The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-28
Letter from an American in London.

Letter from an American in London.
I'VE give the following extract from pri-
vate letter dated London, Nov. s. Without
endorsing it We can commend it to our read
ers as showing the way in which Americans
in England look at our civil war;:
You see by the papers which occasionally
send you what the state of feeling is in Eng
land towards America that the great major
ity, without exactly knowing nor caring why,
are inmistakably committed to the South !;
and that small minority, who do understand
their why, are firm friends of the North
Public opinion in England might have been
moulded to different shape, if the North had
had the sagacity in the early part of the con-
test TO put her cause on such footing as to
have commanded the sympathies of univer-
sal humanity, and secondly, to see that her
cause was properly defended and advocated
throughout Europe. The South have out
witted US in this respect as she has i'll SO
many others. The sympathies of the great
middle classes of England would have been
with the North beyond all dispute, if our
government had at the outset declared for
emancipation and even as it was. they
would not have gone with the South, but for
the persistent and uncrupulous efforts of the
British press, under Southern guidance, to
misrepresent the objects of the North, and
to obscure those of the South in the prosecu
ton of the war. The masses of England
have been simply imposed upon by long-con-
tinued, audacious. and unanswered lying
That so little has been done to counteract
this tide of Misrepresentation is only another
proof Of the superior sagacity and alertness
of the Richmond govel nment to that of
Washington.
General SCOTS letter, which gave such
{" aid and comfort to the rebel sympathizers
at the democratic meeting in New York, has
given aid and comfort also to the friends
of the South here; see that the American
papers have but little to say about it, on the
principle perhaps least said soonest mend
ed General SCOTS attempt, however, to
mitigate his detection is rather lame. You
have, long ago perhaps. read Marryatt's
/" Midshipman Easy, and you may remem-
Der the the following scene:
On this young hero being introduced into
the world, Mrs Easy, his mother. did not find
herself equal to nursing her infant, and it
was necessary to look out for substitute
This work was undertaken by the medical
man, who soon brough: in handsome, ford,
healthy looking young woman, awkward and
naive in her manner, and al paren,ly not over
wise.
Mrs Easy commenced the conversation by
enquiring OF the woman what her name
was.
Sarah, if you please, ma'a:n."
How long have YOU been married."
Married. ma'am ,"
Yes, n.arried."
If you ? lease, ma am, had misfortune,
ma am repliel the girl, casting down her
eyes.
What. have you not been married."
No ma am, not yet"
Good heavens. DIR Middleton, what can
you mean by bringing this person here ?" ex
claimed Mrs Easy. Not married woman.
and she has child ~
If You please. ma'am,' interrupted the
Young woman, dropping curtsey," it was a
very little one
a very little one " exclaimed Mrs Easy
"Yes, ma am, very small indeed and died
soon after it was born"
Now to those who have always felt that
General Scots devotion to the Mon should
be, like the virtue of Caesars wife, "a
bove Suspicion, will hardly be assured by
his endeavor to show that his lapse from 10y
atty was o"ly"a very little one"
Americans here are distressed beyond
measure hy the inactivity of the army of the
Potomac They are so far removed from the
excitement of the present political campaign
that they interest themselves but little with
the quarrel as to the command of the army,
but in speaking of Mcclellan, they very natu-
rally enquire if he is to hold back the North
Mis year, as he did last, until the winters
rain and mud shall render it impossible TO
advance. Is it not high time that somebody
should be at the head who wW advance