The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-10-24
Earl Russell on Affairs In Amer.



Earl Russell on Affairs In Amer
lea.
we have before referred to the speech O
Earl Russell, made at Blairgowrie, in Scot
land, GU the Goth of September last, tn
purport OF which reached us by telegraph
The whole speech has now come to hand
The larger portion Of which, relating to tn.
conduct of England touching American
affairs, we print below:
THE REBELLION IN AMERICA.
wen, gentlemen, come now to another
question, question interesting to us all, a
questlon on which I must beg for your at
tentlon, because wish to explain some cir.
cumstances in which the character of this
country, think, has been maligned. am
speaking OF what has occurred in what a
rev years ago were the United States OF
America. A few years ago we were exu,t-
ing IN the prosperity of that country: we
We're happy tosee people derived from the
same ancestors as ourselves enjoying free
lhstltutons, enjoying apparent harmony
among one another, and with whom we
had, at least just before the civil war broke
OUT, hardly difference-a difference only
with regard to the small island called
st. Juan, and which we had proposed to
refer to the arbitration Of the Swiss Repub-
llc This was the state of affairs when
,hat winch we certainly had no part in
broke out; when, if l remember rightly.
nine OF the Southern States of America
declared that they would form an inde-
pendent Republic. Our course on the sub
lect has been attacked and blamed in the
bitterest terms-blamed sometimes by the
Federals and sometimes by the Confeder-
ates. The first offense was felt by the Fed
erals. They said we had no right to grant.
SO far as we were concerned, to the Con-
federates the rights of belligerents. Wei.
now, gentlemen, that question of the rights
OF belllgerents is question of fact. put
it to you whether, with 5,OOO,OO people
100000, l mean, of free men, declaring
themselves in their several States collective
ly an independent State-we could pass
over that as petty rebellion? Our Ad-
mirals asked whether the ships they met
bearing the Confederate flag should be treat
ed as pirates or no. If we had treated them
as pirates we should have been taking part
in that contest. [Cheers.] Itwas impOssi-
BILE to look on the uprising of a community
of five millions of people as mere petty
insurrection, [hear, hear, or as not having
the rights which at all times are given to
those who by their numbers and impor-
tance, or by the extent of the territory they
possess, are entitled to these rights
lCheers.l Well, it was said we ought not
to have done that because they were a com
trust that our adherence of slavery is not
in the least abated or diminished. Loud
and prolonged cheers. For my own part,
I consider 1t one of the most horrible crimes
that get disgraces humanity. ICheers.] But
then, when we are treating Of the relations
which we bear to a community of men, /
doubt whether it would be expedient or
useful for humanity that We should intro
duce that new element Of declaring that we
permit slavery to exist among them. We
have never adopted it yet, we have not
adopted it in the case of Spain or Brazil,
and l do not believe that the cause Of hu-
manity would be served by our adoption
Of it. Hear, hear.l Well, then, it was
said that these Confederate States were re-
bels-rebels against the Union. Perhaps,
be on the subject. But I recollect that we
against Charles l., Ia laugh we
rebelled against James H., and the people
Of New England, not content with these
two rebellions, rebelled against George
III. Hear and laughter.l I am not say
ing now whether all these rebellions were
justifable, or whether they were wrong-1
am not saying whether the present rebel
lion in the Southern States is justifable, or
say that the mere fact of rebellion is
not in my eyes crime Of SO deep a
dye that we lhust renounce all fellowship
and communion and all relationship with
those who have been guilty of rebel
lion. Loud cheering.] But certainly. if l
look to the declarations of those New Eng
land orators-andI have been reading late
ly, ifnot the whole, yet very great part, OF
the very long speech of Mr.. Sumner, on
the subject, delivered at New York; own
l cannot but wonder to see these men, the
as it were, of three rebellions, as
we are the offspring of two rebellions, re-
ally speaking like the Car of Russia, the
Sultan Of Turkey, or Louis XIV himself,
Of the dreadful crime and guilt OF rebel
lion. Loud laughter and cheers.] Well,
gentlemen, there came another complaint,
those so-called Confederate States, who
said that we had, contrary to the Declara-
ton of Paris, contrary to the general inter-
national law, permitted blockade Of 600
miles of the Southern coast of America
1t is quite true we did so. 1t is quite true
and there, perhaps, there seemed at least
a plausible reason for complaint-that
though this blockade was kept up by sui
ficient number Of ships, yet these ships
many of them adopted into the United
States navy and sent to sea in hurry, and
ill-titted for the purpose-did not keep up
that blockade so effectively and SO thoroug-
ly as it must have been held an effective
blockade required. But still looking at
the law Of nations, it was blockade; ii
Was blockade avhich ne as q greatbettger-
ent PoaDer IN former times should haze &C.
knowledged. Weourselves had had block
ade of upwards of 1900 miles, and 1t did
seem to me that we were bound in justice
to the Federal States of America to acknowl-
edge the blockade. But there was another
reason, confess, that weighed with me
our people were suffering, and suffering
very greatly, for the want of the material
which was the great support OF their IN.
dustry. 1t was a question of self-interest
whether we should not break that block
ade, but, in my opinion, the name Of hng-
land ,could haze been forever Infamous u Jor
the sake of interest of any kind We haze vio-
lated the general la,os of nations, and nsdde
war with those slaveholding States Of amer,
ica against the Federal States. [Hear, hear.
And, gentlemen, am not speaking the
sentiments which are peculiar to myself or
to those who have no immediate interest IN
the question, but these are, am convlnc,
ed, the sentiments of that noble hearted
people of Lancashire, who have lived ana
fiourished, by that industry. but who wold
not, am sure, allow single spot on tne