, 1862-07-31
DhR GrihttnE.

UbG Grihumx% |
:. THURSDAY: JULY, a1,. 1850. :.
AnIERICAN sDEGENERAcx.n
The ISLANDERS Of the London TIues
Exposed At Home.
The London Times Of July 9th spoke Of
Americans as degenerate and insensate pee
pls "tst isolating themselves oalYln order that
they may indulge their own fierce Vices un-
To this the London Spectator,
the ahlest OF the English weekly journa1s
makes the following reply:
VAaAEIEs or ESGL1sH OPINION.
OF. the many strange vsgartes OF English
on Wednesday embodied in tWo strong words,
That journal, which, aware that its articles
weigh in America mora heavily than dis:
patches, writes every now and then as If it
wanted war, styled the Americana "this in:
pst and tse sa 49 eaa ts ri
scarcely applies to race whose most disagree:
able quality, next to their se: :conceit, is their
habitual "amartness." The civil war, simply
as such, is, Of course, open to any amount Of
reprobation, even from men who, were lnaia
again in revolt, would support its suppression
bJ any and every means short Of depopula-
tion. Miser5 is rarely just, and tie war ere
ates among certain classes degree aud extent
Of misery which Wonld account for any dis
gust and palliate almost any viruleuce. Bat
history and incidents Of the var, can draw
IRON them evidence Of American dsgeneraey,
is to us unintelIlaible- To III they seem
on the contrary to relieve the Americans
from some OF the severest reproaehes which
previously rested on their national character;
TIE FACTS.
Let us look at the facts. No sooner had the
var commenced than the Northern people,
supposed to be the one which of all Others
pursuit and sraked their lives, their fortunes
ard their future On war for an "idea," that
idea being the one which In England We call
patriotism. Taking the Lowest view Of their
conduct, they still had the motive which iustt
1lee Italy in declaring war for Venetia-they
fought Tor their national completeness~ Be
hesed to be disinclIued to service and Inca
patle OF discipline, they enlisted IN hundreds
OF Thousands, and The Times correspondent
bears mitnesa Irom the Pamunkey to their
equals that of our soldiers in the Crimea.
Supposed TO be guided wholly Dy impulse,
they answered the frightful disaster Of BallRun
bj creating 8 neq army, aud raising loans on s
scale Of more than European profusion.
Impatient and fckle,'s they waited five
1nonths for Mcclellan to organize the army
without abatipg one jot Of their purpose, or
against their foes 'sIncapab1e Of ee1f-re-
slraint,'' they hare pardoned Mcdowell ia
spite Of a defeat which risked their existence
IS q nation, and upheld Mcclellan through all
his wearisome delays. 4 "mere mob,' they
suffered their president to postpone the na-
tin4aa1 1ir1d.. n fhs 71nhlih GPrur1tp 1aw the
habeas corpus suspended without struggle,
snd gave up Mason and slideli in the very
1nids! If their Joyous excitement at the cap
ture. Worsblppers Of the almighty dollar
they have deliberately mortgaged the North
that the war might not be starved, and the na'
ton split into halves
Without organization, and almost without q
government, With no adequate revenue, and
with half their own strength in open insur'
rection against them, they have fought on
steadily for fourteen months, aud in the yerl
thick Of the contest have created a navy aud
organized an army such as raises the Unior
to the rank Of first class power. And be II
remembered In their praise, they have &C
! fought without the excitement Of success
! have sustained defeats innumerable, have beer
| compelled to cast aside statesman after states
man, to see general after general condemned
| as ignorant, dishonest. or wanting in fidelity
to 1he cause.
They have done all this, too, without revo
| lutionary measures, without upsesting tht
| authority of the States, without interfering
save for three months, With the routine 0
| daily life. They are called vindictive, and st
/ they are in speech; but after fourteen month
| Of q rebellion commenced with treacher,
| wjfhouta parallel, Gen. Butler was the first K
| iL1iet death on man convicted Of treason
! President Buchanan, whose llte In England uR
| der the same circumstances, wonld rot haV
been worth an hour g purchase, lives at Wheat
land still unmolested. Not one bill of pros
cription has been passed, the solitary conhssa
tion bill is still not Law, and the people shrial
with an almost cowardly terror from meas
ure which, as they fear, might create feVoiu
tiou within their enemies' homes.
