The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-07

properly, to make the excitement it has aroused
effective against Slavery everywhere. But,
from all that can learn, while their sympa-
thies for the colored race have been quickened,
their sentiments towards America have not
been changed The Earl of Carlisle has visited
the United States, studied their institutions
and at home, in public lectures, done ample
justice to their merits and to the character of
our People. His associates, have no doubt
sympathize with his liberal views.
A similar remark, believe, would be true
of the clergy of this country. Doubtless, the
prevalent excitement has led them to inquire
whether they have done all that might have
been done for the cause of Freedom in their
intercourse, social and denominational, with
their American brethren, but that it has alien
ated them from our country, or changed their
views in respect to its general character, can
see no evidence.
AS it regards the great business community
it is Of course unaffected; reputation is, with
it, the objectionable sin : the world of trade is
exempt from philanthropic or moral agitations.
But we must not forget that the masses of
English people are exceedingly ignorant of our
couutry-its geography its people, their insti-
tutions and usages, their Government, the rela-
tons of our State Governments to each other
and to the Federal Government and their re-
lations severally to Slavery. Many intelligent
persons believe that thisevil is difused through
out all the States An English lady of high
position lately asked an American whether he
saw much of it in Massachusetts, 2 AT a con-
siderable dinner party the other day, an Eng
lish gentleman remarked to one of our cOun-
trymen that he had understood that the great
vegetable for making soup, in the States, was
pumpkin Were you to tell many respectable
people here that Massachusetts, is the capi-
tai of Philadelphia, they would not know that
you were quizzing them. That such persons
should conceive sadly-distorted and sxaggera-
ted views of American life, from reading Uncle
Toms Cabin, is what might be expected; and
that some of the nobility to whom Democracy
is particularly distasteful and some politicians,
Jealous eff the greatness of America, should
play upon their ignorance, and try to prosti-
tute the excitement produced by that work to
the base purposs6f nAaming prejudice against
what they hate, is q matter Of course. But
what gross act Of absurdity and injustice, to
attach odium, for this reason to the book and
its author If the evil of a country is to be
covered up, never brought to the light, it ia
after all, but whited sepulchre, and it must
continue full of dead mems bones and rotten
ness The first essential preliminary to the
correction of a wrong iss exposure. drag it to
the light, define its dimensions, trace its rela- |
tions, show the ground on which it rests-not
till then can you deal it an effective blow. If
he revelation of an evil is used to the injury
If the country in which it exists, it is not the
eUeiatiOa but the fact, of the evil that should
,e held responsible for the damage. From
ime to time, huge Parliamentary reports have
been published here, containing fearful disclo-
lures concerning the condition of the poor in
london, and of the working classes in other
listricts and we all know the use made of
hese in the United States against England
nd English institutions. Will any reasonable
nan say that these reports ought not to have
Deen publshedt that those who called for
hem, those who prepared them, and those who
published them, should be held enemies to
heir country They were its truest friends
they knew that it was necessary to expose
wrong before they could correct it, and that,
though such exposure might be used Temporal
rily to injure the national reputation, it was
necessary to the national we'll being.
Unfortunately, Americans abroad seem to be |
more anxious that their country should appear
well, than that it should be and do well. am
more concerned for its ,0eil-being than for its
Our country must live upon its
good deedS, not upon the good opinion of man.
kind. Although oil the world should misunder-
stand and disparage us, if we do right we need
not be disturbed by its judgments. We are
great enough not to be much troubled as to
what other people may think Of US; we should
be magnanimOus and just enough to deal faith
fully with our vices and evils, and vigorously
correct them.
And yet have proper regard for national
reputation. No reformer, if possible, should
suffer his good to be evil spoken of. While
engaged in the work of removing some evil
from his country, he should be tender of her
honor. And when abroad, while frankly ad-
hitting the enormity of Slavery, the American
Anti-Slavery man should be at pains to show
how why, and where, it exsts-the peculiar
difficulties in the way Of its abolition-the lin
itations upon the people of the free States, and
on the power of the Federal Government-not
in justification of the wrong, but in explana-
ton, 30 as to prevent misconception and exag-
geration, and to show the degrees of respon.
sibility in the case, sustained by different Sec
tons of the country. Above all, he should take
caro- to show the great good his country enjoys
and ia doing in almost oil other respects This
is the plain duty of an enlightened Patriotism
this too, he owes to the cause of Democracy, of
selfgovernment
AS to the duty of Americans abroad, in re-
latlon to foreign Anti-Sayery movements, every
one must judge for himself Ny legitimate
theatre is at home. When assail, publicly an
evil in my country | shall do it on the spot,
where ! cannot easily be Inexperienced,
where | can bo effective and where may
meet promptly all my responsibilities will
not arraign America at the tribunal of the
world, but will arraign Slavery at the bar of
public opinion in America. - G.B.
"A PURELY AMERICAN POLICY"
The Union, whether or not it is the organ of
the Administration is nevertheless looked upon
rs speaking somewhat by authority. A recent