The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-04-24
X E O X u K:
A GREAT TRADES UNION MEETING
I'm LONDON

HEAT tina RksS GNAAeN NAG - INV
In LONDONs i
The London Star of the 9th Of March,
kindly handed us by Mr.. Leighton, con-
taius o long account Of the proceedings
aud speeches of great meeting OF the
Trades Union Association of London to
express their sympathy with the Gov
eminent Of the United States.
Mr.. Bright, the great commoner and
friend of the people as we'll as Of Amsrica,
presided at the meeting and delivered
noble address from which we Gull few
extracts to show the character Of the as
scmblage and the strong feeling of sym
pathy, friendship and admiration which
prevails amongst the masses in England
in behalf of our Government and people:
Mr.. Bright, on presenting himself, was
greeted with loud AM prolonged applause,
The honorable gentleman said: When
the committee did me the honor to ask
me to attend this meeting to night. and
to take the chair, felt that was not at
liberty to refuse, for considered that
there was something remarkable In the
character Of this meeting, and need not
tell you that the cause We are assembled
to discuss il one which excitss nay wsrm7
ss. sympathy. (Cheers. This meeting
is remarkable, iuasmuch as it is not what
is commonly called public meeting, as
YOU have seen by the advertisement by
which it has been called, of members of
trades unious and trade societies in Lon.
don, and the members of these. societies
have not usually stepped out from their
ordipary business to take part in meetings
of this kind on great public questions.-
The subject which you arr met 70 discuss
is one OF SURPRISING interest, winch excItes
ut this moment, and has excited for two
years past, the attention and the aston
ishment Of the civilized world. Hear,
hear. We see country, which for many
wears during the lifetime of the oldest
smongst us has been the most peaceful,
the most prosperous, and the most free
amongst the great nations OF the earth
(cheers) plunged at once into the midst
Of sang,ioary revolution. the proportions
of which are SO gigantic as to dwarf All
other evolutionary records and events Of
which we have any knowledge. Hear,
hsar) do not wonder at this revolu.
ton No man can read the history oil
the United States from the time when
they CEASED to be colonies of England
without discovering that at the birth Of
that great republic there was sown the
seed, if-not of its dissolution, at least Of
it's extreme peril, and the infant giant in
its cradle may be said to have been rocked
under the shade Of the cypress, which il
the symbol of mortality and of the tomb
(Cheers.) Colonial weakness, when face
to face with British strength. made it i'm
possible TO put an end to slavery, or to es
tablisb republic free from slavery. Tc
meet Eng land it was necessary to beunlted
and to be united it was necessary TO toll
ente slavery; and from that hour to thi'
at least TO q period within the last two
or three years-the love of the Union and
the patriotism Of the American people
have Induced them constantly to maxi
concessions to slavery because they knew
that when they ceased to make those con
cessions they ran the peril Of the disrup
tion which has now arrived, and the
drea ded the destruction Of their countr
even more than they hated the evil O
slavery. Hear, hear. But these con
cessions--as concessions to evil, will.
believe. always fail--these concession
have failed to secure safety in that Union
There we're principles at war which wer
wholly irreconcilable. The South, as yo
know, for fifty years have been engage
in building fresh ramparts by which the
might defend their institution. Th
North has been growing yearly create
in freedom, and the conflict could not b
distant. and twas obviously insvitable.- =
(Hear, hear. In our day, then, III,
which the statesmen Of America be
hoped permanently to postpone has a
rived, the great trial is nov going on
the sight Of the world, and ths verdis
upon this great question must at lsst
rendered. But how much is at stakeY-
some men in this counlry-some writer's
talk Of it n II, after all, it was no gre
matter that had caused these contests
the United States. SAY the1whole 90
tinent is At stake. Hear, hear.) Ii
not question Of boundary. 1t 10 not
question Of tariff. 1t is not question
the supremacy Of party. l. 10 not
question even of the condition Of 4,O0t
900 negroes. II 10 more than that. 1t il
question Of whole continent, with
teemiaE millions, and what lshaiIbe thu
present and their futare fate. Cheer
1t is question for those millions Of FIRE
dom or slavery, educstioa or ignoraac
light or darkness, Christian morality.
ever widening and all.blessipg in its !
fuence--or an overshadowing and q
blasting guilt. f,.
would ask whether this meeting h
any opinion in relation TO it--uheth
your sympathiss have besn stisradin r
iation to III 1t is true that to this NEE
ing not many rich have been called. Th
is meeting Of the artisans--of the wor
ing men Of the city Of London--m'
whose labor 10 combination with capt.
aud directing skin has built this gre
city, and have made England great
(Cheers.) / address myself to the
men. and I ask thcm-I ask you-hs'
you no special interest in this contest
Privilege thinks it has great interest
it, and every morning with blatant voic
il comes into your streets and curses tn
Amevssan RepubIic. (Cheers.1 Priv