The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-02-12
Great Speech Of John Bright
At Birmingham, England:

IduiCdIs d hdAACS Vi "H+OA N
sive democracy Of this country used t
be proud, before the present aristo
crat pro-slavery leaders of the democ
racy branded them with the contempt
ible epithet of conservative, express
es himselfas follows in a recent speech
made before his constituents at Birm.
ingham, on the American war:
awe have had every effortmade that
money and malice could devise to
stimulate in Lancashire, among the
suffering population, an opinion IN IA
vor of the Slave States. They have
not been able to get it, and | honor
thatpopulation fortheir fidelity to their
principles and to freedom, and l say
the conduct they have pursued ough,
to atone in the minds of the people Of
the United States for miles Of leading
articles written by the London press
bymen who would barter every human
right to serve the party with which
they are associated. How, | ask, comes
it that on the ContinentOt Europe there
) is not a liberal newspaper nor a llber-
al politician that burst say, or ever
thought of saving, n word in favor
of that portentous and momentous
Shape which now asks to be received
into the family Of the nations? The
late Count Cavour had no difficulty III
deciding on this point. Ask Garibaldi,
ask Kossuth, whether slavery has moth
ing to do with this strife. Ask Victor
Hugo, the peet OF freedom and the ex
ponent OF the warnings OF all mankind
for the better time-ask any man in
Europe who opens his lips or indites a
sentence offreedom,o on which sideyour
sympathies should lie. Why, in all
parts of the world except this island,
famed for its freedom, you do not find
n man speaking in favor Of the South.
| cannot believe hat civilization in
its journey with the sun, will sink into
endless night to crafty the ambition
Of the leaders of this revolt, who seek
'to wade through mercy On mankind
/ have another and far brighter vision,
but / viii cherish it. | see one a
confederation stretching from the fro>
zen North to n unbroken line in the
glowing South, and from the wild bill
lows of the Atlantic to the calmer wa
tiers Of the Pacific main, and | see one
people, and one law, and one language.
and one faith, and over ali that wide
continent the home Of freedom and &
refuge for the oppressed of every race,
"Why should the North continue g
hopeless contest at the cost of so mucIi
blood and treasure, and disturbance OF
commerce Of the whole world ?" 1t
was so much better that the North, in
stead of carrying on a war which must
end in their own discontinue, should
relinquish the contest; and the tecl-
ing, therefore, wa that people were
very glad that the South should have
success, by which the war would be
the more easily put an end to Olear,
hear. My opinion is, that if we Judge
of a foreign nation by the circumstan>
ces in which W. find it, we ought to ap
ply to it our own principles. My hons
Orable friend has referred TO the affair
of the Trent. l was not present, but I
read the report of meeting that was
held here on that subject, at which the
feeling of the majority seemed favora~
BILE to the policy of the government,
Now, what | say is, that when you
thought the act of an American cap
tain in taking two men ont of an Eng
lish merchant ship most offensive, Ia
furious and hostile to this country aud
that you were, therefore, jnstiged in
going to war with the republic ofNorth
America, you ought to be very nice in
Judging what America shOuld 10 in
circumstances much more enormous.
(cheers.)
Take the rock Of Giiralter. Sup>
pose at this moment the English gov
eminent heard that Spain was equip,
ping an expedition by land and sea for
the purpose of retakiug hat fortress
or rock-it is not the slightest advan-
tage to any Englishman living, except
those who have possessions, or are lv
ing there. Every English government
knows the end. Several English 0
ernments have been anxious to give il.
up. | wish this government would
send my friend, Mr.. Golden, to Mad
rid with an offer hat Gibralter should
be eeded to Spain astbeing of no use to
this country, and as only embittering
the relations Of the two countries, as
one of the most distinguished officers
OF the government once told me it does.
/ believed if Mr.. Golden went there
for that purpose We might have a com
mereial treaty with Spain that would
admit every commodity of English
manufacture at a duty ofnot more than
ten per cent. But do you think that if
YOU heard that Spain was about to
muster her fleets and legions and en-
deavor to take it the English governs
ment would not band all the power
of its empire to resist it? ("Yes.'O
Thon I say President Lincoln, being
fairly and honestly elected, when South
ern leaders met at Montgomery, in Al.
ALBANIA, on the 9th of March, and au-
thOrized the raising of 100000 men
and when, on the 18th of April, they
attacked Fort Sumpter. which was not
q fort of Carolina but of the Union, on
all the principals on which the English
Government has eve acted, President
Lincoln was justified in calling out 75..
men, which was his first cali, for the
purpose of maintaining the Integrity
of that Union, which was the main
purpose of the oath he had taken at
his election. (Cheers.)
II will not go into a long argument
this question. 1t is in the hands