New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-19
New9lurk daily Gribn,te
e u ROP e.
ENGLISH FEELING ON THE AMERICAN
SLAVERY QUESTION.
" y


1t ought always to be chrOnicled whenever one
the influential London journals emancipates itself
from temporary bondage, and returns to the rank
of the Independent Press. In the case of The
Econoist this event calls tho for notice, since
that paper, although opposed to the economical
doctrines of The TRIBUNE, has repeatedly ac-
kpowledged the fairness and ability with which
TIE TRIBUNE is conducted. Being q weekly
paper principally devoted to economical questions,
The Economist was placed under more favorable
circumstances than the great bulk Of its mehopoli
tao cot mpOIares for a superior anayss OF politi-
cal events at home and abroad. 1t could almost
act the part Of a calm arsiier between the discord
ant and passionate pleadDgs Of the daily press and
for m9ny years it undoubtedly welded a sonsider-
able il fuence in this sense. Its impartiality was
not that Of The Spectator affecting to blow neither
bot nor cold and ~ decide neither one way nor the
oth'r; but aimed at judging case by its own
merits, without regard 70 parliamentary or minis
teral wstcbwords. OF late years, however .
range change broke in upon the conduct of tae
paper. The change became visible when Mr.
James Wilson, who, with the aid Of the cee's Of
the Ant. Corn-Law League started The Economist
in 1874, became ABSORBED into the subaltern ranks
of the Coalition CABINET. Subsequently, when he
served in the Board Of Trade under the consecutive
Pala erston CabiGes, the snprlnsiped partisan
character of The Economist, tiDgug its structures
On the Persian War, the IsdlaD Rebellion the Can
ton boaIbardment, and the Reform question, gave
rise to pubic IemoDstrances Dyth'ng but com
plmeItury to Mr.. Wilson. The Tory papers even
held bin out ss o str king specimen of mddIe-class
paIvenu morality, Mr. Wilson having BY dins OF
industry, been converted from batter into pub.
lc parsonage. He recent promotion TO the post of
Indian Chancellor Of the Exchequer seems to have
discovered bis old connection with The Economist
viii at once attempted to recover its lost eroaod
and ia the stand it mode against the present Chinese
War to give an earnest VI independence. The
part pos taken BY Tie Economist in the dispute on
the American Slasery question proves its altered
tone not to have been accidental, but, on the con-
trary, to'proceed from settled determination
With regard to the American Slavery question,
TIE Economist has published two articles, the on
hesded 1.-The Impending Crisis in the Southern
States of America, the otaer, English sympa-
{" thy with the Slavery party in America" the for
mer being, aswill be nerred from its title, CON-
ment Oh Mr. II. r. Helpers volume, while the lat
ter embodies manly protest against the recent
Pro-Slavery Manifesto of The London Times. In
the fret article The Economist states, that Z" To
England tie impending crisis is one Of the most
profound interest-not because the Slave States
" threaten to appeal TO us to defend them against
"the North in case disunion comes, and ends IN
"civl war; for such an appeal ia too foolish to be
made, but, because, whiis on, interests as mdH-
81 facturing country are bound up, with somewhat
"paip}M oloseness, with the prosperity Of the
"SOuib, our political sympathies and good wishes
"vould 90 heartily wi the North" Proceeding
from the position that Manchester and Glasgow de-
pend on cotton and that the prosperity OF the Cot
ton States depends on the Union, The EeensmiH
does no. FRY to blink the fact that the British ira
der and manufacturer may feel strong bias
for the professions, on the yielding to which the
Southern States affirm the Union to hinge. New
eribeless The Eco. omist AYERS that if the progress
of Slavery was only to be checked by the separation
of the North from the South, such an event
must be "welcome' to every true EDgishman.
$50 long it says, "as the ambition and power oil
"tbe North is Interested in extending the bounda-
ries of the Union southwark into Mexico aud
"ihe Isihmus, the extinction OF Slavery rs hope
g. less thing. The one condition of its vitality AID
"profitabeness is constant extension OF territory.
Once draw Gordon round, beyond which it can
" not paes, and Slavery would soon becOme utterly
~ IN in vi "
which can be proftably cultivated by slave labor
Ga Kind of labor that requires constant and NIL
mute overlooking, to answer at oil. Unless The
"slaves WORK n gangr, under sufficient supervision,
their labor is worthless and so soOn bs the land
lis exhausted it can again be made profitable only
by difle ent system OF fasming-oDe, namely,
which requires much subdivision, and free, pains
"tsking, drilled labor instead of farming on a
large scale, by forced, and, therefore, unskilful
"abor"
The Economist, according to this view OF
the case, differs from the argument put forward in
Mr.. Helpers book, 30 strangely discussed at wash
ineton-an argument amounting to this, that be-
cause the Slave States do not increase in popula-
ton nearly 30 rapidly as the Free aud because lauc
is so much cheaper there, and because 10 much
more OF it is needed TO yield given value 10 prod
ucts Slavery must consequently, be dying cut Of
itself, and ss it were, committing suicide. Tie
Econ ornist, the contrary believes thatts progress
can be checked only by the most strenuous efforts,
and that what is assigned as a reason against the
proGtableness Of Slavery, is just the only circum-
stance that can make it worth while to be main
tanned Since Slavery could only be prof table on