Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-15
Noble Speech by John Bright.
An Engllshman who Understands the
American Quest ton.

Il
members of Parliament from Birming-
ham have been addressing their constitu-
ents, and the American question was dis
cussed. Mr.. SoHoLEFIELD took the part of
the South, and contended that the North
was not sincere in its efforts against slave
ry. He was forced to bring his speech to
premature close, owing to the uproar
made against him. Mr.. BRIGHT then re-
sponded, and argued the cause of the
North IN mastery speech from which the
following are extracts:
THE PURPOSE OF THE SOUTH.
Is there a man here who doubts for a
moment that the aim of the South in this
contest is to maintain and perpetuate the
bondage of four millions of human beings 2
[Cheers. Yes, her object is to secure that
a handful of aotate men on that continent
shall lord 1T 0Uer millions Of men made
black by the uery hand that made as aohite
TCheers.1 Her object is to retain the
power to breed negroes, to lash negroes,
to chain them, to buy and sell negroes to
deny the enjoyment of the commonest
family ties, to break their hearts by rend-
ing them at their pleasure, to close their
mental eye against a glimpse of that
knowledge which separates US from the
brute creation, for in accordance with
their laws it is a penal act to learn a ne
gro to read. Hear, hear. l wish to
know, then, whether this is to be made
the foundation as is promised of new
slave empire, whether tits intended that
on this audacious and Internal basis new
alliance for England is to be built up q
[Cheers 1t has been said that Greece
was recognized by this country, but not
until she had fought Turkey for six years );
nor did France recognize the United States
of America until FIVE or six years after
the War of Independence and | want to
know who they are who speak in favor of
England becoming 50 eagerly the ally of
this great conspiracy against human ma
ture [Hear.]
ENGLISH OPINION.
| have heard, indeed. that there are
Ministers of State who are in favor of the
South that there are members of the ar.
istocracy who are terrified at the shadow
OF the great Republic at the other side OF
the Atlantic; that there are rich men
whose views of this question are based al
together upon Their selfish interest; and
that there are conductors of the public
press who would barter the rights OF mil.
lions OF their fellow creatures that they
might bask in the smiles of the great. But
| know that here are Ministers of State
who do not wish that this insurrection
should break up the American Union thai
there are members of our aristocracy who
are not afraid of the shadow of a Repub
lie; that there are many rich men who are
not depraved by their riches; and tina,
there are public writer's of eminence anC
honor who will not barter human rights
tor the patronage of the great; but mos
OF all, and before all, [ am sure that il
| Lancashire where the working men have
seen themselves Going down from prosper
| ity to ruin, from independence to subsis
tence Gpon charity, the unentranchised bu
not hopeless millions Of this country, uil
necer symp0thiSe aoith regolt aohieh is in
tended to destroy the liberty Of Cont
nent, and to build on ats ruins a mighta
fabric ofhuman bondage.
THE ALABAMA.
| With regard to the alabama, in Amer
lea they say, | know not how truly, tina
she is a ship of war which was built b.
a member of the British Parliament, tur
nished with guns and ammunition of Eng
! lish manufacture, manned and sailed al
most entirely by Englishmen that thu
| facts were represented to the Collector O
| Customs at Liverpool, who pooh pooh't
| them that he was requested to send uI
| the facts to tie Customs in London, W hos
solicitor was not very wise man, ant
was probably in favor of breaking up tn
Republic that sfterward Mr.. Collier
counsel for the Admiralty, investigate,
the matter, and distinctly stated hi opin
ion that what was done at Liverpool wa
direct infringement of the Foreign En-
listment act, and that the Customs au
thorities at that port would be responsible
for the consequences. When this opinion
i was taken to the Foreign Office they wer
rather astonished; but their law eficer r
opinion coincided with Mr.. Golfers, an,
then, after those delays which always tax
place when there is anything to be don
by a Government Office, a telegraph
message was sent to Liverpool to stop tb
vessel, but the message arrived too late
She has never been in Confederate port
She hoists the English flag when sh
wants TO come alongside any ship, sets th
ship on fire by night, and when any othe
vessel comes down to help it she seizes
also, and afterwards robs and burns it,