The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-08-29
An English View.

What was tie North to do; this foolish
North, which has been SO literally told by US
that she has aiken up arms for nothing, that
she is fighting for nothing, and will ruin her
self for nothing? When was she to take the
first step towards peace Surely every En-
gllshman will remember that when the ear
hest tdlngs OF the coming quarrel reached us
on the election of Mr.. Lincoln, we all declar
ed that any division was impossible 1T was
mere madness to speak of it. The States
which were SO great in their unity, would
never consent to break up all their prestige
and all their power by a separation Would
it have been we'll for the North then to say
" If the South wish it We will certainly sepa-
rate?' After that, when Mr. Lincoln assum-
ed the power to which he had been elected, and
declared with sufficient maniness, and sufti,
clent dignity also, that he would make no war
upon the South, but would collect the Gus
toms and carry on the government, did We
turn round and advise him that he was
wrong? No. The idea in England then was
that his message was, if anything, too mild
"lf he means to be president of the whole
Unior.,' Eng land said, "he must come ou,
/ with something stronger than that" Then
came Mr.. Stewards speech, which was in
truth, weak enough. MIR. Seward had ran
Mr. Lincoln very hard for the presidents
chair On the republican interest, and was
most unfortunately, as think-made secre,
tary of state by Mr.. Lincoln, or by his party
The secretary of state holds the highest Of
flee in the United States government unde,
the President. He cannot be compared te
our prime minister, seeing that the presiden,
himself exercises political power, and is res
ponsible for its exercise. Mr.. Seward.
speech simply amounted TO declaration thai
separation was thing Of which the Unior
would neither hear, speak, nor, if possible
think. Things looked very like it but no
they could never come to that. The worlc
was too good, and especially the American
world. Mr.. Seward had no specific agains
secession; but let every free man strike hi
breast, look up TO heaven, determine to b,
good and all would go right A great dea
had been expected from Mr.. Seward, ant
when this speech came out, We in England
were little disappointed. and nobody pre-
sumed even then that the North would lie
the South so.
cannot see at what point the North frs
sinned nor do think that had the Nortl
Welded, England wo1ld have honored her fo
her meekneSs. Had she yielded withou
striking blow she would have been told tha
she had suffered the Union to drop asunde
by her supineness. She would have bee
twitted with cowardce, and told that she wa
no match for southern energy. Itwould the
have seemed to those who sat in iudsmen
on her that she might have righted every
thing by that one blow from which she ha
abstained. But having struck that one blow
and having found that it did not suffice, coul
she then withdraw, give way, and own hel
: self beaten9 Has it been so usually wit
!, Anglo-Saxon pluck In such case as tha
would there have been no mention of thos
two dogs, Brag, and Holdfast ? The man {
the northern states knons that he has bras
: ged-bragged as loudly as his English for'
! fathers. In that matter of Dragging the Br
, tish lion and Star-spangled banner may al
stain from throwing mud at each other. An
now the northern man wishes to show that
can hold fast also. Looking at all this l cal
; not see that reace has been possible to tn
North.-Tf0lOpe's North american.