The New York herald., 1862-02-03

vellous soumen and research. For Ten
days ths State Department continued
to deluds the press, and during thai
time the press zeslo0sly sustained what It was
deceived into believing was the position Of our
government. The people began to regard as
inevitable, and to bravely prepare for, . war
with England; for pluck is an American
characteristic, and never deserts us, however
desperate the chances may seem. George Sum-
ner, the brother Of the very Senator who after
wards defended, in . long Grafton, the sur
render Of the rebels, came out with aletter
justifying the government in holding its booty.
Edward Everett followed suit in most classical
style. General Cass issued q manifesto from
Detroit to the same end, and even the Hon.
Caleb Gushing had finger in the pie All this
while Secretary Seward was laughing in his
sleeve to see how successful had been his de-
ception, and what fools all our editors and
statesmen were making of themselves, and was
quietly preparing his splendid diplomatic
note justifying, upon American principles, the
return of the "fellows" who had been the cause
of all this confusion.
At last the HERALD, which, up to that time,
had been deluded with the other papers, man
aged to detect the cheat discovered the true in
tention of the government, and announced it in
an editorial, which quieted affairs here, and,
arriving in Europe by the Hansa, put an
efectual stop to all further agitation there.
The other American journals were less fortu-
nate or less adroit, and continued to support the
sham policy of the State Department for several
days longer But if the misrepresentation OF
the English government were accessory to
stock operations, what was the design Of this
official deception of the American presss We
cannot answer this question with certainty; but
we are sure that no party will gain much credit
for having systematically deluded the news
papers and the people of two great friendly
countries, arousing animosities which would
never otherwise have existed; stirring up the
fires of old, long buried hatreds; causing
great deal of expense, trouble, disturbance and
i'll feeling all for no other earthly purpose that
we can discover than to operate upon the
stock market, secure further term Of power, or
win petty reputation for diplomatic smartness.
The WORKING CLASSES OF ENGLAND OPPOSED
TO WAR WITH TUE UNITED SrATEs.-N il some
affair, that, notwithstanding all tho blustsr Of
the English press and the belligerent attitude
of the government towards this country, the
working classes Of England made no really
popular demonstration against us. No meet
ings of an actually public character were sum-
ration, and the feeling among them was opposed
to the idea Of war with the United States.
While the Liverpool merchants called an indig-
nation meeting, and the seedy aristocrats and
men about town assembled at Evans well
known concert hall to listen to comic song at
men-the sinew and muscle of England-fol-
lowed their usual avocations without interrupt
ton. This shows convincingly enough that the
agitation was partisan rather than popular, and
that the working classes are averse to Great
Britain provoking a war with this country
While it is the interest and pleasure of a por-
tion Of the governing classes to agitate war
with the United States the sober, common
sense of the working millions leads them to re-
gard the prospect of such calamity In it's
proper light and, so long as thu. working classes
think as they do, the government will have
formidable enemy to encounter at home, If it
is mad enough to engage in an American war.
RESPONSIBILITY or THE COMMITTEE OF WAYS
AND MEANs.--A heavy responsibility rests upon
the Committee of Ways and Means Of the
House, whose important duty it is to
provide money to carry on the war.
Now, how are they performing that duty?
Instead of employing their time before the
present session Of Congress met in inform
ing themselves as to the exact financial and
commercial condition Of the country, and learn
ing what extent of taxation it could bear, and
how the taxes could be most judiciously i'm
posed they left all these preparations to be
made almost at the last moment; and the essen
tial duty Of providing the sinews of war, instead
OF being the first, is likely to be about the
latest action of Congress. The committee
could have informed themselves upon all ne
cessary points by consulting with merchants,
mechanics and all classes of business men, and
thus have come to their work fully prepared to
produce a tax bill, to provide for loans and all
the other requirements Of the time.
great and expensive war was before u.s.
but these gentlemen did not seem to possess
the foresight to perceive the fact or surely they
would have made some provision in advance
for the onerous duties devolving upon them.
That tax bill was an inevitable necessity
under the circumstances, must have been mani
fest to every one. Taxation is the basis of
national credit, and tax bill no doubt we shall
have by the middle Of March; but meantime
the energies of the administration are crippled