Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-05-25
The British IiOn-Su,Nuer's Speech
GOading Him to Desperation.
Correspondence New York Tribune, lsth.l



Goading Him TO Desperation.
Correspondence New York Tribune. lsth.l
LONDON. Mayo.
The irritation caused by Mr.. Summers
speech goes on increasing instead of d.
minishing, as / hoped it might after lit
tie reflection. have already described
it as extending through all classes, turn
ing old friendship into ill-will, and uni
ting those who who were for us and those
who were against us in one common pur-
pose of resistance to the demands sup
posed to be made by Mr.. Sumner. With
q good deal of reluctance, and with some
qualifications, / said we had few friends
left, if approval or even toleration OF Mr..
Summers speech was to be the condition
Of friendship. With a good deal more
reluctance, but without any qualification,
say to-day that 30 far as know we have
not, in that sense, single friend in Eng
land. OF course / do not mean that men
long conspicuous for their sympathy
with us have on a sudden become ene-
mics, or that they recant anything they
ever said on our side. But they
dissent wholly from Mr.. Summers
statement of the American claims
and grievances. They find fault
with the tone of the speech and the
extent of his demands. In more than
one particular they are misled, or some
of them are, by the misrepresentation of
the London papers, all of which make
Mr.. Sumner say some things which he
clearly does not, say. Comment on the
speech continues daily, in the press and
everywhere else, and wkile there is
difference in the degree of resentment
expressed in different quarters, the
agreement of opinion is practically unsn-
imeus. England will fight rather than
yield to the claims made or indicated ia
this speech. She will fight rather than
even negotiate on any such basis. If Mr..
Motley's instructions cover anything like
the ground taken by Mr.. Sumner, be will
be met by a point blank refusal to con-
slider his proposals. AT this moment, l
doubt whether any proposals whatever
would be listened to- If popular feeling
counts for anything in the Foreign Office,
they would be simply secuted. Of course,
/ don't mean that Mr.. Motley is likely to
be received with inciviity. The most
furious would greet him with politeness
enough, but all parties will resist with
equal resolution an attempt to enter
upon any negotiation which does not dis
ayow, in fact, if not in terms, Mr.. Sum-
ner's authority to speak for the Ameri-
can Government
/ do not care to follow the London
papers any further in their attacks on
Mr.. Sumner. That wonld only be to
rewrite my last letter. Language intem-
perate enough at first has grown daily
more violent. Mr.. Sumner is bracketed
with Mr.. Chandler, and the two are held
up together to public hate as men who
have gone mad in their aversion to Eng
lapd. Tho Tribune comes in for its
share of vituperation, spite of its digni-
fed protest against Mr.. Chandler's ex
cesses. Its real offeuse is in being the
leading Radical journal in America;
Radicslism being in England the chief of
the seven deadly sins, of which new
catalogue needs to be promulgated by
ecclesiastical authority. The talk about
Canada inaames the popular fury, aud It
does so notwithstanding the known opin-
ion of leading Englishmen that Canada
ought to go, and some day must
20, and when she goes must be abb
sorbed into the Republic. The most
thoughtful among English statesmen
would rejoice to be rid of cost
y dependency which keeps them in
perpetual fear lest it should be lost dis
gracefully in the first war that may break
1ut. But they never will let it 60 under
menace, or while its cession might expose
England to the suspicion of surrender
ng it from fear. Hence even the sug-
,estion of the Tribune, that England
night offer it to America with the con-
Ient of the colonists themselves, pro-
,okes wrath. The Daily Neics, misled,
suppose, by the Spectator, denounced
t as scandalous" proposal, that
England should be required to hand over
Ter province as q penalty for her Ala
,ama wrongs. Next day the Nelrs,
Vhich certainly does not mean to be un-
air, corrects its mistake, and to-day it
'opies enough Of your article on. Mr..
Chandler to show its real drift But
ven the Nsps is swept away by the ire
istible current of popular opinion
gsinst Mr.. Sumner and his speech, and
very American view on the Alabama
question.
do not, however, think the war party
J q majority here any more than it is in
america. Between dissenting from Mr..
iumner's speech and declaring war the
interval is a long one. Some of the men
rho are mos; vehement against the
peech are most emphatic in protesting
gainst war, and even these who say they
Tould fight rather than negotiate on
umner's basis do not all desire hostili-
les. They persist in believing that Mr..
umner has bill made out for some four
T five millions sterling, but they are far
-om believing that Mr.. Motley is going
D present it for payment Most people
18th when / falkland during the past
eek have seen not few men whose |
pinions have great weight = de-
lare for peace in the abstract,
ut peace on condition that the 2
.merican Government shall refrain
ON such insult as they discover in Mr..
umner's speech. But / confess have
let nobody who seems willing any I
niger 10 20 50 far as a good many men
i -