The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-01-24
England and the Rebellion.

Our cause IL rapidly srengthenlng
itself among the enlightened and liber-
al classes Of Great Britain. On the
10Th of December deputation from
the Emancipation Society waited upon
the Hon. @. +. Adams, the American
Minister in London to present to him
for transmission to Washington, an ad-
dress congratulating President LINCOLN
on his reelection. The address rcjoic-
es ut the reelection as. an evidence
that the Americ an people are deter
mined that the hateful institution of
slavery shall be entirely abolished; it
deplores the loss of valuable life in the
conflict, but considers it honorable to
the Government and the people Of the
United States that no prisoners have
been put to death for the mere fact
of being taken in arms against the Gov
ernment; and concludes with the ex-
preston Of . feryent hope that the
Presidents exertions may shorten the
duration of the war, and that the coun-
try, thoroughly purged from the curse
OF slavery, may soon enjoy universal
happiness and exert blissful and
widespread influence for the advance
ment Of liberty and the general good
Of mankind.
After complimentary speeches from
several members ofthe deputation, Mr..
Adams said:
81 receive the address which you
are pleased to commit to my care with
great satisfaction. Coming as it does
from an association of such respecta-
bility in this kingdom, it cannot fail to
be regarded in America as strong
proof OF the friendly interest taken by
a considerable portion of the English
people in the welfare Of the United
States while Tpassing through their
great perils. This will do great good,
for / cannot disguise from myself or
from you the painful fact that an oppo
site disposition has been manifested in
very influential circles, and that the
knowledge of this has given rise to a
general impression among my country
men that the whole British nation real
ly desires the disruption, and eonse-
quent downfall, of the power of. the
United States. Hence has sprung up
a corresponding degree OF ill-wili,
which bids fair, if not ceunteracted,
only to increase with time.
eff such passions be permitted full
indulgence between two nations, it
needs little sagacity to toretell that, in
the long run, the end is war. Very
fortunately for US all. ip the present
case, the demonstrations made by
yourselves and many other associations
whose friendly communications from
various portions of the kingdom | am
now continually receiving for trans
mission to America, will enable those
who value the blessings of peace and
international amity to prove that,
whatever msy be the. hostility of some,
it is by no means shared by the great
number Of the British people, and
ought not to be presumed to be ma
tional impression.
Mr.. Adams then adverted to the
election and argued that it had clearly
established two points: first the practi
cal impossibility ofmaking any effect
i've separation of the personal and pol
itical interests of the two sections of
America now involved in this deplora-
BILE struggle; and secondly, that the
only real question of difference be-
tween the two parties in the election
was that which directly involved the
interests of the slaveholding insurgents
much more than those of the loyal
States. He advanced arguments in
support of these deductions, and con-
cluded as follows:
"It was then the fate of slavery that
made the turning point in the great de-
cision to be made by the people of the
United States ON this occasion. If
this be so, the result is one in which
we may be permitted alto rejoice in
common. 1t has continued Gov
ernment which had all ready done
much toward emancipation in the pro-
gress of the war, and which might he
depended upon TO go Oh doing more,
in proportion as matters should ap-
proach more nearly the great end ofits
perfect work. Hear, hear, / will
conclude, then, with the expression Of
q hope that, without regard to national
distinction, all good men have cause to
rejoice ie the termination of this mel
anoholy struggle, if that end be at
once a confirmation of a free Govern
ment i'm America, and the eradi alton
of the most formidable evil with which
its progress has heretofore been ours
ed"