The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-12

Engltsh Assaults upon American hhsutu'
tions.
The evident satisfaction with which the
London Tina.s avaiIs itself OF the absurd IL
hels OF its New York namesake against 'ns
people of Richmond, to make fresh on
slauGht upon Southern society, is weieomeo
with great delight by our enemies In TINS
country, as well on account OF !" concur
rance of sentiment with their own views, as
the proof IL seems to afford, thSt In no event
need the south expect 70 find friends In the
British empire in any future time Of need
Considering the Acknowledged dependence OF
England upon the United States for her entire
supply Of cotton, and the conceded fact that
the deprivation of that supply even FOR
single year would overwhelm her manuiac-
taring and commercial interests, and prepare
the way for a revolution, 1t appears "yse-
rious and mex plieable that she should ems
so ardently and persistently III efu'"u'
against tina, kind of labor which Is essehtia' W
the production OF staple as important 70 nei
prosperity as to our own. were soch Demon
strations as those Of the London Tones conHne&
10 the noisy precincts of Exeter Hail, the mat
tar would not appear imcomprehensiole But
when the leading organs OF public opinion,
che representatives OF all parties and all in-
,erests, vie with each other in denunciations
of our domestic institutions, and when INTEL
lieent and sagacious statesmen encourage and
foster sentiments and movements which have
in view the overthrow of system OF labor
which is of vital moment to British interests,
1t is difficult to reconcile such conduct with
the provident foresight for her own welfare
which has ever been manifested by the British
Government
There is hut one mode in which the course
OF the leading minds OF Great Britain upon
this subject can be made to harmonic with
those principles OF common sense and self
preservation which are and ought TO be the
controlling influence Of wise rulers. And we
commend to our countrymen, especially, this
solution of the problem. 1t is the steady and
determined purpose OF Great Britain to de-
stroy her principal commercial and her future
manufacturing rival, the United States. We
do not allege any such hostility against her
people at large nor do we beiieye that the pre-
iudices and collisions Of the past are still
ranking in their bosoms. But We know
that nations have no other principles, affini-
ties or affections than their interes Is that the
interests of Great Britain are involved in
preser wing her commercial and man ufacturiug
pre-eminence and that the United States is
the only rival she has to fear in either Of these
fields of enterprise. II is evident enough that
this rival cannot be put out OF the way by
war. We are too far removed from her, even
if we were feeble instead of strong, to be east
ly conquered by the sword The exper iment
of 1912 does Eot encourage renewal Of that
experiment. Moreover, war would cut off one
of her best customers, as we'll as deprive her
of her supplies of cotton. In this state OF
things she looks for weak place in our sys-
rem, and she thinks she finds it in Southern
institutions. In one portion of the Union
exists a peculiar kind eff labor, introduced
here by herself, and which /. essential to the
cultivation of the chief staples. In another
portion, this kind OF labor is not found, and
there is prejudice againstit. With her ac-
customed adroitness, England manifests no
antipathy, but rather preference of that sec
ton which is alone the commercial and man
ufacturing sec ton, and which is alone her RI
val and competitor, appearing to place high
er value upon sympathy Of sentiment in alb
stract notions about slavery, than upon any
considerations, however vast, of self-interest.
And yet, is it not easy to perceive that, if she
IL keeping calmly and steadily in view the
removal Of commercial and manufacturing
rival, she is pursuing, by this apparent hos
tility to a section which is not her rival in
these respects, the course best adapted TO pro-
mote her ends If she can stimulate and fos-
ter Northern prejudice against Southern in.
situations, until it becomes q passion that
oyerrides fidelity to the Consultation and the
Union, she paves the way 10 the inevitable
dissolution OF the Confederacy, and the con-
eeQuent overthrow of her great commercial
rival, while she herself need lose none Of the
advantages from that dissolution which she
enjoys under the present state of things, but,
on the contrary, may reap vast additional
benefits. Let our Northern countrynien re-
fleet whether Great Britain II not making a
mere catspaw Of them upon this abolition
subject. Let them consider whether Great
Britain may not be aiming real blow at
Northern commerce and manufactures, under
the cover of a pretended one at Southern sla-
veryl Let them just suppose that Great
Britain, having succeeded in setting North and
South by the ears on the slavery subject, and
thus dissolved the Union, should suddenly
whael round cast off her mask of false phi
lanthropy, form a treaty with the planting
States and at once secure their cotton and
their commerce! That this is an absurd con-
lecture no one will pretend who is acq uafn ted
with the character or history Of Great Britain.
When did she ever sacrifice interest to princi-
ple or commerce to consistency Who but
herself supplied the world with slave labor
when it was necessary to stock her colonies
and enrich her tradesmen with that kind of
enterprise II real philanthropy is her rule
of action, how can she reconcile it to her sem
sitiye conscience to embark in the Coole
trade, to force opium upon the Chinese at the
point of the bayonet, and to subject her vast
East India population to the most abject and
degraded vassalagel Which is most likely
that such a people should sacrifice Pelf
TO Principle, or Principle to Pelfl
For ourselves, we know not what truth there
is In the charge that disappointed Southern
communities are looking to England, in a Ger.
tain contingency, for succor and cooperation.
II it be true, however, it is no great compli.
ment to the character of their CONTEMPLATED
ally. 1t implies cool and thorough conyic.
ton that she does not believe a word she has
ever uttered upon the subject Of Southern in
situations, and that she is the most insidious,
hypocritical and mercenary of Governments.
In this estimate, we dare say they are not wide
of the mark. We apprehend however, that,
If any portion of the South should separate
from the Union, 1t would have higher ambi-
ton Than TO become British plantation We
believe that, whenever it becomes willing TO
rslinqui the position of Independent States,
and become the appendage Of a foreign gov.
eminent, England is about the last Govern
ment on the face Of the earth which it will
willingly select as It's ally. Not that it would
have nythipg TO fear from undue interference
with its property when 1t becomes the in terest
of Great Britain to respect its rights. But
simply because as long as American interests
aud an American spirit exists. it will not will
iingiy permit Great Britain to reap the fruits
OF her OWL insidious and malignant machina.