Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-12-28
THE GAZETTE.
ANENGLIsH VIEW OF OUR QUARRELs.
FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER IS, 1850.

ANENGLISH VIEW OF OUR QUARRELS.
The London Times of the 5th of Deem
cember has another leader on the American
crisis. Itwould seem that the English peo-
pie were beginning to realize the maSnl-
tude of the question. The Times says:
'The feelings which now divide the Uni-
ted States into anita onists must tend to tlsh-
ten the grasp of the slaye-owner on the one
hand; and, on the other, to provoke the tanat-
icism and the ingenuity OF the abolitionSt.
The very language of the Southern States
breathes personal apprehension and def
ance. 1t is in vain to dispute the danger,
but at least it may be met with reason As the
Southern States certainly would not mend
matters by separation, and as the Northern
States can do nothing, and have done moth
ing, to mitigate the evils for which they pro-
fess so much adherence, all that can be
done is to take moderate and rational view
of the subject.
s.To both the Northern and Southern
States we beg leave TO suggest what has
happened in this country. 4 few years ago
all England went crying mad over story
which certainly was masterpiece OF writ
ing. The first impression was that which
the writer intended-an unbounded horror
of slavery, and Indignation against the slave
master. Never was eloquence better listen
ed to: never had an argument talrer play,
for at least 100000 British men and wo-
men read or listened to the book IN the ST.
fence of their homes, ard the fair advocate
carried the sympathies spelbound to the
last line of the last page. What is now the
result? We are Il fair and reasoning peo-
ple. We have looked into the condition OF
the negro, as described by the novelist. We
have realized" the ''institution." We have
unprecedented the greatness OF the facts, and
asked ourselves. What can be done?" We
have compared the evil with the evils OF our
own. and reflected with what difficulty We
get over-if We do get over-our own social
mischiefs and scandals. There !s no use IN
violent language, we say to ourselves; what
is to be done? That is the question. We
have, too been made aware, and have had 1t
brought home to our conscience, that we
consume largely slaye-grown cotton, and su-
gar, and coffee, and that the very paper on
which Il million copies of Uncle Toms Cabin
were spread over this country was made
from slave produce.
"Returning then to our senses, to our rea-
son, and to our conscience, we have come to
take & much quieter view of the domestic
institution We feel for the slaves, but we
feel also for their masters, and we have sat
isied ourselves that it does no good to the
former to abuse the latter. We are aware,
too that slavery was British bequestto the
States. All these considerations apply quite
IS much, and more nearly by several de-
grees. to the Northern States.
MAY not this quarrel give way TO a
calm, in which the real difficulties of the
question will be met and quietly answered?
1t is true that the commerce Of the United
States is almost, if not quite, as much COM
mitted to slavery as its agriculture. For
what would New York be without Slavery
But what alas! would Liverpool and Man
chester? What this metropolis? Cannot
all the partners in this business put their
heads together, shake hands over the quar-
rel, and think what can be done to mitigate
what it is so difficult to abolish? Perhaps
we speak to the deaf. but any thing is better
than dividing State against State, house
against house, and servant against master
in the most rising nation of the world"