The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-12

question of American slavery, thOuRh pIODNvtyi
your countrvman was much opposed 10 the
Institution ns we ourselves we're. When your
war commenced and Mr.. Lincoln issued his
Proclamation of Emancipation, you naturally
ex1eeied that his action would receive the cor
| dial endorsement of these people. And don't
| wonder that when that proclamation was issued
| and found its reception the reverse of what you
| expected, that you should have felt surprised
| and hurt; on the contrary. wonder that your
| indignation was not greater (Applause.) Then,
| when you heard that Alabamas we're being fitted
I up IN our ports to prey upon your peaceful
| commerce, and when British merchants began to
| break through the blockade, you might we'll lee
| mat mat was manifestation you had no right
| TO expect My feeling of surprise was not that
| your Indignation was so great, but that it was
| 80 slight, And yet there are words i'm mitiga-
| ton OF the judgment which was passed. I would
| not say one word in mitigation OF the judgment,
| Dut Would say something IN mitigation of those
| who called for the judgment. Those men said
| lhe North recoenHed tbe Southern States as "A
| oelllgerent power, aud therefore that England
| was justified in recognizing them as a bellige-
rent power, They said when the North pro-
nounccd blockade they recognized the South
as a beligerent power, and not rs n mere Rebel
rover 1t was mistake, no doubt, to accept
the proclamation of bellgerency as equivalent
to recognition of the Southern States. with
reference to the blockade and bloCkade-running
our opponents, your opponents argued that IL
was matter OF speculation; and upon this view
OF the case Der Of merchants were willing
to run The risk. These men fitted out vessels OF
war, with arms and equipments. This could not
De prevented. The men ran the risk and
accepted The consequence. | know q man,
mytelt, merchant in Hull in England,
who ran the blockade, and whom, am happy
10 sSy, failed afterwards for n sum of 100000
sterlug. Our opponents point to the case of
the Alabama. Now with regard to the circum-
stances connected with that vessel, they bear
fair comparison with regard TO lawsuits in
general cases. If the lower court decides ad-
versey against litigaut he appeals to higher
court, and the man who foncies himself ag-
giieyed must wait for decision. This may
involve expenses, but the aggreved must,
nevertheless, await the decision of the higher
court. 1t may be said in plea of judgment on
the Alabama claims that old people do not 90
ahead as fast as the young The young should
not md fault with the old because the old could
not run as last they could. 1t was contended
that the Alabama was fitted out proressedly tor
me service OF the Emperor of China. No one
believed that. No one certainly knew what the
vessel was for, though, no doubt many sus-
pected her true mission. II the Alabama had
Deen ntted out and prepared professedly for the
service oil the Southern States, she would have
Oeeh stopped immediately. In Great Britain
we repeatedly hear of large stores Of
arms OF magazines aud repositories Of
material OF war for the Femans,
and OF headquarters where people muster for a
certain purpose. Now, no one says that these
preparations are intended for China, but it IS
openly announced they are intended for Canada
1t is never attempted 10 be concealed that these
preparations are anything else but Fenian pre-.
paratons against Canada, Now, If the Alabama
had been declare to be fitted out for the service
OF the Sou hern States, aud it had been reported
tnal her agaZne of pow der and her arms were
intended Tor the aid of the South, not n single
moment would have been allowed TO pass before
the Alabama would have been seized. This is
what our opponents might say in arrest of
Judgment. Individually, / have not word
to say in apology for the fitting out of the
Alabama; or Tor the delay which is experi-
enCed In settling the claims against Great Britain
on her account. All do say is, nothing would
be more desirable to Great Britain, nothing would
give me masses OF the people greater satisfac.
ion than TO see the Alabama question equitably
settled. And when it shall be decided oy the
tribunals that Great Britain was culpably negIi-
gent in the matter OF a settlement, not only will
the people be willing to pay the last dollar, not
only shall everything be done in justice by the
great masses Of the people, but they will demand
that every dollar justly claimed shall be paid.
(Applause.) When the war broke out it was
wen understood in my country that it would
not be settled in ninety days The difficulty in
England was that the people did not understand
your Consiltutton-not an easy matter If we are
to judge of it by the Southern construction of
1t We only knew that the Government OF the
United States was composed of a combination
OF separate nations, each with its own laws and
institutions, each nation having surrendered
certain number OF their sovereign rights and
that the regulation Of these matters thus sur.
rendered were in the hands Of Congress and the
President, and that the Government had no
power over those rights reserved by the separate
nations. Ii the principle of the Government
and the Constitution had been understood the
people OF Great Britain would not have re-
PAOoShSu INC OhIICu states IOf S1nCt10nlng pro-
ceedlngs IN the several States which, according
70 the constitution, the Government had no
power 10 interfere with SO we saw that
although slavery existed in the Southern States,
the Government of the United States as such
was not responsible for the institution OF
eiaYeTy. We saw in my country, however that
there were principles at work which would
eventually destroy the system of slavery which
the Constitution never did sanction or approve
We read that Washington emancipated his
slaves; we read that Jefferson said, ''I tremble
ior my country when l consider that God is
lust; we saw the continual contest between the
states on the question of slavery; we sa " that
slavery IN the territory north of the Ohio
was pIohibitcd, the Missouri Compromise,
the conflict that was going on between
the slave power and the advocates OF freedom
Ihen came the publication of that book the
truth OF which has been vndicated and which
aone SO much in creating public sentiment, and
IN bringing about the great results in which all
ieJolce. Then came the bred Scott decision
that terrible dictum-whch declared that the
black man had no rights which the white man
was pound to respect, And we marked the agi.
tation which shook the land. We marked how
1erce was the struggle in Kansas between the
tteesollers and the slave party. We also, Watch-
ing the course OF events, felt that the copdem.
nation OF that old man. John Brown, to death,
was the bnell OF slavery. And when that SEN
tence of death was passed, the South little
wards, twenty thousand coored troops would be
seen marching through their principal cities,
singing the now popular song;-
John Browns body lies mouldering in the grave.
But his soul goes marching on"
And we saw how the ladies of the South dis
gTaced their sex by their unchrstian feelings;
and we saw, also, that the turning point of the