Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1877-08-31
A COnversaaEon with JOhE
wrfRhE.


toBE MOTIFS OF -HE EEG-IsE QUAKER
sTATEsKAH's coNYERsATIoN - HIS
OPINIONS ABOUT -HE KAsTEES QuEs-
TON.
Correspondence ". Y. Evening" Posi-
John Bright has been, II be Is not
now, the greatest orator in England.
This has been the result OF constant
practice 90 3 speaker before popular
assemblies, and Of bis peculiar aud
original We've on great political cues.
lions, such as free trade, wa- and sut.
aFage. He has great courage in advo-
eating bic peculiar views Of reform,
which are generally in advance ofpub-
lie opfnl0n, and 9 great heart In full
sympathy with the wrongs and sufIer-
ingS Of humsnity. Few men in bis
p0sillOn would dare to advocate bis
views against the policy and wicked
mess Of sll the modern wars OF Eng.
land, or would dare to hold up 10 con.
demnation ss he does some Of the great
conquests Of the English nation in
which Englishmen have been aeeus-
toned 10 glory. he dares 10 tell the
English nation that the Crimean war
was wrong, that they have no business
10 hold Gibraltar, that their sympathy
with our Southern Rebellion was
almost . crime. With his keen logical
powers and strong instinct for the right
he Is generally a quarter Of q century
in advance OF the pnbiic opinion Of his
time.
Mr. Bright 10 now about SixIy.nve
years OF age, rather short and stout,
With gray hair, Q sharp, aQuiline nose,
fair complexion, and a kind, pleasing
face. 10 conversation be 10 positive 10
the statement OF his opinions, and
rather abrupt in questioning statements
made BY others. He lets no assertion
Of opinion or fact pass which he can
question, aud seems TO enjoy the Diff.
Guilty Of the task which be imposes
upon persons around him OF defending
the most commonly received opinions,
II is not safe 10 make any loose or com.
monplace remark in his presence. II
may nave 10 DC pTOVeu'
Judge /. TO be the habit Of bis mind
not TO accept an opinion because almost
every n approves II, bat TO keep from
HE own iniuiiions Q reason Tor il. His
physical vigor is not 50. gEsaLAs IL once
was, and consequently he cannot do the
amount Of work be once did, bli tho
force aud brillianey oibis mind are no:
abased.
An afternoon that I passed in ialil-
lar conversation with him brought out
some of his peculiar views on The great
political questions which have been and
are still hgitating England
J expressed 10 him the greA; o0ligS.
ton which ali Americans :el; toward
him for the stand he took for The North
10 oug Rebellion. de replied Your
counirymen have done me loo much
credi. in that matter. Ny course was
dictated more b. my love for England
than by personal friendship TO you.
The policy | advocated I believed was
the only right one and the only safe one
for England 70 pursue. The disrup.
lion OF your Republic woull have been
Of no advantage 10 England, as many
thOrislghted politicians supposed"
The Eastern question and the re.a.
lions Of England TO Turkey and to Rus
sic we're also discussed. ! mentioned
10 him 4 remark that Mr.. LayaFd, now
tue British Minister at C0nslanlinople,
had made 10 me, that England never
would allow Russia 10 extend from The
Arctic Ocean 10 the Mediterranean and
from The Baltic 10 the Black Sea never
would allow her 10 have free access 10
The Mediterranean for her navy that
Il they did, IN fly years, with all her
resources, she would have 3 navy equal
10 B~ngland's would have ibs Black
See for q rendezvous navy.yard and
exercising ground, aud run out into the
Mediterranean 10 menace the commerce
Of England and her route Il India BY
way Of The Suez Canal, and could rur
back again for shelter when she pleased
THE" said the Minister, England
never will stand."
Nj Bright's answer was: This leOI
Of Russia 10 6 mere fancy. All grea'
wars are got up on false rumors and
gro1ndless feAFs. England was ell
wrong 10 the war of the Crimea, AMI
time has nos proved It." He added
Lord Aberdeen, who was then at th,
head OF the Government, Sir Jamel
Graham, also 6 member, and Lore
Rassell, have each since the Crimeal
war acknowledged to me that M
Views expressed during the war, werv
right and theirs were wrong. Tha
waE cos, Us forty thousAnd lives and q
immense debt. Louie Napoleon urge,
il on 10 get himself into some Europeai
connection. In the end an unfair I'D
vantsge vas taken Of Russia in th
treaty Of Paris, She was down; III
knife was put 10 her throat, and Oh
was forced 70 sign the treaty agreeinI
10 give up her navy in the Black Sc
add 10 dismantle Der fortresses there
By ancient treaties Russia hes been 70
centuries protector Of the Christians Il
the provinces on the Danube. BY Ii
treaty Of Paris this right was AlS,
Iakar fPom her. and no provision VA