Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-15
"JoHy 70 JoNATEAN"

RroWu," delivered at MUSIC haii, ooseon, VI
the 18th. As a friend to our government dur
ing the struggle with rebellion, he has an
honest claim to our attention and respect
what he says in explanation or apology fol
England will receive candid consideration.
In bis opening he refers to the unfriendly
feeling between the two countries and ex-
presses his regret on account Of 1t. He does
not forget however that he is an Englishman'
and that the cause of England is his. The
rebellion he says agitated England almost as
much as this country. The great majority OF
the aristocracy were against US but not all
there were notable exceptions such as the
Duke of Argyll, Lord Carlisle and others. In
the mercantile world there was also prepon-
derance against us, but we had friends among
the most eminent of this class. The manu-
facturers were more friendly to Us and were
represented by such men as Golden, Bright
and Forster. But our best friends were
gathered from all ranks and all parts Of the
kingdom, governed by all sorts of motives
On the part of the press the Times and all pa
pers that follow its lead opposed US. Under
all disadvantages and against all opposition
and encouragement our friends sustained u.s.
The public meetings of the Union and Eman-
cipation Societies were successful. The nrst
one was held in Exeter Hall 1868, and Is
described as follows by Mr.. Hughes:
We took Exeter Hall, the largest and most
central hall in London. We did nothing but
simply advertise widely that such meeting
would be held, inviting all who cared to come
foes as well as friends. Prudent and tlmlo
people shook their heads and looked grave
The cotton famine was at its worst, and tens
of thousands of our work people were clamor-
ing as they call it, starving as you might say.
Your prospects looked as black as they had
ever done; it was almost the darkest moment
of the whole war. Even friends warned us
that we should fail in our object, and only do
harm by showing our weakness; that the
Confederate State Aid Association would
spare no pains or money to break up the
meeting and hundred roughs sent there by
them might turn it into triumph for the Re-
bellion. However, on we went, for we knew
our own people too well to fear the result.
The night came, and familiar as l am with
this kind of thing, have never seen, IN my
time, anything approaching this scene. Re-
member, there WAS uOtlllHS W atdo az P~cPA~
no well-known orators, for we always thought
it best to keep our Parliament men to their
own ground; no great success to rejoice IN,
for you were just recoiling under the recoil
of your gallant army from the blood-stained
hight of Fredericksburg; no attack on our
Government; no appeal to political or social
hates or prejudices, only doors thrown VIDE
open, with the invitation, Now let English
men came forward and show which side their
sympathies really are in this war;" Notwith-
standing all these disadvantages, the great hall
was densely crowded, SO that there was no
standing room, and the Strand and the neigh
boring streets blocked with crowd Of thous-
ends who could find no place, long before the
doors were open. Wewere obliged to organize
a number of meetings on the spur of the mo-
ment in the lower halls, and even in the open
streets In the great Hall, where two clergy
men, the Hon. Baptist Noel and Mr.. Newman
Hall, and myself, were the chief speakers, as
we'll as in every one Of the other meetings,
we carried, not only without opposition, but
without single hand being held up upon the
other side, resolutions in favor of your Gov
eminent, of the Union, and Of emancipation
The success was so complete that in London
our work was done.
In regard to the British government MIR.
Hughes admits that Lord Palmerston and
the principal members of the Cabinet were
unfriendly and would have been glad to see
our republic broken up. Looking back frou
this point of time the Queens proclamation Of
may seem to have been issued too
early and mistake, but if it was SO it was
done at the earnest solicitation of our friends,
who urged it as they supposed in our inter-
ests. The wanted to legitimatize the captures
made by our blockaders and put the British
merchants who lost their ships at once out OF
court. What took place after the proclama-
ton, also his version Of the Alabama business,
and the attempt of the Emperor of the French
to drag England into recognition of the Con-
federacy, Mr.. Hughes relates as follows:
Then came the first public effort of the
sympathizers with the rebellion After sew
eral preliminary skirmishes which were de-
feated by Mr.. Foster (who had what we law
yers should call the watching brief, with
Golden and Bright behind him as leading
counsel, and who used to go switching round
on those anxious days like short-tailed bull
in fly-time, with his pockets bullying out with
documents to show how effective the blockade
was, and how many ships of our merchants
you were capturing every day., Mr.. Gregory
put motion on the paper. lie was well
chosen for the purpose, as member of great
experience and ability, sitting on our side OF
the House SO that we weakened Liberals
would have an excuse for following him. and
though not himself in office supposed to be on
intimate terms with the Premier and other
members of the Cabinet. His motion was
simply 'to call the attention of the House to
the expediency of prompt recognition OF
the Southern Confederaey." 1t was set down
for June 7, 1861, and tell you we were all
pretty nervous about the result. The Spec
tator, Daily News, Star, and other staunch
papers opened fire, and we all did what we
could in the way of canvassing, but until the
Government had declared itself no union
man could feel safe.
Well, Lord John Russell, as the foreign
Minister, got up, snubbed the motion alto
gether, said that the Government had no in
tention whatever of agreeing to it, and rec
commended its withdrawal. SO Mr.. Gregory
and his friends took their motion off the paper
without debate and did not venture to try
any other during the session of 1861. In the
late Autumn came the unlucky Trent affair,