The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-24
Mr.. Cobden's speech at Roch.
02lee

On the sd Of November Mr.. Golden de-
livered his usual annual address to his
constituents at Rochdale; The greater
portion ofthe address referred to the Uni.
ted States, and was "a follows:
II we were to discuss these foreign ques-
tions at all, let Us do 20 calmly and tenn
perately. - now mean 70 do the subject
be tolerant toward every body who diff
fars from me about this dreadful civil
war in America. I have most intimate
friends who differ totally from me on this
question. It never drove me from their
doors, nor prevented me from associating
with them. Nay, more. have always
said that, while / believe many entertain
on the other hand. many who have taken
the part Of the South because it is the weak
or, because it IL insurRent, and because,
looking at the extent Of territory, they do
not believe that the North can succeed in
subduing it, and that. as the struggle is q
hopeless one. we ought to endeavor to put
an end to 1t. These are views that ought
are other parties in the country who have
not had the sense to conceal their objects,
but who wish to see an end put to Repub-
lican institution in that country. [Cheers. ]
will tell you what my opinion is with
regard to Republicanism. Think we may
have greater advantages in. this country
with an hereditary monarchy than we
four or six years. Now, this is my theory
but, at the same time, if see people set
ting up a government upon a standard
very far in advance Of anything that was
ever known in the world before-a people
who say 1--WE will rule ourselves by pure
reason there shall be no religious estat-
lishments to guide or control us; there
e,1~ L. <rHn 1pf hr,<
every honor held and every promotion
enjoyed shall spring from the people and
by selection; we maintain that we can
govern ourselves without the institution of
any hierarchy or privileged body what
ever,"-I think that every body will admit
that, at all events, that programmed is
founded upon an elevated conception Of
1t may be q mistaken estimate it may be
too soon to form 80 high an estimate, it
may fail, but don't ask me who always
consult, to the best Of my ability, the in
terests Of the great masses OF my kind
don't ask ne to wish it may fail don't
ask me to exult II it seems to fail, because
/ utterly repudiate the possibility OF my
partaking any such sentiment as that
fHear, hear.] We have lately seen that
great country brought into strait and a
difficulty which we might be thrown into
to- morrow. We are now ruling India, con-
tanning a population Of l3Oor A0 millions
of people for the sake oftheir custom, and
for nothing else; for can defy you to show
this nation has any interest in that
country except for the commerce that is
carried on. That is an adventure uncon-
nected with free trade. You might have
something happen out there at any time;
you might have something happen in Ire
land. .S
Is it conservative to jump up Immediate
ly that this great republic falls into this
civil war from the fault of no one living,
but. to trace out the first cause, rather to
the British nation and to the British court
some $50 years ago-I ask, is it conserva-
tive in this country, or among the religious
classes Of Europe, that they should have
Jumped so hastily into this kind Of part
nership with this insurrection? (Hear,
hear.) Nov, let rs see what it it is. Here
you have d great political disruption, in
which the active parties were very able
meu-I know the leaders on both sides
and what were they doing7 They knew
the tremendous consequences Of the course
they were going to entail upon this cotton
region. For instance, here is disruption
by which they were to throw into convul-
sion this populous district, where many
wear a paler brow than they would have
done but for this civil war. Now, what
did they do to justify themselves in the
eyes Of foreign States, to induce US and
other countries to recognize them as bel
Iigerents? In our political convulsions you
may remember that the parties who have