud
cheers, after some introductory remarks, proceeded
to refer to the proceedings of parliament during
the last session, dwelling chiefly upon the subjects
of church rates and reform. Referring next to the
death of the Prince Consort, he said nothing could
be more startling to the already unnerved mind bf
the people concerning the question of England's
honour, and the great uncertainty of war and
peace, than to find at that moment, stricken down
from their own side, the consort of their own
Queen. It was not the simple question of one who
in the full tide of health and vigour had fallen,
but it was one that was taken away to whom all
glances were directed, one on wham all hopes were
centred, one set far above us all, and one who
had arrested our sympathies in the midst of
great dangers. It was not too much to say that he
was one who had earned the regard and esteem of
all classes of his adopted country. (Hear.) It was
not to be disguised that he was not alone the fore-
most gentleman of the laud. He was a great
scholar, a distinguished naturalist, a man devoted
to science, a great patron of art, a profound philoso•
pher, and a man endowed with singular perception
and acuteness, and certainly the author of those
great international exhibitions which have made
England famous to the furthermost ends of the
earth; but what was of more consequence, he was
of ,eminent service in the councils of the State.
(Hear, hear.) Placed by his lofty position above
the strife of politics, far removed from all the in-
fluences of wealth, and even from the objects of
ambition, he brought to the councils of his Sove-
reign a grave intelligence, which was of so much
importance in all those great questions of national
policy which so much affected the nation. He would
not allude to the intense anxiety and undying sor-
row which must attach to her who had thus been
deprived of her consort. We all have our worldly
interests. She had but one interest, and that was
the interest of that narrow circle—her husband and
her children. The result of Prince Albert's wise
intelligence had not only been peace and 20 years
of constitutional Government, but 20 years reign so
beneficent, that Queen Victoria was now seated in
the hearts of her people, and established in the
affections of tho millions who owned her sway.
Referring to the American question, Mr.
Sheridan said they were all interested in all
questions involving the honour of our country.
(Hear, hear.) There doubtless were people who
would be benefited by a cessation of the American
war, but this was a great question, and one that not
only affected them locally but the whole country.
(Hear.) In judging of a great question, the only
way to arrive at a right decision was to see what
our enemies said about us. They would say that
England had felt herself so aggrieved by the
blockade of the South by the North because cotton
was of so material a consequence to her, that whether
by just or unjust means she resolved that the block-
ade should be raised. If asked on what assumption
they based their theory, they would say that for
some time past, and before the Trent affair, England
had been sending to Canada a portion of her best
troops ; she had been sending there some of her
most warlike stores ; she had centred in Canada all
the military means she could spare from her own
country; and under the pretence of interfering in
Mexican affairs, where two or three vessels only
were required, she had sent thirty or forty, and had
crowded the Mexican Gulf with her war steamers.
All this they would point to, and they would say
England had only done all this in order that she
might pick a quarrel with her brethren across the
Atlantic. But was that so? Was it possible that
upon an affront which we believed to be mortal,
and which he believed to be inexcusable—the firing
of shot and shell across the bows of one of our
vessels—was it possible that in resenting such
an affront our calumniators should say we wanted
to pick a quarrel ? International legal straws
might be split upon our position, and to this extent
he believed the American people agreed with us—
they said that if Commander Wilkes had carried
that vessel into a neutral port, and there have
had the question of a surrender of the two com-
missioners submitted to the impartial judgment of a
neutral Court of Admiralty, then we should have
been satisfied—(hear, hear)—because although the
Americans had not recognised the rights of the
South as belligerents, England had done so. Eng-
land in the case of the Nashville said by the voice
of the Admiralty Judge that she recognised the '
South as a belligerent, and therefore considered the
North and the South to have equal rights. Doing
that then, and being a neutral power ourselves, we
certainly could not but object to the removal of two
passengers from under the protection of our flag.
