The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-11-26
The American Question in England.


The American Question I'm England.
The speech OF our Minister, Mr.. Adams, at
the Lord Mayors dinner, seems to have made
a most favorable impression on the public
mind in England. To use nautical phrase, it
hit between wind and water. AT time when
the least righteousness OF sentiment or ex-
preston would have been eagerly seized hold
Of by the tory journals in the interest Of the
South, it has disappointed them by its straight
Forward and conciliatory tone, and its total
abstinence from irritating illusions. The
London Times tries to be sarcastic upon it,
but it fails to weaken its influence. This can
be best judged of by the response which it
elected from Lord Palmerston, whichis marked
by better feeling than anything that has
dropped from him in reference to us since the
beginning of the war. The news of the arrest of
Mcssrs. Mason and Sidell will, Of course, alter for
the moment this agreeable state of things. There
Will be a vast expenditure Of indignation and
hard words on the part Of the journals that have
been working so assiduously in the rebel in
terest, whilst those that arc well affected to-
wards US VII o. aiken aback by the boldness of
the step. VISA the facts Of the case and the
legal authorities and precedents bearing upon
il come to be iny esigated, it cannot, however
fail to have the best effect No people are greater
admirers Of pluck than tie English, and they
will SEQ in this readiness to beard the British
Lion, just as he is beg ginning to indulge in in
cipient growls at us, an unmistakeable evidence
Of our contempt for his ungcnerous mcnaccs
and of our determination not to be inundated
from prosecuting our just rights wherever and
by whomsocvcr they are contravened.
Whilst, however, this bold v:ndication of the
powers accorded to us by the public law of ma
lions viii tend to encourage and strengthen
the friends of democratic Institutions generally
there can be no question as to the extent Of the
perturbation that it will occasion in the public
! mind in England. Since the commencement of
the war the tories, with Lord Derby at their
head, have been endeavoring to make OF the
American question an issue by which they
| might Dust the present Cabinet. They have
only been held in check by the cautious course
Of Lords pamcrston and Russell, who, whilst
| turning deaf ear TO the demands made upon
! them to break Tie blockade, have, by the IN
| friendly tone which they have individually az
! fccted towards us, kept the manufacturing in
| tercst in the belief that such step was not
| remote. The unrehecting excitement which
the news of the stoppage OF the Trent
and the arrest of Messrs. Slidell and
| Mason will occasion will, for the mo-
/ Lol, fho sc 4
tend greatly to cmbarrass the administration.
| When the latter, as it must do on investigating
| the legal bearings Of the question, declines to
demand PREPARATION from our government, there
| will be initiated fierce agitation throughout
the country for its removal 1t may prove sue
ccssfyll; but it is not, therefore, to be sup
posed that tory Cabinet will reverse the po-
| icy of their predecessors. They will do pre-
| ciscly as they did when they turned out the
wings on the Catholic emancipation and Corn
| law questions adopt their views unrescrvedly.
| In the meanwhile the agitation engcndcred
| by this conflict for power will be productive Of
| consequences not calculated upon by those who
| originated il. The bitterness OF political strife
| will be intensified by coincidcnt grounds of
irritation which will test the boosted superiority
Of monarchical over republican Institutions
The widespread distress produced amongst the
working classes by the stoppage Of the cotton
mills, and the terrible suffering which will be
occasioned in ireland by the total failure of the
| potato crop, are in themselves sufficient ele-
/ ments of trouble without having superadded to
them the acerbity of party warfare OF these
| combined influences the results will be disas-
trous to the interests of the arstocracy. When
by and bye, the English operatives, worn out
by starvation and suffering. take glance at
| the comfortable condition Of our own working
| classes, and that notwithstanding the heavy
| drains made upon our resources by stupen-
deus civil war, their conclusions in regard to
! republican institutions are not likely to tally
| very closely with those Of their rulers. The
contest by which we shook off the yoke of the
| mother country led to The first revolution in
+! France. Does it not look az If it were predes-
now engaged shall spring the elements of far
Their enlightenment and liberation for the
masses who are virtually as much ensaved I'M
der the Wanted constitutional institutions of
England as under the worst form Of continental
despotism?
For such result the English aristocracy will
only have themselves to blame During the
last thirty years they have been sowing the
wbirlwind OF anti-slayery agitation, and will
now have to reap its fruits in common with us.
In seeking by that insidions and dastardly poll
cy to break up our institutions they have pro-
badly brought ruin upon their own heads. Let
them tume and buster about the affair of the
Trent as much as they please, they will have
enough to do in providing for their famisbing
population, and in guarding against bread ri
ots political conspnacies and revolution with
out dreaming Of going to war with the people
whom Trey have so deeply injured.
DRUNKENNESS ON BOARD TRANSPORT SHrPs-
Testimony reaches us to the effect that there is
a too free use Of intoxicating liquors on board
Of the steamers employed in the army transport
service; and it is said to be pretty well ascer-