Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-04-13
9aiIr appeal.
LETTER To LORD RROuGHam,aY
~ AMERICAN FOREIGN mFNTs-
TER.


LETTEK TO LORE HRoUGHam.HY
AMEktCAN FOREIGN MINIS
Prom ne PtHads'phia Press
ny LoEDs Two events o. recent occurrence.
trihing N themselves, except when regarded in
connection VIZ the peculiar circumstances Of
me times In which they occurred, have eop-
tributed more toward the Identification oF ,our
iordship's name With the political convulsion
which the year OF our Lord one thousana eigbt
hundred aud sixty one is now witnessing ia
America, and with tbe anti-slavery movement,
IN which i has had its origin, than al which
you have hitherto accomplished during your
long and brilliant career as an English states
man.
With zeal which has known no asggine-
win resolution which was appalled, bv no
P.oaanie or possible consecuences-with an
ability which is fully accorded bv vour adrsr.
saries-snd with an earnestness- witch v,-c0i5
seen 70 preclude any doubt OF vout sincerity
you have l=bored for the overthrow Of that IN
s-hutlon ot African slavery in America. which
has existed from period long anterior to the
Incorporation OF the republic in the family OF
nations
In ibis lifetime labor, however, you have
oeen identified With others OF your GONNA triofs
who have exhibited the same pertinscftv of
purpose, and who love probably acquired
reputation almost equal TO your own as the
Erest eKponents Of English sentiment and En-
giish policy.
Z has been the fortune OF your lordsbir,
Rh thsiinstrumentality Of the two events
ssasta, n iRscriee your name far above
thos el--sour fellow-aborers, in the roll % the
reeoaas1ed exemplsrs Of British sentiment and
British policy
TIE arst of these occasions offered to your
iordship The opportunity, in an assembly Of
DISTINGUISHED dignitaries from almost every na-
ton OF the civilized world, Of proclsiming, in
enect, your belief in the equality Of the races
Of man, and the special claims of an African
then present 10 be regarded ss a worthy and 4
NJ assoriste for the noble peers Of England
IL your lordship hNd heen contented with
the uttersnee Of this simple expression og
opinion, II would probably have been foTgotieH
BY those who wers YO,T auditors, almost ss
Boon as uttered. II by any accident, repre-
sentative nan OF the millions Of Angio-SsKoR
blood and Angio-SsNon color, who have
sighed in vain ts attain to that social rank aud
station which you 80 readily accorded in that
august assemblage Of princes, and MOBILES, and
statesmen, to this s0oty African, had bestowed
passing notice upon Ibis paragraph in your
loTdship's speech, the subject woald doubtless
have been dismissed after brief commentary,
with The vtry natural and charitable observa-
tions that peer Of England had a undoubted
right 10 choose his own associates, and might
be expected 10 comprehend better shan another
the qualifications and characteristics OF those
whe should be regarded as worthy Of such as
Bocistlon.
But your lorssbip entertained deeper pur-
pose. You desired to bold up 10 obloquy a
great nation On the opposite side Of the Allan
ne; and in order 10 startle your udlsnce BY
TIE magnitude ard the snormity Of its crimes,
- you proclaimed the presence Of the diplomatic
representative Of that nation which held in the
bonds ot slavery u-llions of a race OF people,
o. which you then and there presented faith
fai type, and 10 whom You assigned an equality
ot social rank with the nobler order, Of which
your iordship, in the estimation Of your fellow
eountrymen, Is a faithful representative
our lOrdship's design was skilfgllF, and
artisticsllv, and drama 'icsiiy executed. To
be received and acknowledged as a peer, in
Ench assembly, was certainly, in your lord
ships estimation, 70 Be placed upon pima
Gle Of social and moral elevation which few
could hope to reach while The doom OF the
slaves upon the plantations Of America was
degradation beyond which there was no lower
depth. The worthy representative Of the op-
pressed, and the ofhcisl representa- live Of the
hated oFpressor, were both present before you.
Both were in foreign land, and both were
strangers, and your guests Disregerding
these pressing claims upon Ycur forbeaTsnce-
acting, it nay Be, upon the conviction that the
claims q God and humanity were more thsn
psrsmount 10 al other considerations, you
sudieace as Representatives Of the victim aud
Of the enslsVer-of virtue and Of vice-of
freedom and OF despotism-of al that was
worthy to be loved, and Of an that should be
hated.
The occasion was one which prscluded reply
OF explanation. The generous, the refined,
the Intellectual, the noble represent stives Of
dssBissd and down-troddsn rsce, stood reveal
ed beiure a sympathizing audience, in al the
majesty Of injured innocence; while there, too,
stood the spoiler-the embodiment Of the stu
psndous crime Of bis country.
