The Portland daily press., 1863-02-17

II seems that since the laboring classes In
liverpool held great and in every way sue
cessful meeting to endorse and approve Presi-
dent Lincolns emancipation policy, and to
mark the advent of the Emancipation Procla-
nation AS one of the epochs in the worlds
nropress in civilization, another meeting has
been held there, In which secession-sympa-
thizing element was manifested. One of our
morning contemporaries says, "a Mr.. Dicks
said Gerry sensible thing in his speech, which
was Kissed by the snobocracy." An extract
from the speech of this Mr.. Dicks is then Civ
en-, containing "the very sensible thing"
which Is In these words:
They had been told that President Lincoln
was willing to free the slaves and pay the hold
ers. That statement might be true, but he (Mr
Dieks) could not understand it; for while the
President was willing TO pay for the emancipa-
ton of the one million slaves belonging to loyal
masters, he was not willing to pay for the three
millions belonging to the disloyal States. If that
is the fact it is not fair to give Mr. Lincoln cred
it for freeing the one and paying for the other
Mr.. Dicks, 1t seems, would have the slaves
of the rebels, in the disloyal states, paid for
the same as the slaves of loyal masters, and
this is the "very sensible thing" which'charac
terized his speech, and to hiss such a sugges-
ton betrayed snobbery, and those who disap-
proved of it belong to the "snobocracy." Are
we not to infer that those who consider such
thing" "very sensible" in Liverpool, consid-
err it anything but sensible in this country to
discriminate between loyalty and disloyalty,
and in meeting the exigencies of the present
hour, would make no difference in their treat
ment of loyal men and rebels?
But there was another speaker at the Liver
pool meeting, whose name is not given, who,
according to the same contemporary, "treated
the movers of the meeting to a sensible idea
the communication Of which seems to have
been received with marked applause. He
SAID:
The Southern people of America had been
held responsible for slavery. The Southern peo-
pie were no more responsible for slavery than he
(the speaker) WAS for the color of his hair or
the length of his nose. Heal, hear, and APP
plause.
For moment let us look at this Sensible
idea" The speaker meant, of course that the
Southern people were not responsible for slave
ry because it was forced upon the original col
onies, in the face Of their protests, by for
eign and superior power. But because fee
bic colony. with no power to give efficiency to
its own will, has had slavery forced upon it,
does it follow that an independent State, with
all power to enforce its edcts, has no respon-
sibility for the continuance of gigantic and
growing evil? When the South became indie
pendent Of foreign control, and acquired I'M
disputed power to regulate or destroy the
million slaves in the entire country Grant
that she was not responsible for the existence
ofJthe institution as it then was, is it sensible"
to say she has taken upon herselfno responsible
ity in nourishing the ulcerous institution until
it now numbers four miuionss She was not
responsible so long as she put forth her honest
protests against superior and controlling pow
err; but are intelligent people to be told nor.
when the South hugs the institution. ceases TO
regard it as an evil. but defends it as dicine
right, that she has acquired no responsibility
in the matter! As well might the neg igent
step-mother to a half-dozen helpless and shit
less children, say she has no responsibility for
the continuance of "seven years. itch" a.
mong them, because they had the itch when
she became their step-motheri As well the
boated drunkard say he has no responsibility
for his long life of debanchery, because his ia
Their set him an example in childhood of inc
briefly! As well the hoary-headed sinner of
fourscore years, who has wallowed in filth all
his days under the blazing sun of truth,
knowledge and christian precepts, sayAe has
no responsibility, because his childhood was
unfavorabie to virtuous life! Shame on such
logic, and double distilation of shame on
those who style such an insult to common
seuse q sensible idea!