Newbern weekly progress., 1863-01-17
MIR. Bri.h, ON American Affairs.

Messrs. Scholeficld and Bright, members o
Parliament for Birmingham. have been address
ing their constituents, and the American ques
ton was, of course, their leading theme. y
Scholetield considered the secession of the
Southern States an act of folly, but argued
that the Southerners had moral, if not q
legal, right to judge for themselves in the mat
ter. Amid much uproar and confusion, he
| contended that the North was not sincere in
its efforts against slavery, and would sacrifice
slavery in order to maintain the Union, which
was slave power. He said the duty of Eng.
land was for the Government to recognize the
Southern States Inter ention meant war
mediation meant failure. He was for neither,
but for recognition a question of policy and
prudence, on the ground that the South had
shown ability to maintain it's independence,
and that the North could not subdue it. The
North could not be more hostile in feeling to
England than it was now. s
| Mr.. Scholefield was brought to premature
conclusion, owing to the uproar with which
his American sentiments were received.
Mr.. Bright then addressed the meeting, and,
after expatiating on future cotton prospects,
and holding up India SS the most hopeful
field, he came to the Aderican question, and
said: Had he kDS%n what his colleague
would say about ,1herica, he would have pre-
pared himself teanswer it, or stayed away
from the meeahg. But the great question
depended ouho mans opinion. He defended
the action< the North in fighting against the
South, I'D asked whether England would not
resist lEhe taking by Spain Of the Rock of
Ian advantageous commercial treaty with
S6ain.) The President was only trying to
keep his oath, but the issue was in the hands
of God alone, who was bringing about great
transaction in history. The object of the
Southland they began the war-was to
maintain the bondage of 1000, 900 Of human
beings, and to perpetuate that bondage for
ever [Applause A handful of whites wan
ted to lord it over countless millions of blacks,
made black by the hand that made us white
to trade, to buy, to break the hearts of ne
g-oes, and to close their hearts to that light
which separates them from the brutes.
They wanted to make chattels of men,
women and children, and this was the South
ern object of war. [Applause.l Was this to
be the foundation of new slave power7 On
this audacious and internal basis was England's
new ally to be built up? Not even beggared
Lancashire, or the unenfranchised but not
hopeless millions of this country, would have
this to be so. 1t was not necessary that the
North should like US but did the South like
US any better?
Hostility to England was cherished and
stimulated by those who now led the Southern
rebellion. He represented the affair Of the
Alabama as violation of international law,
anu lDal the Ol liaL NeSSci
must embitter America against England
Money and malice had been expended in vain
in Lancashire to create feeling in favor of
the South. They were true to their principles |
in spite of miles of leading articles written by |
London journalists who would barter every |
human right to support their party.
Garibaldi, Kossuth, Victor Hugo, the poet i
Of freedom, and all European friends of free
dom declared that our sympathies should be
with the North, against the South. This was
the case everywhere, except in the island
famed for freedom, and this exception was be-
cause the London press was in the interest Of |,
West End classes. Mr.. Bright then eulogized Il
tAe American Republic as the free home ofthe
working classes, with free vote and free career
for the humblest. There would be wild +
shriek of freedom to startle all the world, if
hat republic was overthrown.