The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-02-22
British Views Of Sccession--Americu
Infatuation Concerning England.

, have not only persuaded themselves
into something that has all The
strength, il not the intellectual weight
Of moral conviction, that the cause
Of slavery is holy and sacred cause
in which they who suffer loss are
heroes and martyrs, but they have
also persuaded themselves that al
who differ from them are the nnfOr.
tunate subjects of q mere ianciiu
hallucinat;on which the slghtest
pressure uf real selt-intereat will
dissipate at once. They seem really
to believe that England ia as read y
10 support them, it they can but OF.
fer her sufficient interested motive
Tor doing 40, ~ she would be, fol
similar Inducements. to sustain Italy
against Austria, or Prussia against
France. Cotton is King" they
cry. England wants our cotton,
and il we en- give it to her cheaper
than she NJ present gots it, there ia
nothing Manchester and Liverpool
would not do to attain such an end ;"
Accordingly they bestow truitless
Ingenuity on plans tor entrapping
England into lending them the aid
Of her protection against the federal
government. Tho leading men oi
South Carolina and Georgia are
said to have hit on the following
scheme: "lf tho United States gov.
ernment attemps to collect the revo.
nue. on foreign imports at the South
by placing revenue cutters off the
different harbors, then the seeding
states, not deeming it expedient to
declare war, will pronounce for di.
rect taxation as the exclusive source
of revenue, passing an ordinance to
that effect. The foreign Ministers
at Washington will then be informed
that the ports OF the cotton states are
thrown open for the entrance OF for
eign merchandise tree Of duty. and
that any duties imposed by the Unit
ell States government are levied
contrary to law, and without author
ity from the Southern Contederacy
The revenue question will then be
transferred from the South to Europe.
IL will become question with
France or England, whether or not
it will defend the free trade rights
thua conferred on its manufacturers
against the revenue duties OF the
Northern states. And in such an
appeal to British or French cup;ditv.
it ia expected the national sympathy
tor free negroi-m, will yield to the
national interest in favor OF tree
trade"
1t is lamentable to see such in
fatuation ne this Have South Car
olina and Georgia really pcrsua led
themselves that mercantile men in
England woull even wish that their
government should interfere in a
struggle between the federal Union
Nh the revolving At ties, and inter-
irre on the side OF those whom they
deem wilfnlly and feartully in the
wrong, simply for the sake OF buying
their cotton at a cheaper rate? We
think wa may safely say that there
ia not u commercial body in this
Kingdom that would endure To see
the british government 30 faithless
to its avowed principles OF action. 80
treacherons to itsavowed sympathies.
tor the sake Of securing n mercantile
gain to this Kingdom II is true we
do not wish TO sec the struggle Ie-
tween the North and the South pro.
longed. We believe no civil war
could equal it in horrors, and we
hold also thht,-if, inleed. NIL classes
among the people OF the South are
bent on separation as they seeln to
be, and not merely carried away by
the excitement oi the moment, and
the urgency OF the neaner part Of
the population, - no iorcible inter.
ference on the part Of tho North
can possibly avail. But, assuredly,
while the struggle il undetermined; :;
while the federal government still
endravors and hopes to enforce its
authority over the whole territory
rightflll!y subjected to its sway. no
hribes, however enormous, would
induce the English people, .-'or any
class among them, however d rectly
Interested in the result, to lend its
aid 10 revolt which they believe
10 be utterly unprovoked, the result
Of the worst political passions and
likely 10 end in the general degra,
datlon Of the Southern states.
These Southern gentlemen seem
TO rs to have lost all the instincts .of
national honor, and TO have lost them
80 entirely that they have ceased 60
believe in their existence else where,
when they calculate on any Europe,
an nation taking course that wonld
cover it with well deserved iniamy.
II there ID one rule of national action
more than another to which we have
pledged ourselves deeply, it is the
rule of non-intcrvention between re-
volted subjects and the government
to which they are supposed to owe
allegiance; may, we do all in our
power to secure the adhesion OF 9th
er European powers to the same
course. Now, do these sharp South.
er oers really believe that England
will not only break through it against
the whole current OF their political
sympathies, but avow to the world
that thew do IL for tho sake of nainl