, 1876-11-19

19, 1876-SIXTEEN PAGE
the acknowledgement within wide extent Of terri
| tory, Of Southern independence.
| He then, by copious extracts from his
| speeches, labors to show that, so far as he was
concerned, this general charge was not true
The fact that such, letter was written at
all is a confession Of how great is the change
| of public sentiment that has taken place in
England during the last ten years, and even
as far back as 1872. In reading the Ameri-
can "Case" as presented at Geneva, the
leader Of the Liberal party in England and
| Chief Minister of State was, in the Light Of
| all that had taken place, struck with the
| force Of such an Indictment Of the British
Government and of the British nation in
1861-1864 that was not only true in itself,
but was impressively humi1iating. So strong
" impressed WIGS MIR. GLADSTONE with this
national humiliation, that he hastened in an
unofficial way to disclaim, SO far as he was
personally concerned, any completely in the
guilt. After the lapse Of four years, in which
this letter has been unknown, he, again in
Difference to the great change in public feel
ing and the great change in the standing of
the American Union, has caused this letter
to be made public; the desire to be acquitted
Of any share, officially or personally, of un-
just hostility to the United States during the
War has evidently SO grown with the lapse
Of time, that he now makes that public dis
clainer which originally was intended as q
private one.
In the meantime, the general charge, as
made at Geneva against the British Govern
ment, stands uncontradicted. It was over
whelming The very case at Geneva was of
itself the outgrowth Of British sympathy
popular and governmental the Rebel
ion,, and of poorly disguised hope for the
destruction Of the American Union. The
hasty member Of Parliament who expressed
his qualification at the bursting Of the
''American bubble" though reproved by the
Ministers, nevertheless expressed the senti-
ment of the Government and Of the people.
The friends of the Union were mainly JOHN
BR1oHT and the comparatively small number
of Radicals who agreed with him. British aid,
British sympathy, and British encourage
ment, prolonged the War. It fitted out
cruisers upon American commerce it opened
British ports for refuge and supplies to Con-
federate vessels Of war; it fitted out fleets
Of blockade runners; it bought Confederate
cotton, and supplied the Confederates
with money and materials; British So
ciety opened its arms to the Confederate
cause and to its representatives The Re
bellion Was as popular in Canada as it was in
Louisiana, and more popular in England than
it was in North Carolina And the great in
ducing cause for all this was the deeply-root-
ed objection to Republicanism, which, in the
rapid growth of the United States, was
standing reproach and menace
This feeling in Great Britain was prepared |
for the acceptance Of NAPo1Eos's proposition !
Of interference to compel the independence
Of the Confederacy; and that that PROPOSE |
tion was never adopted we now know Was
due to the friendly interposition Of Russia, |
which nation gave notice that in case of such |
the United States should not be |
without IN ally. In the darkest hours of |
this conspiracy against the Republic, the |
Russian fleets appeared in our harbors,
and cruised off our coast until Great Britain
declined the French measure; and the Con-
federaey weakened from exhaustion. That
the Union was preserved, and the Rebellion
overcome, and the great Repubicstrengthen-
ed and unified by the abolition of slavery,
was in no wise due to any want of nation
al hatred on the part Of Great Britain,
nor any want Of desire by the British peo-
pie and Government to have the Union dis
membered, but was accomplished in defiance
and to the great disappointment Of the ru1-
ing classes in Great Britain, and to the fact
that direct intervention against the Union
would raise up at least one powerful and
active ally in Europe. It is no wonder that
S1r. GLADSTONE, in the light of history; feels
The humiliating position held by the British
Government and people in those days, and
has sought the press to make public his dis
:laimer Of being personally responsible
therefor.
THE SITUATION IN LOUISIANA.
It'll