The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-17


day, will he found in another column, and we
commend it to the careful perusal of every
reader as the ablest and most unprecedented OK
position ofthe cotton question, the objects of
this war and the relations ofGreat Britain with
! the UNIFIED States, that has yet emanateG from a
transatlantic source. Mr.. Bright is the only pub
Tic man ia England who seems capable of rising
to the dignity of philosophic statesman in the
discussion Of American affairs at the present
| time. He coMprehcnds the true state of the case
| at glance aad takes precisely the same view
of thirgs as tn. conservatives of the North do,
and as the conservatives Of the South would if
| no long Of awed by the reign OF terror there
they were allowed to express their opinions.
Unlike ths Exeter HMl or anti-slavery party,
| he does not look upon this contest as an aboli-
ton war; and; unlike the government or cotton
| party, he does not regard it from purely self
| ish point Of survey. He tells the people of
| England that our object is to maintain the con-
sttution of the United States and to act legally
us it permits and requires, and not to iiberate
the slaves; that the war is one to sustain the
government and maintain the authority of
they are true to their own sympathies to their
own history, and to their own great emancpa-
ton act of 1884, will have no sympathy for
the enemies of the Union.
The illegality of secession Mr. Bright Illus
tratcs by an appropriate parallel when he says
"Do you suppose that, if Lancashire and York
shire thought that they would break off from
the United Kingdom, those newspapers
which are now preaching every kind of mode
ration to the government of Washington would
advise the government in London to allow these
two counties to set up special government for
themselves?" And he again qestions if, when
the people of Ireland asked that they should
secede, was it proposed in London that they
should be allowed to secede peaceably?
Referring to the cotton supply, he says
people tell him there will be compro-
mise, or the English government will
break the blockade, so that in any case cotton
will be forthcoming. "Now recoilect," says
Mr.. Bright, "what breaking the blockade
means. 1t means a war with the United States;
and l don't think myself that it would be cheap
to break the blockade at the cost of war with
merate the evils resulting from such a collision
to the operatives of Lancashire, apart from the
manifest injustice and the violation of all inter-
national law which would be- involved in
foreign interference with legal and effective
blockade. He does not hesitate to express. his
own belief, founded on an undoubted fact, that
the interests of Manchester are more dependent
fha Suc thap ha fni oe tha Wos
ington government, and that the sooner
there is peace in America the sooner will cotton
be sent to Lancashire The strongest argument
instavor of the continuation Of peace between
England and this country is that where Mr.
Bright says that the English government cannot
afford to 60 to war with this country. The
vast commerce which belongs to the nation Of
shopkeepers would not only be jeOpardzed, but
ruined, by war with the United States; and even
if the government was so far influenced by its
jealousy of the greatness of this republic as to,
risk conflict the people of England would
rise, not only to protest, but to rebel.
And what would be the sequel? The Wanted
supremacy of England would no longer exist.
Her shipping would be swept from the seas;
her looms would remain idle, and famine and
riot would reign in Lancashire. Debt and
poverty would accumulate rapidly upon her.
Even the throne itself would be imperilled'
Meanwhile the United States, with loyal popu-
lation of twenty-five Millions and far greater
natural resources than Great Britain possesses,
would Withstand the shock bravely and firmly.
We, therefore, can better afford a war with Eng
land than England can with us. From such con-
test we should emerge victorious, and with the
rebellion trodden out under our feet and the
federal authority restored in every Southern
State
Mr. Bright silences the criticisms of The Eng
lish press upon the conduct of the war, by
saying that nothing can be more monstrOus
than for a people, by no means averse to war
themselves, to go on carping ana covlling with
what the federal government is doing. lie adj
vses his hearers and the people of England to
abstain from applying to the United States
doctrines and principles which they never apply
to their own case. He tells them we have
never squandered our money i'll such phantom
expeditions as the English have been engaged
in, and that even in the great emergency of this
| war for the Union the sum we are going
to raise is no greater than is raised in
Great Britain every year during time of
peace. We are glad to- find that there is at
least one statesman in England capable of
forming just opinion upon American affairs
and we doubt not that he expresses the vie'%s-
of the great majority Of the English people,
who are neither trammelled by abolitioris,n
nor cotton and whose sympaahies are decidedly
in favor Of the North in their struggle to main
tain the integrity of the rePablic.
GENERAL BUTLER SUPERSEDED BY GENERAL
Woor.-Tbis is a change which ougha to have
taken place long since, General Butler has
proved himself; TO be very important au'
very pompous parsonage, not unlike TurlSI !
Pacha. His, strategy has been Nost masteLly
| hut it has been more successful against th