The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-07
LORD RUSSELL TO MIR. ADAMS.

LORD RUSSELL TO MR.. ADAMS.
CHEsHAM PLACE, February %, 1s66.-Dear Mr.
Adams:-I observe In the Dd1iy Nelcs of yester
day extracts from speech Oh Mr.. Bancroft de
livered in the House Of Representatives on the
18th instant. In this speech Mr.. Bancroft is
represented to have said, referring to the break.
ing out of the civil war:-"The British Secre
tary OF State tor Foreign Affairs made haste
to send word through the palaces of Europe
that the great republic was in its agony; that
the republic was no more; that headstone
was all that remained due by the law of nations
to the late Union.'"
As words pronounced on such an occasion,
and by so eminent a man as Mr.. Bancroft, may
have an effect tar beyond the injury which my
personal character might suffer, / must re-
quest you to convey to Mr.. Bancroft the de-
nial of the truth of his allegation, and to refer
him TO facts of totally opposite character
Soon after the news of the resistance in arms
OF the Southern States to the Government of the
Union arrived in this country. member of the
House of Commons stated in his place that the
bubble of republicanism had burst. l replied in
the same debate that the bubble OF republican
ism had not burst, and that il the curse of
slavery still hung about the United States, it was
England who had made them the gilt of the
poisoned garment which was now their tor
ment. In fact have never had any doubt that
whether the United States consented to separa-
ton or pursued the war TO extremity, the great
Western republic would remain, happily for the
world, powerful and independent republic.
The authors of the Declaration of 1ndepend-
ence, in declaring ior separation from Great
Britain, after enumerating their complaints of
her conduct, go on to say:-"We must therefore
acquiesce in the necessity which demands our
separation, and hold them as we hold the rest of
mankind, enemies in war; in peace friend.."
That we should be enemies in war is easily
understood, but when we are at peace WHY
should we not be friends as the great men OF
the.Americap revolution intended us to be? If
they In a moment of separation and of war
looked forward to period OF peace and of
friendship, why should we, more than three
quarters of a century after these events, keep
up sentiments Of irritation and hostility founded
on a mistaken apprehension of facts, and tend
ing to lay the foundation of permanent aliena.
tlon, suspicion, and ill-will?
AS Mr.. Bancrolt's speech is likely to have very
extensive publicity, reserve to myself the power
OF making public this letter at such time as |
shall Judge fit.
remain, my dear Mr.. Adams, your faithful
servant, RUSSELL.
p. S. l subjoin an eXtracr OF my speech on the
3Oth of May, 1861, as reported IN Hansard's De-
bates.
MR.. BANCROFT TO Mr.. ADAMS IN REPLY.
New York, March %, 1866.
MY DEAR Mr.. ADAMs.-I have received from
you, by Lord Russels desire, a copy of his letter
to you of 28th February last, in which he denies
the truth of certain allegations in my address to
Congress on the 18th OF the same month. The
passage which he cites contains these three ale
cations THAT as British Secretary of Slate for
Foreign Affairs he viewed this republic as 1.-The
late Union;" that he sent this view of our coun-
try through the palaces of Europe; and that he
made haste TO do so. When Lord Russell calls
to mind the authority for these statements he
must acknowledge them to be perfectly just and
true.
On the 9Th day of May, 1861, Lord John Rus.
sell, then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
wrote despatch TO Lord Lyons, in which he
describes the condition Of America as "the dis
ruption of contederacy," and he further used
these words:-''Civi war has broken out be-
tween the several States of the late Union. The
Government of the Southern portion has duly
constituted itself. Her MaPsty's Government
do not wish you to make any mystery of that
view." Here is irrefraeable proof Of my first
allegation.
On the day on which the Minister of the Queen
thus wrote he addressed Il despatch TO Lord
Cowley, her Maiestys Ambassador at Paris,
designating our republic as 'the States which
lately composed the American Union "the late
United States" ''the late Union, and he enclosed
IN that despatch, tor Lord Cowey's instruction,
a copy OF the above-cited letter TO Lord Lyons.
Having thus ostentatiously communicated his
view OF our country as 'the late Union" he
asked, IN return, Ito be made acquainted with
the views OF the Imperial Government" Ny
and in spirit.
That Lord John Russell, as Secretary of State,
was in haste TO do this, appears from his not
having awaited the arrival OF the American Min.
lister Of Mr.. LincOln's appointment, and from
those very letters of the 9th of May, 1861, to
Lord Cowley and 10 Lord Lyons; for in those
letters he confesses that he had not, yet ire
ceived from Lord Lyons any report of the state
of affairs and of the prospects of the several par
ties" but that on coming to the decision which
was so momentous and unprecedented he acted
on the reports of "some cOnsuls" and "of the
public printsN
1t is true that twenty four days after Lord
John Russell had officially described our coun-
try as ''the disruption OF cOnfederacy,n "the
late United States," 'the late Union," he re-
proved member of the House of Commons for
openly exultng "that the great republican
bubble in America had burst, " and owned that
the Republic had been tor many years a great
and tree State.n But he uttered no expectation
or hope of the restoration of our Union, and
rather intimated that the Americans were "about
to destroy each others happiness and freedom
Lord John, on that occasion, rightly attributed
the Rebellion to the "accursed institution of
slavery and confessed that England was the
giVer OF "the poisoned garments" that the
former Governments of Gra9f, Britain were
themselves to blame for the 6yygin OF the evil"
But this confession must be Interpreted by the
light OF his averments on the 9th of May, 1861,
and by Lord Russells later assertion, that the
efforts OF our country we've but contest for
"empirP."
In speaking TO the American Congress of the
life and character of Abraham Lincoln it was
my unavoidable duty TO refer to the conduct of
the British Government towards our country
during his administration, for nothing 20
wounded his feelings, or exercised his judgment,
or tried his fortltude.