Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-11-24
Mr.. Beecher on England.

We give peloW WHAT ne ealQ respecting tHe stdle
Of popular feeling 10 England, concerning the
war
" And the question propose to you u.s. how,
with the papers, magazines, and universities
how with their titled estates, opposed to us,
that they have been restrained from manilesting
this in open hostility 1t is because there is
great under-lnhuence that restraints them--It is
the Influence of that under-liie and to a very
great extent, of the non-voting English who
| have produced this effect. 1t is a thing | could
not understand at first, and which it is very diff
cult for US to understand, for whenever in our
country there is majority Of the votes, there
II sure to BIO direction of affairs But it is
not so in England. learned that the men who
could not vote, where they were united and dc.
termined, had the power to control the men who
90 vote. This is not an anomaly, then. 1t
would be in our institutions, but il is not in Eng
llsh nstltutlons-amOng other reasons, because,
IN nation where one class has a prominence
and privilege, and the underlying class have
none, al the instinct OF sell preservation teaches
the favored class never to g0ad that great under.
lying class into madness. There is always that
dragon OF revolution cooled up that they are
AFRAID to arouse. Therefore it is that when the
great under class of England Is determined IN
one direction, they always carry their point !;
first or last, the upper classes have to give way
Men whose fortunes are fnade--men whose only
thought OF the future is to carry the rich ireghts
OF present along into their future-thatclass
are generally against US. Men who have no for
tunes-men having very little in the present to
care for, who are struggling for better fortunes
for themselves and chlldren-that class are on
our side. They are in our favor, but they are a
class who have not much yoice--haye very little
expression, and they are therefore little heard
Their report is not waited across, but their in
huencc is felt on the other side of the sea. 1t
seems to me that it is peculiarly fitting that we,
who believe 10 the common people, should find
ourselves opposed by the titled and strong, but
should find our allies and fast friends IN the
emergency, have been the common people Of
Great Britain. (Applause) The result has
| been that tho government has more and more
modified its policy, until it has now come to
that condition in which believe we may in the
main feel satisfied. England has determined that
ships of war shall not be sent out Of her porte
to harass cur commerce and drive it from the sea
The language Of Lord John Russell in bis
statement of the policy OF the British Govern.
nent in the future has met with some few dis.
sentient voices, but it has met with the appro-
baton Of the great mass of the British people
and the government will unquestonably main
tain for the future that policy which they now
stand upon. (Appause.) There is growing
enlightened sympathy in our favor, also through
out the realm. There are more public mon, more
public lecturers, and more public writings, in.
huenclng opinion 10 our favor than ever before
And when men say to you that they doubt thi
English feeling, ! always bring this fact t,
them, that the English Parliament, as it is nov
known to be adverse to the North, dare not yot,
against the North for fear Of their own people
allege this additional fact, that out Of four
or five hundred public estings that have beer
held IN treat Britain not more than twelve o,
fifteen of them carried resolutions against tn,
North-that out OF eight OF ten public meet
lrgs held in Liverpool, there has not been on
that has been carried against the North. AM
that at the great meeting which it was my priv
llege to attend there, (laughter) the vote wa
hive 10 one in favor Of the North The nos
and tumult with which 1t was conducted woul
have gwen one an expectation Of a very differ
ent result, but when it came to vote there wa
J but one IN five against US, and the men VIII
were there for peace and quietness were fou
out OF five OF us, hold in my hand a lette
from Richard Golden, TREMENDOUS applause.
lie says:
You will carry back an intimate acquaintauc
with state of feeling in this country amonl
what, for a better name, call the ruling class
Their sympathy is undoubtedly strongly for tn
Sauth uifh tho instiunFtva ~
prospect Of the disruption of the great republic
1t is natural enough. Bat do not forget tina
we have in this case, for the first time in our hi,
tory, seen the masses OF the British people takn
sides for foreign government against its rebel
llous citizens. tremendous applause.) In oy
cry other instance-whether in the case of tn
Poles, Italians, Hungarians and Corsicans
Greeks or South Amerlcans--the popular sym
pathy OF the country has always leaned TO III,
= SIDE Of the insurgents the moment the rebellion
e has broken out, 10 the present case our masse
. have an instructive feeling that their cause
bound up in the prosperity of the Shtes-th
United States. 1t is true that they have not
!. particle of power in the direct form Of a vote
f but when millions in this country are led b,
the religious middle class they can 20 and prea
vent the governing class from pursuing polio,
hostile to their sympathles. " Tremendous ap
$ plausel
Under these circumstances, think you will
agree with me that we may consider the grea
middle laborlng class of England arc on IN,
eide Of the North, and the upper class, as the,
E are called, are on the side OF the South.
The reasons for this anupathy on the part Of
: the upper classes Mr.. Boecher thus summed up
And if you ask me what is the great under
lying influence tha! has been at work upon th,
class of England answer thus:
|. Commercial interest and rivalry therein
! .. Class power, and the fear OF contagion Of
American ideas.
3, Il know not how shall say it so that il
shall be the least offensive to our friends ON m,
, other side, but they have not come and YOU
have not come to the bottom Of the conduct Of
Great Britain until you have touched that deli.
cate and real foundation cause), we are 10 large
and strong nation, (Laughter)
That is, in my judgement, the night of the
whole matter. distinguished clergyman Of
London, personally kind and friendly to me
said to me in these very words 4" Mr.. Beech.
er, you may Just as well have it said to YOU
You have been growing SO strong that we have
felt for good many years that we had tc
take you down, and we were very glad when
the job was taken from our hands BY your owr
people" laughter,) When Mr.. RoebucK-
whose speech it was my great privilege to hear
: -(laughterl-declared that same fact in Par,
Lament, it was cheered immensely, but reprobat
ed In the Times and in the other papers tina
sympathised with the South, not because h,
had not spoken the truth, but because it wa,
a truth not to be spoken. (Laughter.)
Mr.. Beecher concluded that, by the hct.
ha desnrihad he ,yas ;nst;Goa -, -;