The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-03-06
Sir Robert Peel.

Sir, Robert Peel, member Of Parliament
and Chief Secretary for ireland, has made
a public speech it England, in which ne
recommends Lord Pslmerston 70 recog-
niae the South. We quote a paragraph
OF Two from his speech. Referring to the
American war, he said:
: The mind of every Englishman was
turned 10 the fratricidal. stupendo,ls ana
most unfortunate @sr in America, ana
they would gladly, whAeut interfering
personally see the termination OF that
struggle. He was one OF ~%hose who
hoped, as an individual, TO seeffs states
ultimately become separated ass Naae-
pendept of each other-(cheers) )---iSs he
was convinced that such course wonio
tend TO further the emancipation o. tne
slaves. (Cheers.) For this simple reaI
sont II they saw Tire conilnent as",sa
united they lsouid Eaas. eonlrle,oa on ~ s'sa
the state T tbines wss4e' sAlsseu s,s vg'ess
the breaking out Of the war, ihen there
was the odieus and ahominaois proeiE
nation of President Lincoln, in which hS
said. "Yon are rebels, your slaves shAii
be emancipated. but you States thatr
main united shall keep your slaves
(Cheers) He said that If they fchoweu
the course OF the battles which had taken
place, they might almost fancy that'they
saw the God OF battles fighting for the
South. At all events the courage, vieor
and patriotism with which the South
had fought were certainly strong proof
of the existence Of a feeling on the part
of the South that they were tighting'in
good and true cause. He could wish very
much that there was patriot in the
| Northern States of America who would
address President Lincoln, and press
upon him the folly of persevering in
the war which he had commenced. lie
had been reading just previous to COM
ing to the meeting, speech OF. LORD
Chatham. which he made in the House OF
Lords, and which might now, IN 1868. be
most aptly placed in the mouth Of some
! Northern patriot. In l776 America de-
clared ats independence of Great Britain,
and in l777 an address of congratulation
was brought up in the House OF Lords ana
intended to be presented to- his Majesty
upon the progress of the war, and to
show how ready the people of England
we're to back it up, and on the occasion
Lord Chatham, although infrm, went
down to the House and Ssaid-'tet us
open our eyes to the disaster which threat
ems us. The people whom we lately
spurned as rebels is now our avowed en-
envy. We have not 10 wage war against
bandits and against brigands, but against
undaunted and vrtuous patriots. You
cannot make them respect you. You
call them rebels. What are they rebels
for? Surely not for defending their un'
questionable right. Your trade languisn-
es your taxes increase, your revenues di-
minish: gold at this moment is at forty-
two premium. And whyY Because you
wish 10 continue This cruel, vindictive and
self destroying war Their subjugation
| is rot to be- acquired by force OF arms
their affection may be acquired by recon
ci.iation and justice" tCheers.l Those
very words, continued Sir Robert, and
they were spoken in l777 by Lord Chat.
ham, were appicableto the war in Amer.
lea at the present moment. He believ-
ed, as he had said, that emancipation was
more likely to follow separation than
union, and he should, as q member or
Parliament. be glad to be able to look
back to 1868, and say that he belonged
to Government, headed by. man who
was the most popular statesman that ever
ruled the destinies OF England, which, by
acknowledging the independence OF the
South, led also to the emancipation OF the
slave. (Cheers)