Amidst their crowd of new men, one fndee
has Issued orders which have made his nam
by-word, but the only charge against the II
naaindcr is that OF oVeI-lenitY. When Fraucs
inyaded by coaIesced Europe, rose in arms, q
Europe admired an outburst which was no
in any one feature nobler than that which, bs
cause Americans brag and are personally dii
agreeable, We are to accept in America as ev
dtnce of degeneracy. The war, 50 far fros
destroying al that is good In them, is annea
ing the hearts OF the nation-hardening then
TIE GRAND PRINCIPLE At ISSUE.
"But the war can end only In one Wa
tegone? ?'' Simply because Americans al
only Engl1shmen in thelr shirt sleeves, at
| while hope remains they cannot give wa
, | Pluck and tenacity, however unreasonabl
are not exactly elgns Of degeneracy. =
. fought for years to keep colouies which u
greatest men among us declared all the tin
! we should be unable to conquer; and thou!
we recognise the folly Of our persistence
has not injured our national character 7
) North is plunging itself in debt? True, al
r better 80 than plunge into system OF reqt
, sitions which the French tried after exhau'
ing ss5ignats, and without certainly mu
I apparent degeneracy. They Z" are eating !
i. their future" We have one, nevertheless
3 who have bitten just five times as deeply in
Z the cake.
- America has still not incurred larger de
than we contracted 10 conquer the Stat
though ne had then but half the Aueric
population. stsae is destroyiug the source
q peuulatlop,'s 1t is true, the waste Of life
Iuost fearful, but it must in any case be !
than the destruction caused by the Irish fl
lne-a catastrophe we have survived, q
which too many Of us In our secret hearts
= not to this hour regret. The Union
surrendered its principle, the right Of m
kind to choose their own form Of COVE
- ment," That grand principle is ours also,
y we are not going to poll India, nor il lrel.
rebe1led to.motrow should We dreau OF
peaceful ballot boz. A nation must exist
fore it, ean proclaim any PRINCIPLES Whate'
and though We eau conceive Of people
lof1ily consistent that they would carry OF
- grand principle which yisib1y involved Il
u own destruction, that Is not height to VT
II We have attained, nor does it lie In our moi
" to charge the Northern people with failure
d. reach standard Of virtue from which we
= selves recol.
N There arc enough causes Of sadness In
American war, without charges Of degene
addressed to the only race who, save oursel
Ill stand up for the right Of political freedom
Is melancholy that the progress Of the #
: should be stopped BY the wretehed fear Of
- n.ocracy produced BY the conflict; melauc
that eight millions Of human beings shoul
enconntesing death to retain the slaves n
n | the twenty millions who fight for them
~ not entranchise; most melancholy Of all
in the providence Of God We, who introd
net | bear our share In the consequence OF
81. great crime. There is misery in store fol
di. South and for the North; for the man-sts
~ sa9t and those who have legalized the theft
Z fs. the toiling millions Of Lancashire, and
nses those who supply the object Of their |;
fan, 1s,. But among those miseries the greatest o
ill the degeneracy Of q branch OF the A.
I'm | Saxon race-of the only people who, al
~ many errors and many crimes, are still
1tn | scionsly toiling on to higher futuse-#i
suredly not be found
.Ry The Execution Of Taepfn. Prison
siPpi Fer0c1ons Cruefttes.
hse~ ssns The following account Of the bruta
'ssh; committed on the Taepipgs BY the Imp
&c. &C. lists Is from the pen Of an Englishman
i nna ~ WAS present, In company with both Ell
lain lain and French officers and soldiers, at th'
aioa. cution BY d1sembowelment Of Taeping
eavy netE:- -
- md Iwent with The crowd to see the exec
"a. ossd OF the Taepiug prisoners that had been
u In up for execution into the hands Of the
anee asEss darins BY the English and French autho