The Portland daily press., 1863-05-02
Has the Proclamation done any Good

Has the Proclamation done any Goods
Those who represent the Emancipation
Proclamation as mere brutum .fulmen-a
harmless hunderbolt--because they do not
see all the slaves rushing to the federal lines,
OF because they do not see their chains every
the effect of that great event Of the age. The
fact is placed almost beyond cavil that this
simple paper proclamation, from the honest,
earnest executive Of the nation, has complete
ly dssipated the lowering clouds of war that
seemed gathering across the Atlantic. Who
now fears the Intervention of England? Who
does not know that the uprising of the people
of England in sympathy with the Northern
States has never been equalled unless it was
by the great uprising ofour own peoplein 1861
We not only hear of the uprising ofthe work
ing classes of England, and of the slow but
significant movements of the Government in
its efforts TO stop the vessels designed to sue
cor the confederates, but the English people are
even applauding the suggestion that the Brit
ish government should be made to pay for all
the spoliations commttd by the Pirate steam
er Alabama. The following extract from Prof.
Newman, at the great Manchester meeting,
reveals the spirit which Is spreading among
the masses ofthe English people:
ale heard public men say that we had
really behaved extremely well toward the
Northern States; nay, an eminent person had
said that We deserved the gratitude of Pres
ident Lincoln for the very delicate consider
alton we had shown for his wishes that we
should not recognize the Sonth. He was
told that the north was childish-was expect
ing great deal too much of us-was weak.
Ii ii was childish, he must say But that child
is giant People might say what they pleas
ed but the free North was not only fact, but
great fact; and moreover, was going to be a
greater fact. That country had purged itself
from completely with slavery it upheld in the
strongest way the rights of the millions of
mankind; il had now given not twenty mil
lions of money, as we gave to free the negroes
in our colonies, but it had given 100000 prec-
ious lives of her own citizens. CHEERS And
why? Because she would notaallow that slave
power to dictate to her and convert her into
a slave system also. North America had rails
ed herselfimmeasurably in the estimation Of all
right judging men. AT the next general cleo
ton for parliament, We should put to all
candidates this question: Should the question
come toward in parliament of an idemnty to
America for all the damage which the Alabama
and other ships have committed, would you
vote for paying that idemntyg tCheers.l He
said we were bound TO pay it; and, secondly,
he said we were bound TO sue Messrs. Laird,
Lindsay, and all the others concerned-(ioud
cheers1-to pay that idemnity, although it
were to the sacrifice Of the utmost farthing of
their fortunes. tCheers.)
Goodwin Smith, Regius Professor of History
at Oxford, took the ground that the govern
ment was responsible to American citizens for
every iota of damage done by Confederate
war vessels escaping the ports through its own
want Of vigilance. Said he:
"No nation ever inflicted upon another a
more fragrant or a more maddening wrong
No nation with English blood in its veins has
ever borne such wrong without resentment
The case of the Alabama bore no analogy TO
the case of sale of munitions of war; She
was not, like munitions of war, exported TO
the territory of the purchaser. She did not
go-she never was meant to go-into Con-
federate port; up to this moment she had new
er entered port In the Confederate territory.
Built and equipped in British port, manned
by British seamen. with the English flag flying
she went forth to cruise from an English port
against the commerce of our allies. That
was the substantial grievance of the Ameri-
can government. and no technicalities of the
Solicitor-Gen would make it otherwise
than heinous wrong" Cheers,