Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-04-24

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gwen IN his honor at recent banquet of the Lord
Mayor OF London, is supposed to indicate the policy
ne intends 10 pursue while he stands at the head of
ihe government
Often as it has been our good fortune 10 nartaks
OF the splendid hospitality of the citizens of London,
certainly never did it fall to the lot of any Admins
tfauon to receive these testimonies of courtesy and
good will upon more important and interesting
caslon than The present. We are not we f. ell con.
vinced, deceiving ourselves when we interpret the
manner in Which my Lord Mayor has been pleased
10 propose our health, and The mode in which il has
oeen dunk, as a renewal of that expression of
hdence and good will towards her MajestJ's Minis.
| ters, which had the honor of receiving not many
days ago from bis lordship among the feelings and
0pnIons OF the citizens of this great metropolis
! Cheers
we were, as it is well known, not long ago placed
IN minority In the House of Commons ques-
! uon winch ln"olved oensure upon her Majesty's
| Government. knew very well that some of those
who honored us with their general support looked
| upon mat question only simple express on of
their judgment of particular transactions which had
taken place at the antpodes some three months be-
lore, and persuaded themselves that in giving their
votes against the Government that occasion they
we're not expressing censure upon the Adminislra-
uon; ana some OF these honorable gentlemen assured
me- with the deepest sincerity that they did not in
Tend by that Vo e to withdraw from the Government
that general confidence which they had hitherto con-
fded TO it. Cheers
but the great majority of those who voted on that
occasion knew very well the full political effect of
the vote they were about to give The resolution
was that the proceedings which the Government had
approved IN China were unjustifabe. If the Gov
erIment had IN this case approved of un ustifable
proceedings, they had undoubtedly followed course
wn,eh deserved to incur the censure of Parliament
and OF the country. We were persuaded. however,
on The contrary, that those proceedings were neces
sary and vital We felt that our fellow. countrymen
IN distant part of the globe had been exposed 10
series of insults outrages and atrocities which could
not be passed over in silence. We felt that tn trea
ty nights of this country had been broken, and that
those locally charged with the defence of inter
ess IN that quarter of the world were not only jus
TINED, but obliged to resent those outrages, far
the power in their hands would enable them TO do go
we telt that we should be betrayng the trusts which
the citizens of the country had reposed in if we
had not approved of the proceedings which we
thought to be right, and which we, if placed in the
same circumstances, should have deemed it duty
to have pursued (Cheers.)
/ We'll, my lord, under ordinary circumstances, when
the House OF Commons censures Government, that
Government has but one course TO pursueto retire,
es eclay II 1t thinks that the country al large shares
the opinion pronounced by the House Of Com ons
upon its conduct and policy But the present oc,
caslon our conviction was very different. e did
not believe that the country at large shared the
opinion of the ma jority Of The House of Commons
took the liberty of stating in the House of Com
mons that | wa sure their verdict would not be
ratified by the opinion OF the country, and the result
has proved that our predictions were well founded
and that we were justified in entertaining that opin-
ion. We have even now, en- before the constitu-
encies of the country have had opportunity OF
recording their voes received numerous expressions
of opinion, coming from all parts of the United King
DOM addresses signed BY men of all ranks in society
and of all shades Of opinion, by Wings, by Tories
and by Radicals, all thinking it right, when the in
telests of the country affected, that party diff
ferences should be forgotten and that the whole ma
ton SHOULD be banded together support of its honor
and of its dignity. [Cheers.l
We know our fellow countrymen too we'll to doubt
what would be the result of the appeal we abou
to make to them and even now, though the time
when that appeal would practically be answered has
not yet arrived, yet we know that the heart of the
country is sound, that its judgment is just and that
they will not endorse such censure as has been pro-
nounced upon US by the House Of Commons
i [Cheers.
/ ,am not allowed, my Lord Mayor to talk of CO.
alitons or of combinations because they have been
distinctly repudiated but there that accidental
occurrence of leaders of parties met in that lobby
and there were in that lobby the clements of Gov
eminent which expected 10 succeed to power by max
ing the humiliation and degradation of their country
the stepping stone 10 office. Loud and prolonged
cheers.
We we're told and truly, that party lies en-
tial Party ties and party spirit essential to the
working of the British constitution. There we're
paly ties W hch were remembered Oh the occasion
but there were also party ties which were wholly
forgotten. And those tics which forgotten
were the feelings which out to animate all pallieB in
supporting the dignity and honor of their country
} [Cheers
; Now, W hat would be the logical and inevitable
consequence of the vote which the House of Commons
came to- They had greed that the proceedings in
China were unjustifable; consequence of that
vote they must have sent word 10 that Chinese bar
baran, Yeh, that they anxious 10 apologize to
to- s1no hIch had Thav-
would have had TO send from Woolwich some fresh
cannon in leu of those sailols had rendered un.
setyicable they won have had to restore the forts
which our naval forces have destroyed, and Proba
bly, in order TO complete their apology, they wouli
have repaid The rewards given by the authorities of
Canton for II heads of the murdered English men,
and the expenses of the arson which had been COM
mitted in the town by the Chinese. Cheers and
laughter. .,'.
cannot envy he feelings of those who could
witness with camness rewards offered for The heads
of those British merchants by the Chinese authorities,
or for MURDERS assassInatlons, ad poisoning, COM
mted on our fellow. Subjects and who. instead of
feeling their blood boiling with indignation 81 such
proceedings would have bent the knee in abjeet sub
mission 10 the barbarian by whom such at ocilIcs
were ordered To be CON mted.
But We told by Others that We are guilty OF
making wal, and that, while we continue to hold the
direction Of the public affairs oil the country shall
always be emhroiled with other nations. My lord
the course oil conduct is sufcitnt etutatlon oil
that charge. Some OF those who are LOW he oudest
in their denunciation OF us, and in proclaming the
doctrines of peace, are among those who concur red
in engaging that just and necessary war with Rus
f sia-the first ieat war in which this country has
engaged during the last forty years These men,
able to carry on that war TO successful conclusion
: did not hesitate to abandon the task which we, in
col nexion with our glorious allies-the French and
the Sardinans -brougb, to honorable and safe
peace [cheers and that, 100, upon conditions which
| Iat g. ho