The national Republican., 1862-11-07
From the London American.
America be fore EurOpe.

What Is the crime OF our country What
will explain the deep and determined hostility
which inspires almost the entire press of Great
Britain, and the vast majority of her public
mem 1t cannot be that they do not compre-
hend tho facts upon which correct Judgment
OF the case must rest. These are few and eas.
ly mastered Between the loyal States Of our
country and those now In rebellion. 1t is noto
rious there existed one difficulty and one only,
calculated to eDdanger the permanent peace
and prosperity Of America. That difficulty was
slavery. In later years this has been the one
source Of sectional animosities and OF party
strife. Those animosties have been embitter.
ed, and that strife rendered tenfold more fierce,
by the direct influence which England has con.
stantly brought 10 bear upon us RS u people.
We we're ever taunted with the reproach of
slavery; urged aud TO urged In the language of
entreaty and remembrance to cast II of. We
did all we could. From constitutional limita.
tions. We could not interfere, rs q nation, with
tho local status OF the institution. But we
could seek 10 educate public sentiment, to
create a higher mora'teeling among the peO.
Pile, and this VIC did.
And II ore, we could vow and maintain that
those virgin plains which belonged to the
nation should never be blighted and cursed
with the miserable inheritance bequeathed to
the original States by the mother country. We
did 80, and hence Game war. When the results
brt ke upon US, We ins,inctively turned to those
who had insligated and encouraged us in tho
course, At least for sympathy If not support.
We ne ed not put the answer IN words. Ii has
been burnt into every loyal American heart.
1t will take generations to effacs it. And now
We have come to see wherein our confidence was
mis- aced. As John Stuart Mill has observed
in his sbls article in the Westminster Review,
with Englshmen of this generation, opposition
to slavery is sentiment rather than convic.
tion. Old forms Of speech remain in vogue,
but they have lost the clear ring OF honesty
and the intense feeling they had when they fell
from tho lips Of Clsrkson and Wilberforcs and
Granville Sharpe.
We do not complain that the issue has come.
1t might have been delayed, or it might have
come IN another form, but 1t was inevitable.
We do complain, however, that those who have
contributed so powerfully and necessarily to
bring 1t about, sh"uld now turn round and
malls gn us IN the agony of our distress.
Our crime Is another. Englishmen had no
idea, when urging on the anti slavery agita.
t,on, that IN the eventual condlct another issue
would supervene, before which their love for
the slave would decline and expire. But pre-.
cisely to this point have they come. They
would rather SEQ the United States humbled
and enfeebled by the dismemberment Of her
territory, than the integrity Of her power
Should be maintained by declaring liberty to
| tho slave! The very men who cried fiat jus.
| tiltd, rudt cGium, )" have discovered that both
justice and mercy forbid emancipation, and the
columns of English journals are filled with
apologies tor Shareholders onoe current In the
press OF Charleston or New Orleans. 1t Is the
| stern and determined attitude of the loyal oti.
zens OF America to maintain the honor Of their
Government and the integrity Of the national
domains that Oils tho minds Of English writer's
| and speakers with such a deadly hostility.
| Had we consented TO surrender all that the
South demanded, then It would have been al.
legged that Rspublicanism had failed to create
public spirit and patriotism, and that Demo
cratic institutions constituted merely rope
Of sand which the spirit Of faction might. al
any moment, sever with impunity. Those who
have pleaded for such a surrender give ouI
people credit for baseness OF soul to which
they can lay no claim. We can, at least, insist
on this high honor for our country, that, in hei
keep ping, free institutions have shown a
strength and consistency which monarchy has
often coveted in vain. All tho virtues that &c
TO make people great, and anation enduring
have been almost prodigally displayed by
American citizens in this bitter struggle; and
| In those virtues, we hnd the sure ground of an
unabated confidence that peace shall only be
pledged over the grave OF treason and rebel
lion.