New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-05
CERT SMITH TO GEORGE THOMPSON.
ENGLAND NEEDS TO sOoTHE AMERICA.

Il xGLAND NEEDo ~ oOOihE A"H'iOn
PErERBoRo, Jan. IS, 1862.
r. N, Hon. GEoRaH THonpsoS. Er Member Of the Brisisi
~ Pdyi0msnG
NV DEAR Sir: have read your recent speeches
on American Slavery and the Present Crisis" Not
to sneak of their other merits, they show great
KNOWLEDGE of American affairs, and treat OF them
very temperately and judciously.
IL was we'll that you employed your rich ana com
manding eloquence to prevent England from making
war uron America. hope you will now employ II
to IRE vent America from making war upon England
You need not come here for this purpose. Stay
where YOU are. and labor with others 10 bring your
Government and people to such sense and expires
sion of their deep wrong against mine as shau serve
TO take from the American heart the hatred oil Ed
gland which rankes in it. l refer in this wrong 10
nothing else than what has grown out of the Trent
mstter-for nothing else has made up any part OF H.
II is true that here and there was sore dspleasure
with England for her sympathy with our reoef'
But this sympathy might not have been so general as
to make England responsible for it. Or it might
have been more seeming than real. Or II II was lie
deed real nevertheless il was not an ofense Of the
grade or character to get angry with.
have implicitly predicted that America will de-
clare war against England unless England shall pre-
vent il. scarcely need Fay that this prediction
comes not of my wishes. l love England more than
| love any other nation save my own. cannot aeip
the preference. common lineage, language, ana
literature are sufficient to account for 1t. Her heroes
scholars philosophers, poets, and Phi!anthroplsts
feel to be my own. And while many say that her
oppression of Ireland aud her forcing OF opium on the
Chinese are just worthy Of her, view them TO be
IN orhy Of her, The emancipation OF her slaves-
that was an act worthy OF her greatness and glory
said that | love her. / add that my coubtrymen
loved her. The tears they shed for her when she
was struggling with her horrid East India Rebellion
were sincere. The welcome they gave her yonng
Prince for his oan sase, for he good mothers sake
and for dear old Euglands sake also, unaffected
and cordial. Moreover am opposed to War; and
by War mean the bloody collision Of nation wit,
nation. Every such collision | hold TO be unneces-
sary and wrong, both on ore side and the other In
no case may nation declare War; and she may
safely conclude that the moral power Of her calm
hut unyielding refusal to arm herself against
declaration Of war will protect her from 1t. Again,
should il turn out that there are nations 80 low IN
civilization and so insensible TO restraining and re-
claiming influences AS to ignore or break through
this power and tall upOn her, nevertheless there
to her rescae. These would not ouly honor Der for
her Peace principles, but they would be prompt to
resist every mean and guilty attempt TO take advant-
sge of them. Our poor warenrstd world waits for
n nation 10 take this attitude. The nation 30 trust
fll in truth as TO take il will find il not less safe
than sublime, and will be followed in quick sue
cersion by her sister nations.
That should be opposed TO the war, and vet be in
sympathy with our large Northern armies, may pos
sibly be an Inconsistency. Believing, however, as i
have ever done, in the duty OF Government TO con-
t,ol It's subecs, l am conscious Of no inconsistency
between my opposition 10 war and my sympathy
with armies, however large, ii their sole object
tie queng Of domestic Instructions. II Russia
would be willing to save unarmed France from
armed England, il by no means follows that she
would on tho same or on any principle, 10 Wiling
10 employ her forces in subduing French rebellion.
France must take care Of her own rebels Every
paion must, like every family, govern itself. The
nation or family which cannot had better be
broken up.
Tia, while my loyal coun,rymen have, with scarce
exception, singing sense OF this wrong done by
England 10 America, there is but a comparative
handful Of them unqlalfedly opposed to war, fully
jnsiihes my strong fear that America viii make war
upon England.
L. il strange that they should have this singing
sense To be men they must have il. The Trent
had made herself both in deed and spirit, part aud
parce, OF the great American Conspiracy. The
owner aud agent and I'LL her officers, including the
Commander Williams, had knowledge II the assumed
cham tiers and purposes Of the truitors whom she
had taken on board. She Was doing what she could
TO help on their mission Of death 20 their country.
And all this was ia the face OF the Queens Proela.
nation and in the face, toe, Of the punishment
which the English Government had inflicted for the
like ofenre when We were at war with Mexico.
ire San Jscinlo overlook the Trent, and, out OF
Lindne., 10 her passengers, TO English subjects and
English interests, let her pass on after having taken
the four traitors from her England, on gettiog the
rs~s did not punish the Trent, but declared war
aya,,,,t America. Her first and immediate measure
was actual war Troops and arms were hurried of
10 our coast. Instantly men were put IN motion TO
Lii M, We were not TO learn her spirit from the
tone OF her diplomatic correspondence tue occa-
lion. but her military movements. factions speak |
louder than woris' III man takes Off his coat |
and comes toward me with rolled-up sleeves and |
rlinched fists shall not be comfored by bis words
,oweyer far less threatening they may be. l shall |
iii believe that he will whip me if he can. En-.
land proposed no umpirsge; invited no explanations
wonld not even wait TO learn whether our Govern
uent approved the conduct Of the San Jacinto. But
with cannon loaded and matches lighted she stood
instant compliance with her peremptory
erms. She did indeed wait to hear from u.s. But il
was only that she might then decide whether to stop
Mar. She had already made War
This oppression indeed; and il was very hard
o bear. Nevertheless not 80 hard as the insult che
ombined with il. We knew, and we knew that she
lnew, that had such rebels gone ont from her TO
compass her destruction, she would without any
lelay or hazard by forms and ceremonies, have
augbt them wherever she coald and hung them
lew keeny insulting TO Us was her arrogant position
hat our national dignity is not entitled TO such
,rompt vindcation 10 hers, and that our national
aiety falls UNNECESSARILY below her own in value
md ssoredness. She had neither forgotten nor
egretted that abe had taken thousands of entirely
innocent men from our ships. What contempt then
lid she pour upon us when she virtually told us that
he Is SO infinitely our superior, that we must not
axe from her ships 50 much ~ four men-no, and
rot even if they are very Guilty men No doubt this