The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-23
ENGLAND AND AMERICA.
Mr.. Bright's Great speech-He De-
tends and Upholds the North.

Messrs. SchoolfieId and Bright adj
dressed their constituents in the Town
Hall, Birmingham, on the nth.
Mr.. Bright, who was received with |
prolonged applause, spoke of the Lanca-
shire distress, attributing the good order
of the operatives to the fundamentally |
of an untaxed press. The Hon. gentle
man then proceeded as follows should |
like TO state in this hall that which
once stated TO very eminent American
gentleman who asked me TO give him
some idea Of the course OF public opin-
ion in this country from the first moment
we heard Of the secession of the cotton
producing States | endeavored to trace
| il in this way: told him, that so far as
| could see, nobody thought the South
| had any just cause for breaking up the
integrity of great nation. Now, / APP
peal to you whether that was not the
case, and whether persons of different
political views in this country were not
ready 10 admit that the South was ruled
by Government mild and in no degree
oppressive. 1t was Government, il is
true, which some among US loved and
some disiked.
1t was not a costly monarchy, il was
not an aristocracy creating and living on
patronage; it did not support very bur-
densOme foreign policy; it had no great
army, no great navy, no suffering
millions to be disconnected and
overthrown - charges all of which
have been brought against Gov
| 10 In ptvy nd hon ~
Europe hundred times over. Loud
cheers. Therefore it was said very gen.
orally here, when the intelligence of the
secession of the South reached us, why
should these men revolt
At the moment at which that revolt
took place the Government at Washing
ton appeared TO be parslyzed; it had no
army, it had no navy, and it was by
many thought that the North would, un
der the circumstances, acquiesce in The
rending of the Republic asunder ii was
told, indeed by certain public writer's in
this country that the contest was entire
ly hopeless, and similar view of it wa.
lately taken by no less parsonage than
the Chancellor of the Exchequer. / am
however, happy TO say that, although
the Chancellor of the Exchequer can otter
decide to penny what shall be the rat,
'r of.taxation in England, they cannot deter
mine what is to be the fate of whole
continent. Cheers.
1t was at the outset as | before OBJ
served, that contest was hopeless, and il
was asked only under those circumstan
IN ces should il be continued by the NORTH
Of at the cost of so much blood and treas
ure, and to the disturbance of the com
merce of the whole world. Well, In an
swer TO that question, would say If W
are to constitute ourselves the Judges o
the conduct of foreign nations we ough
TO apply to il the principles by whic
oh we ourselves think it right to be governed
My honorable friend referred to the cas-
of the Trent, and l read in the paper
that you had meeting in this hall las
year in which the conduct OF our Gov
ernment in making great manifestation
"a. of force against America in that cas-
was duly a2plauded, and that at leai
one minister Of religion upon that ocoA
sion took that view.
Now am not in the least complainin
that it should be so but if you though
~, the act Of an American Captain who, nc
under instructions from his Governmen
took two men from an English merchar
vessel, justified you in going to war wit
the United States, then say you ougl
not to scan too narrowly the course whic
the North pursued under circumstance
-, much more difficult than those in whic
81 you were then placed. (Cheers) TAX
ct, again, the case of the Rock of Gibraltar
some Of you have, dare say, been Their
s'' l. at all events, have; and the thing
Oh which most interested me were the mon
. keys on the topof it-(laughter)-e
nd perhaps those whom l found there, an
they were a good many, living on tn
English taxes. ( laugh) Well, III
Rock Of Gibraltar was quired by th
country when she was not actually Z
~, war with Spain, and kept in defiance {
every principle of honor aud morality
ing ca Voice-"No, nor | have no dout
a. the gentleman who cries mo, no."
q. better acquainted with the history Of III
IN. transaction than am; but ] would sug
gest that we have, perhaps, read tw
mp different histories of it, daughter
Well suppose Spain were to equip a
Of expedition for the purpose of retakiu
-T that fortress, which is not Of the slighte'
10. advantage TO any Englshman living, eN
N. cepl those who hold appointments ON i
would not our Government. / would asl
%. S' do everything in Its power 20 resist sue
an attempt