The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-03-10
The Great Ground Swell in England
Emancipation and the Union
-
Vivid Description of the Meeting in
Exeter Hall London.

From the London Illustrated News
AS there are currents in the deep sea
(well-knOwn to the careful mariner)
which have no necessary connection
with the course of the waves on the sur
face, and are often Numerically oppos-
ed TO them, even when these latter APP
pear to be triumphantly sweeping along
toward a given destination, so it seems
public opinion may at the most critical
moments display similar phenomena,
and starte the political mariner by the
discovery that all his art in trimming
his sails TO the wind, all his steadiness
in directing the helm, do not enable him
to battle or escape from the unseen
ground swell" below, which is carry
ing him he hardly knows whittier, but
certainly not in the way he wanted to go.
No event in recent times has so strong
ly helped TO remind us of this we'll
known but half. forgotten truth, as the
meeting of Thursday week in Exeter
Hall. Here have we been for many
months past pretty well all of one mind
as TO the American question that is to
say, convinced the North is fighting for
"empire" and the South for ''independ-
ence :" convinced that if the latter did
not exactly behave well in the outbreak
of the war, it has fought so splendidly
since that it cannot be subjugated, and
must, therefore, in the end succeed; con-
vinced, finally, that it would be best on
the whole to leave slavery at present
where it is, in the hands of the masters
and trust to the progress OF humanity, of
knowledge, of economical laws, and of
the absence of irritation through Adolf
tiOn attacks, to do away ultimately with
so great an evil. That we believe is
fair statement of the opinions predomi-
nant generally through society, in ac-
cOrdance with the ceaseless teaching Of
uine tenths of the whole English press.
But of late a new element has begun to
be dimly visible. As the Northern legs-
latiOn and Administration have become
of more decidedly anti-Slavery cast we
have heard of small local meetings rising
like bubbles to the surface Of public OPP
iniOn, and eyaporatiDg with q feeble
; breath in favor of the North. Then il
undoubtedly excited surprise that the
Lancashire operatives were SO quiet un-
der all their sufferings as to render it inn
possible to rouse them into an active agi-
tation for blockading breaking; and
somehow it began TO be whispered about
, that the explanation of their conduct
was that they didn't feel quiet satisfied
about Slavery not being af the bottom of
the whole business of Southern revolt
But when Mr.. Lincoln's Proclamation of
September last offering emancipation
with compensation up to January /, and
threstenining emancipation without COM
pensation an after that day if his offer
were not epted-when this broke like
thunder clap upon the world we enter
ed upon a new, and difficult, and anxious
period. For, while on the hand there
were but few persons who did not still
loudly denounce slavery there were still
fewer who did not see that Mr. Linooln's
Government had taken the tremendous
step not because IL was advisable or right
in itself but because he found the North
could not beat the South without
doing so. or course in saying
this we do not say or suggest that Dir
Lincoln was a hypocrite, or that he acted
in opposition to his known character, an
tecedents, or wishes. We only say as a
, matter of fact which cannot be disputed,
that while the previous Anti-slavery
measures, such as (among others) the alb
clifton Of slavery in Columbia, the anti
slave trade treaty with England, the per-
msneht exclusion OF slavery from the
territories, and the offer of Congress TO
assist the work of abolition by cOmpen-
sation, all obviously sprang from gem
uine anti-slavery sentiment, this partic-
ular proclamation, the last of the series,
as obviously did not, but from the mill
tary failures Of the North. No wonder,
, then, that the general current Of opinion
. (having previously been such as we have
desoribed,) still remained on the whole
friendly TO the South and unlriendly 20
the North or that il beg an 10 be generally
believed that Mr.. LincOln's military
measure" would prove in its working a
very inhuman measure, as leading to
J servile war, rr
, But now there also began to be heard
rumOrs of the formation of some new
society. an Emancipation Society--orig.
mating like the old anti Slavery body.
in the religious, and mainly in the dis
senting world. Names OF supporters
began 10 be handed about some Of them
enjoying universal respect, some OF them
Of world wide reputation. More local
meetings were heard Of-especially ia
the metropolis. Then suddenly Man
chester burst out with an assemblage
several thousand strong ia the Free
Trade Hall. Liverpool merchants aud
others assembled TO prepare for the re-
newal in their town, of tho former anti
Slavery agitation and decided, by an
overwhelming majority" TO do 50, in
spite Of Mr., Spence, who was present
and made an eloquent, gallant, bat una
Vailing effort 10 keep out of the resOlu-
tions an expression Of sympathy with
B the North. Then, too, the journals con
, descend 10 notice the society In leaders
p though the notices we're not more COM
plimentary than Che conversation be-
. tween the PRICE and the bsggar boy, Of
which the boy was 30 proud, and which
consisted simply in the Prince's telling
, him 10 get out Of the way.
Bot whether the Emancipation Society
esteemed the honor OF being thus noticed
more than il felt the sting ofthe eontomp-
tuous words in which the notices were
; couohed, or whether a. grew boldor
J through these preliminary meetings, 90
/ certainly Venturod az last 10 issue It's
challenge to universal London, and " re-
spectfully" 10 invite all parties" 10 the
great room Of Exeter Hall on the night Of
! Thursday, the 10Th Of January, 1864