Il would probably Be presumpiuous in ms 10
question the good taste DISPLAYED by your lord
ship, either in your choice Of the occasion, or
10 Tour manner of tresting one Of these sfran-
ger guests. | an willing TO concede that your
lordship should know better than I the rules Of
poiiteness and good breeding proper to be OBJ
served In an sssemblsge Of noble and high dig
nitsriss, gathered together in The great capital
Of the civilized soTld. and presided over by
the prince cousort Of England's noblest queen.
Upon this collateral point, would not dare to
make uD Al issue with your l0rdBhip, the more
especially as your sudsnre, BY the applause
with which IL greeted your remarks, has already
recorded it's verdict in your favor.
The main purpose OF your lordshiP was
achieTed-tbs c,ntrsst you suggested startled
the world BY its magnitude The irrelevancy
Of the subject 10 that which your auditors bad
assembled 10 consider. gave 20 tbe incident no.
torieiT which was msgnifed BY its very isola-
tiou: while The event has been perpetustsd in
the memory of the multitud, BY The priucely
character Of the audience before whom the
scene was 50 dramatically enacted. From tha'
moment, America has recognize IN the uups-
tionsble gsllsntry Of ycur achievement the
qualities which have made YOU the great cham
plon of British sboliiionirm.
viii now pass 70 the second event. which
has served, In still greater degree. BY expand
ing tie 5eld Of your operation, to strengthen
and to confirm yeu in The position whic", bY
common consent, has been previously assigned
70 yog. But, before entering directly upon ths
subject, allow me 10 refer to an incident which
occurred not a great while ago, at a sn0t not
more thsa three thousand miles distant from
that great center Of civilization in which your
loriship moves.
murderer in another continent closed
long career Of crime under the gallows There
was nothing peculiar 10 this fact, for su n has
been often the fate OF mUrdsrers in England,
America and elsewhere. But this was d viii
lain Of TO ordinary stamp His victims were
not stslwsrt men alone, but defencsless women
and little children. He did not slsy in the
glare Of a MONDAY sun, as a common rObber
At the head Of bis band Of retainsrs, but be
killed in The quiet b0uIs Of night, and he slum-
berE Of innocence were startled By the death
shrieks Of bis unsuspsctihg victims. But bis
crimes had rot their beginning in hose Tor
which be suffered an isnominious death. They
extended over series of years, and The last
FOR which with bis life be paid be Forfeit, was
bV no means he worst. ] myself have seen
and known the unhappy victims Of bis earlier
crimes have seen and known The happy
wife snc mothsr-happy in the innocence and
purity Of h-T life, though humble in her sta
tion-snd have seen hsr again iH an The dss-
eisti0s Of chiidless wid0whcod Dreadful,
indeed. were the scenes through which that
80 49, ss-e
one short night. Sbe was sleeping in fancied
security when the spoilers came TO her humble
Jog cabin, and passed through the unbaTed
door to the bedsides Of hef sleeping husband
and children. Your irds1ip knows the rest,
snd Will be brief. They were four when they
laid down to rest, that dreadful night. The
morning dswned upon tbs living woman sur
rounded By ths lifeless and mutilated bodies OF
Der HUSBAND and children.
Tss chief criminal in tiis drama of blood,
emboldened by immunity, changed the scene
and enlarged the field Of his operations. At
Harper's Ferry, be again unsheathed BIS
Be - dagger, and again was the 6our cf mid
night made terrible by tie death struggles Of
his unwstcbing victims. Am moi right, then
fa saving that John Brown was a villain ef no
ordinary stamp2 Sane mrn, 10 a contempls-
fion Ct The magnitude Of bis erires, have said
nat be was mad, while msdmen haye exalted
he demon into a saint. ard mOurn FOR him as
martyr in holy cause
L was upon ihc 81 day Of December, 1850,
that bis friends and psrtissns assembled N the
city Of Boston 10 celebrate the first salaTersa-
" Of bic msrtYrdom-
Previous 10 that time letter had been ad-
dressed to yo1r lordship by the "eomnittee o.
managers" inviting you io be present upon
that occasion, and to join iH mat esis
brsiion.
Those who knew tbs fact hat such sn invi-
iati0n had been addressed 20 your iords-if 2,
were eager 10 learn in what manner yoa woa.d
respond. The FIRST Impression would naturally
Be that your lordship would treat he misslFe
with tns dignifsd silence and disdsin w1tn
which q noblemsn o. y5ur l0rdship's exalted
standing might be expected 10 meet fress
and studied insult, or that your indignaton'
obtaining lbe mastery Of vogr better jlagme2''
might indure you, in that burning eioquerce
81 words, which yocr iordship can 50 rseoiiy
command, 70 hurl back tie insult in the races
a your trsdueers; or, milder aud more humsne
mar either, and, perhaps, more in eonsonanes
rehfrN rnfUnf De EM=