Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-25
The Thunderer on Americn and American
Slavery.

The London Times of the 7th inst. observes;
An American slave-owper eau never think
Of England and the slave trade without
paroxism. His constitutional irritability
finds vent whenever the name Of the country
Is mentioned which freed negroes IN the
West Indies, and now rescues them from the
grasp of Yankee shippers on the African
coast: SO strong. is this feeling that even
Abolitionists are forced to conciliate the favor
of waverers by doubts whether England was
sincere in what she did in 1888. In slavery
debate at Washington the Old Country fares
very ill Every thing bad is imputed to us
even that we make captures in order TO sup
ply our half-ruined colonies with negroes,
who are practically slaves. This is the last
new charge against us, and, as it is too good
to be allowed to drop, we shall, no doubt,
have it repeated until 1t grows into an article
of faith. But it is only one out of many ac-
cusations. The chorus of vituperation is so
loud and general that an unguarded English
man might be inclined to believe there is
some truth in American assertions, and that
we are playing Machiavellian part without
knowing it. But one need only read three
or four consecutive speeches in the same de-
bate to be relieved of such fear. North
answers South, and the Mississippi Valley
refutes the Atlantic coast in the most COM
plete manner. r'H... ..
Englishmen are at once the most astute
and the most thick-headed of mortals. They
are carrying out a traditional policy of dia-
| bolical ingenuity, and they are stupidity de-
stroying their most valuable possessions
| Wilberforce and Brougham labored only to
| sap the growing strength of the American
Republic, and their followers are bent on Civ
| ing the States monopoly of the cotton of
the world. England, according to some
prizes the West India Islands SO highly that
she sacrifices the lives of hundreds Of her
| sailors yearly in order to arrest American
| progress; according to others she cares
| nothing about them, having transferred her
| affections to the East Indies, and 30 her pol
cy of emancipation ought to be no model
| for American Statesmen. Mr.. Seward thinks
| we have so powerful rival in Europe that
| we have enough to do to take care of our
selves, and shall hardly be able TO keep up
the African Squadron; while to the imagina-
| ton of other gentlemen we are still domi-
| ueering on the seas, and offering insults to
| the American flag which are too tamely sub
mitted to.
debate constructed on these lines cam,
off in the American Senate Just before th'
last mail. There is little difference between
it and some twenty similar debates which il
has been our fortune TO peruse; but the ex'
racts we have published were worth ganc'
ing at, If only that they show how the very
pick of American politicians an assembly
counting less than seventy members, think
and talk on u great international question
which one would suppose they had had ful
opportunity of studying. We have Away
thought that comparison between the repre-
tentative assemblies of other countries and o
our own is very gratifying on one point--tba
Of the general knowledge displayed by tn,
speakers. Putting aside the question of elo
luence when man rises in the House o
Lords or the House of Commons, he neve
displays an ignorance of France, or America
)r Germany equal to that which prevails con
cerning England in foreign chambers. l
may be that our politicians are more cautious
or men of more extended travel or that the,
,onfne themselves to special topics with whicl
they are acquainted; but certainly they tall
ike men who are acquainted with the coun
tries they criticize, and no one can say this O
Southern orator when he is declaiminI
against the duplicity of the Emancipation &C
and the treacherous device of the African
squadron.