The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-18

geArs STATES N ENGLAND. For some
time past two OF our contemporaries tthe
Enquirer and the SemtineD have been
engaged in a controversy with regard I"
the propriety Of the appointment oil
certain Mr. Spence financial agent ior the
Government in England. The Enquirer,
we believe. threw the first stone. in the
course Of some structures upon the con.
duct of the Secretary OF State, Mr.. Ben.
amin whom it enormously, it seems,
charged with having made the appoint
ment II accused Spence Of having writ
ten book in the highest degree denunci-
atory Of the institution Of slavery. and
Dubiished extracts from the book to prove
Il The Sentinel, in reply, said that the
appointment was made by Mr.. Memmin-
ger, not by Mr.. Benjamin. The EnqM-
yer reloined. discrediting the Se"tiners
defence as little better than special plead
ing, and maintaining that whoever put
the man in he ought to be put out. Thus
the controversy stood for some days, un-
til on Tuesday morning the Sentinel en-
tered its surrejoinder, insisting upon its
plea of non est fdctuna for Mr.. Benjamin,
and defending Mr.. Spence generally, al
though admitting that his work on the
American Union contains some EXPIRES
sions repugnant to our own 1.-THE Sentt.
uers) views as to siauery III the abstract"
Yesterday morning, to give the public
clearer understanding Of what sort of
man Spence was, and what were his views
upon this abstract" question. the En-
9ui,er published extracts from his book.
We subjoin them
We deplore slavery as u lamentable evil,
and regard it as great human wrong"-page
So.
And again
.In fact, slavery, like other wrongs, reacts
on the wrong. doer Taking the most temper
ate view of it, stripping away all exaggera-
lions, it remains an evil in an economical
sense: 4 wrong to humanity in moral one.
IT is gross anachrOnism, a thing OF two
thousand years agO-the brute force OF dark
ages Obtruding into the midst of the nine
1pepth century, remnant of elder dispensa-
lions, whose harsh spirit was law in conflict
with the genius of Christianity, whose mild
shirt is love. No reasoning, no statistics,
no profit, no philosophy can reconcile us to
that which our instinct repels. After all the
arguments have been poured into our ears
there Is SOl0eIntuy Ill Iuc ucIIL luut cpuIuS
them. We make no declaration that all men
are born equal; but \ conviction, innate, ir-
resistible, tells us, with voice we cannot
stif1e, that a man is 4 man, and not a chattel
Remove from slavery, as il is well TO do, all
romance and exaggeration, in order that We
may deal with it wisely and calmly, it re-
mains foul blot, from which all must desire
10 purge the annals Of the age" Page no
Again, the Sentinel says that in the
book of the Fnancial agent of the Con
federate States
"iher ,the Yankees) interference with
slavery H. pointedly condemned, and a"y i'll
reference with it, save by the Southern
States themselves, is deprecated"
The Sentinel can never have read the
book, and apologies for Spence in igno-
rance. Here is what Spence says:
IF the Southern Confederacy maintain
its independence, it will become its strongest
desire 70 tie received into the family OF Jude
pendent powers. IT. biN be ci.driy allowable to
.ur Government, acl.en acknO1ieiginy that in
siepeadeace 10 obtain enyige1ueats IN rotation. to-
dd".ry."
This is all pretty well for Govern
ment agent who is receiving heavy
salary, all paid in gold but it is "cakes
and gingerbread to what follows Here
It is, as we cut it from the columns of
the Enquirer
What is effecting that beneiicent change
there! lin Russia from serfdOm to freedom.)
The same influence which can alone effect ii
IN the Southern States-ihe power of public
opinion. And why has it had no influence
up to the present time Because it could
not reach them An able Northern writer,
arguing against secession, after describing
al that the Union had done for slavery, re-
marks And it has shielded their peculiar
insfitutiOn from the hatred and hostility OF
the civilized world This is the truth-the
Union has been the shield Of slavery. 1t has
been sheltered under the wing OF the Amer-
eau eagle. Dissolve the Union and it must
stand unshielded, uncloaked, in the light
of open day. When thus placed face to face
with public opinion, who will doubt which
,pust ultimately prevail?
What Institution exists that can perma
nently confront it? Invisible, intangible, that
none can guage, or measure, or picture, or
de6ne-who is there that is impenetrable TO
Its induelce or able to withstand its power
The Emperor of France, at the head of his
ieeiOps, shrinks from this encounter. What
Oyerthrew slavery in our own dOminions or
in the colonies OF other powers 1t was not
Governments, nor politicians, nor planters,
nor philosophy; but simply this Irresistible
power But by public opinion we do not
mean wild excitement or rash theories
These are the froth Of breaking waves, not
The majestic ocean. We mean that which
expresses the united sentiment of the
thoughtful and intelligent, that which em-
bodies not the passion, but the mind Of the
enlightened world. Patient, considerate,
prepared to weigh difficulties, to provide for
consequences, to appreciate rights; but, at
the same time, 6rm, Irresistible, il will say,
with unimpassiOned, but authoritative voice,
the time has come when this old sad blot
upon humanity must stain il no more" F.
Now, We care very little who appointed
this man-whether Mr.. Benjamin or Mr..
Aemminger-he ought not to be allowed
tO-hold the Office one day longer He is
in 3 position in which he can, of all other
men, inflict upon our cause the greatest
amount Of damage-that is to say, if We
care anything about English sentiment
with regard to slavery, which, for our
selves, we are fain to say we do not
When people see an honored and trusted
agent Of the Government writing such
diatribes against the very institution that
lies ct the bottom of this revolution,
what can they think but that it is infer
nsl, and that those who maintain it de-
serve to be exterminated as enemies OF
mankind? The sentiments are in exact
accordance with those of Garrison,
osscher, and the rest Of that crew, who
ased 70 maintain, before our separation,