(Applause.) America should have taken that ves-
sel into a neutral port, and have had the point de-
cided by a neutral judge. (Hear, hear.) But he
was sure the meeting agreed with him in this—that
America was at this moment in a state of deep dis-
tress. She was fighting with her own brethren, and
reeling in agony. (Hear, hear.) And a great Power,
armed to the teeth, armed so that no five navies in
the world could make any impression on her, asked
her if she meant to insult it. It was not likely that
America would wish to insult us if she had her
senses about her. (Hear, hear.) And was she in
her senses at such a moment ? If so, then we must
stretch forth our strong arm, and we must assert the
national dignity come what might. (Cheers.) Let
England in her great magnanimity, however, and
in that prowess in war which could defy France,
Prussia, Spain, and. America, say to her brethren
across the Atlantic," Explain this if you can ; apolo-
gise and place these men in a neutral position, so that
a neutral Power may decide upon the question be-
tween us ; if not, then we will fire our broadside,
which is at the door of the Northern States,
and settle the American question for ever."
(Cheers.) It was more than unfortunate that,
above all others, the occasion selected for this diffi-
culty was the conveyance of Southern ambassadors
to Europe in one of our ships. The North had
charged us with Southern tendencies already, with
being in favour of that part of the States whose
whole constitution was based in slavery. In a speech
made by one of our most temperate legislators, Mr. ,

between the North and the South was a question
of slavery or no slavery. (Hear, hear.) But he said
further. He added that at this moment the North
were considering the propriety of adopting as a
battle cry the question of universal freedom. They
(the meeting), who knew what it was to have been
trammelled politically, like the boa constrictor
twined itself around its victim, must feel some
sympathy in such a cause as universal freedom and
equal rights for all men. (Hear.) This question of
slavery had beset the South and embarrassed the
North, and had threatened the whole question of
human progress i:a the American dominions. It was
not for us to say that we interfered because we re-
quired cotton, for no considerations of a commercial
character should interfere loath our conclusions in
the matter; but still, at this moment, when Eng-
land had made this affair of the Trent an affair of
the first importance—when Louis Napoleon would
follow England, as he always did—was it for us
to go to war because America could give no satis-
factory explanation ? Rather should we say to
them—"'You have taken these men unjustifiably;
will you submit the question to the opinion of a
neutral admiralty court, and let them decide be-
tween us? (Applause.) If we did this he thought
we stood before the world as a great nation, jealous
of its honour and acquitted of the charge of having
gone to war for cotton. It was hard for us, who
looked with sympathy upon the struggles of all
races for freedom, who had spent so much in extin-
guishing slavery in our own dominions and limiting
it in America, to go to war against a people who
were about to do the same as we had done. (Hear.)
But whatever might be the result of the message
which England had sent across the Atlantic, we
must still remember that we were men, lovers of
our country and our species, and though we loved
to see the honour of our country, like Caesar's wife,
above suspicion, we should fight—if we did fight—
with men who would utter their, battle cry in our
own tongue, ask for mercy in-& English language
and do battle with a constancy and heroism which
they had inherited from us, their mother country.
If it was to be a war for honour, a war because our
flag had been insulted, he would be the first to lift
his voice in its favour, but still we must remember
that if we were victorious the colour of our ensign
would be deepened with our brothers' blood, and
that if it was to be a war of commercial principles,
the cotton would come to us purpled with the blood
of a fratricidal struggle. (Cheers.) We should
therefore pause and consider with calmness the
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sciences would approve of. The hon. member re-
sumed fought
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his seat amidst loud applause.
A resolution was afterwards carried by acclama-
tion, expressing continued confidence in the hon.
member.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tais DAY.—Morning, 2h. 30m.—Afternoon, 2h. 48m.
To-stonnow.-Morning, 3h. 7m.—Afternoon, 3h. 25m.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, DECEMBER 18, 1861.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
45 —;'ghost since noon yesterday.
40—lowest this morning and during the night.
45—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-30.0.
WlND—North-Westerly ; rather fresh, with dull, cold
weather.