Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-03-10

been, as far as the artisans and labOring populu-
tion of this country are concerned, liieboat 70
them, and they have saved hundreds Of thou
sands of men and of families from dsa str0us
shipwreck. (Mear.) The existence OF that free
cOuntry aud free government has had a prod-
gous influence upon freedom in Europe amt .
England; and If you ooud have before you
chart of the condition of Europe when the Uni
ted States became nation aud another chart q z
the condition of Europe now, you would see Ill,
difference, the enormous stride which has beri
made in Europe; and you may rely upon it that
not little of il has been occasoned by the il.
iuence of the great example Of that country,
free in its political institutions beyond all other
countries, and yet maintaining its course in
peace, preserving order, and comforting upon all
its people degree Of prosperity which in the
old countries is not yet known. (Cheers.) |
should like now 10 speak specially to the worl-
Ing men who are here, who have no capital but
their skill and their industry and their bodily
strength. In 10 years, from 1S45 to lS6O,--
and this is fact which l stated in this room
more than a year ago, when speaking on the
question of America, but it is fact which every
workingman ought to have in his mind always
when he is considering what America is--in Is
years there have emigraied 10 the United States
from Great Britain and ireland, not less than
100000 persons. (Hear, hear.) Millions are
easily spoken, not easily counted, with great
difficulty comprehended; but the twenty four
hundred thousand persons that l have described,
means population equal to not less than sixty
towns, every one of them of the size and popu-
lation OF Rochdsle. (Hear) Aud every one
of these men who have emigrated as he crossed
the Atlantic-if he went by steam, fortnight,
and if he went by sails only, month or five
weeks, found himself in a country, where to his
senses, a vast revolution had taken place COM
pretending all that men anticipate from any
kind of revolution that shall advance political
aul social equality in their own land, a revolu-
iion which commenced in the War of Indepen-
dence, which has been going on, and which has
been confirmed by all that has transpired in
subsequent years. He does not find that he
belongs to what is called the " lower classes !"
he is not shut out from any of the rights of citi-
zenship he is admitted to the full enjoyment Of
all political privileges, as far as they are extend
ed to any portion of their population; and he
has there advantages which the people of this
country have not yet gained, because we are but
gradually making our way out of the darkness
and the errors and the tyrannies of past ages.
(Hear Bot in America he finds the land not
cursed with feudalsm- (hear) )-it is free to every
man to buy and sell and possess and transmit.
(Hear.) He finds in the town in which he lives
that the noblest buildings are the sohool-Oouses
to which his children are freely admitted
(lIear.) And among those twenty millions-for
| am now confnng my observations to the Free
States-the son of every man has easy admission
to school, has fair opportunity for improvement,
and if God has gifted him with power Of head
and of heart, there is nothing of usefulness,
nothing of greatness, nothing Of success, in thar
country to which he may not fairly aspire And,
sir, this makes q difference between that aoun-
try and this on which l must say another word.
One of the most painful things to my mind to be
seen in England is this, that amongst the great
.l.r 80 ,al,, ~ IL Is..
their daily labor-t is particularly observable in
the agricultural districts, and it is too much to
be observed even in our districts--there is an
abseuce Of that hope which every man ought to
have in his soul that there is for him, il he be
industrious and frugal, a comfortable ndepen-
dence as he advances in life. .(Cheers) In the
United States that hope prevails everywhere,
because everywhere there is an open career
there is no privileged class there is complete
education extended to oil, and every man feels
that he was not born to be in penury and in suf-
tering, but that by his honest efforts there is no
point in the social ladder to which he may Lot
fairly hope to raise himself (Cheers.) Well,
looking at all this-and | have hut touched on
some very prominent points, should say that
it offers 10 US every motive, not for fear, not for
jealousy, not for hatred, but rather for adnira-
tim, gratitude, and friendship. Cheers l
am persuaded of this as much as l am of any
thing that know or believe, that the more per-
feet the friendship that is established between
the people of England and the free people of
America, the more you will find your path of
progress here made easy for you, and the more
will social and political liberty advance amongst
us. (Loud cheers, and little interruption from
the very crowded state of the room, respecting
which Mr.. Bright remarked Our Public Hail
is not big enough.") But this country which l
have been in part describing is now the scene of
one Of the greatest calamities eaamities that can
aihict mankind. lHear.) After 20 years of
almost uninterrupted peace, that country has
become the scene OF a war more gigantic, per-
haps, than any that we have any record of with
regard to any other nation, or any other people;
for the scene ofthis warfare is so extended as to
reach in distance almost across Europe. at this
very moment military operations are being un-
dertaken at points es distant from each other as
Madrid is distant from Moscow. But this great
, strife cannot have arisen amongst nn educated
I and intelligent people without some great and
overruling cause. let US for a moment examine
that cause, and let lis ask ourselves whether it is
possible at such time to stand neutral in regard
to the cOntending parties, and to refuse our sym
pathy to one or the other Of them. (Iiear hear. J
| find men sometimes who profess a strict neu-
trality they wish neither the one thing nor the
other. This arises either from the fact hatthey
i are profoundly ignorant with regard to this
! matteT-(hea )-or else that they sympathize
with the South but are rather ashamed to ad-
nit it. (Cheers, and lHughter) There are two
questions concerned in this struggle hitherto,
: generally, one has only been discussed. There
is the question whether negro slavery shall con-
4 tinue to be adopted amongst Christian nations,
or whether it shall be entirely abolished, Hear
Because, bear in mind, that if the result of the
4 struggle that is now proceeding in America
\ should abolish slavery within the territories OF
the United States, then after slavery in Bra
: zl and slavery iu Cuba, will also fall. (Hear }
: l was .speaking the other day to a gentleman
! ! well acquainted with Cuban affairs; he is often
4 in the habit Of seeing persons who come from
Cuba to this country on business; and asked
= him what his Cuban friends said of what was
n going on in America. He said, They speak
Of it with the greatest apprehension; all tht
. property of Cuba" he said. ais based on sla
a very and they say thatif slavery comes to al
a end in America, as they believe it will, through
y this var, slavery will have very short life il
: Cuba" Therefore the question that is beinJ
now tried is not merely whether four millions o
slaves in America shall be free, but whether tbi
a vast number of slaves Il know not the number
A in Cuba and Brazil shall also be liberated. (Hear,
: But there is another question besides that of th
ia negro, and which to you whom l am now ad-
X dressing is scarcely less important. say tina
the question of freedom to men of all races i
N deeply involved in this great strife in the Unitet
n States. (Cheers and some further commotion a
i the doors) l said wanted the working men o
i, this audience to listen to my statement becaus
~ it is to them particularly wish to address, my
a self. | say that not only is the question Of ne
i gro slavery concerned in this struggle, but il W
h are to take the opinion Of leading writer's an
- men in the southern States OF America, the free
Il dom of white men is not safe in their hands