The New York herald., 1879-08-09
A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.
THOMAS BAYLEY POTTER EXPECTED IN NEW
YoRK-A NOTEWORTHY CAREER -MR. POT
TERs LABoRs FOR THE CAUSE OF AMERICAN
UNION. tfe
LONDON. July Is. 1879.
Mr.. Thomas Bayley Potter. the member OF Parliar
ment for Rochdale. will spend the autumn In
America. He sailed from Liverpool on tho I'd Of
August. by the Scythia. Mr.. Potter is well known
to largo number OF our public men. aud he will
doubtless receive warm welcome on this his first
visit. Mr.. Potter was. it will be remembered. the
foremost man in England in the movement Of
sympathy with American Union during the war;
There are some points in Mr.. potter's career and
family history which arc of peculiar interest.
Thomas Bayley Potter WAS born in the year 1877.
He OF sound and long tried radical stock
that of any family in the old country. His grand
father. farmer of Tadcsster, miles from
York. held such opinions little more than hun
dred years ago that English patriots smashed his
windows because he would not illuminate the
ceipt of news of victories of King Georges troops
over the Americans at Washington. His father, the
late Sir Thomas Potter man Of tho same stamp;
he was leader of liberal opinion in Manchester
the time of the early days OF the great reform
agitation of nifty years ago until his death in 1S45
he was the first Mayor of Manchester IN 1889, after
the Municipal Reform act. when Manchester was rst
Incorporated and he OF the originators
of the movement which led to the formation of the
Anti-Corn Law League. Sir JohnPotter Mr.. Potter's
elder brother. was three times in succession Mayor
Manchester in the years 1s49, 1850 and 1851;
the founder of the Manchester Free Lending Library.
the first institution of the kind in England and
member OF Parliament for Manchester at the time Of
his death in 1858. ~
FROM RUGBY TO PARLIAMENT. eal
Mr.. Thomas Bayley Potter was Of the pupils
of the famous DR.. Arnold. at Rugby School. and
finished his education ut University College. Lon
don. From the time Of his boyhood he has taken
very active part in the battle of political and social
progress in England. having been president of the
Manchester Reform Association. vice president of
the Nation Reform Union, Of the Lancashire Reform
Union and of the Ballot Society, and Q hard worker
in all the great Manchester and Lancashire organi-
cations for the Improvement Of the condition Of the
nation and the peoples He playe. paramount part
the devoted and enthusiastic friend in England Of
the American Union during the war of secession.
The Union and Emancipation Society, of which he
president, and to which for the time he devoted
almost his days and nights. organized manly
by him after the proclamation OF emancipation by
of sympathy OF the working classes Of Lancashire
held in the Free Trade Hall. in Manchester. on
the night Of December 81. 1862, the eve Of the
at an end. 1t enthusiastic demonstration
from which the middle and upper classes OF England
held aoof. An attempt made to limit the opera
of society. aud to make it merely philan
thropic agitation in behalf of the abolition OF slavery
but Mr. Potter and his friends resolved that the
movement should be political well philan-
thropc and that its object should be to assist in the
formation and expression of public opinion in Eng
land for the maintenance OF the Union as well for
the emancipation OF the slave; to enlighen the pub
lie mind to the true relations OF the war to the
cause OF freedom all the world. aud to prevent
the powerful hand Of Southern sympathizers in Eng
land from securing the recognition of the Confed-
eracy by the British government
LABoRING FOR AMERICA
The Union and Emancipation Society not the
first organization in England Socienes had been
formed for the purpose of enlsting the working
classes the side of the South with the professed
object OF obtaining cotton by active Intervention
agtation that the Union and Emancipation Society
was formed and it devoted itself to the of dis
seminating information and of preventing Great
Britain from committing herself to the wrong side
in that momentous struggle. for Mr. Potter and
those who labored with him believed that the inter-
esis of imperialism, Of privilege OF miitarysm and
OF reaction on the side Of despotc rule all the
world were bound up in the chances OF the
the triumph of the South would have thrown
back for generations the work Of liberty and
tsoroasheoins t English liberals felt that the battle
of true liberalism was being fought on American
soil. and it is generally acknowledged now that but
for the OF the Union forces electoral REFORM
national education and other great acts OF legsla-
tive progress England would have been postponed
for many day. tf.s l.a
MEMBER FOR RocHDALE.
On Mr.. Cobden's death. onthe I'd OF April. 1865.
seat In Parliament tor Rochdale rendered vacant by
dsting uishcd free traders death, aud Mr.. Pot
ter's action in connection with the Union and Eman-
cipation Society special claim upon the con-
stituency. insuring his election. 1t 30 happened
that on the day of the declaration OF the poll at
Rochdale Mr.. Potter. as the victorious candidate.
was enabled to announce to the enthusiastic
crowd the news OF the fall Of hichmond:
joy throughout the Lancashire towns than the
electoral triumph achieved at the peoples own
doors. It was not many days later. and England
startling intelligence reached England OF the assas
sination OF President Lincoln. The news created
tremendous sensation in London. The frends of
toryisn and reaction In England declared that the
republican bubble" had burst. that General Grant
would march on Washington. that military dicta-
torshp would be established and that the golden
days of conservatism were coming back again. But
G s n., ,h a.ep nm .ne peo
OF confidence in the stability OF American institu-
tions under the severe STRAIN Of the moment was
got up within the walls OF the House OF Commons.
aud presented by Mr.. Potter to Mr.. Adams. the
American Minister at st: James. the same night.
aud this gave the for the public demonstrations
throughout England which proved the deep symps-
thy OF the Eng IN people with their brethren
the Atlantic.
CLOSE OF IRE socrErY's LApons
With the close OF tile war the Union and Emanci-
patton Society came to an end. At the last meeting
Professor Goodwin Smith delivered lecture on the
"Civil War in America. and the proceedings were
ROUNDED OF with presentation to Mr.. Potter Of the
following address. which was signed by some hun
drcd and nifty ot the leading radicals of tho tine:
sRlhe executive aud members OF the Union aud Eman-
cpation Society present
expression of their grateful appreciation OF the valuable
services rendered by you as its prcsdcnt.
When the friends freedom aud good
this country generally silent aud inactive la re-
gard the avehodcrs rebellion in Southern States
Of America you boldly allied Yourself with the Working
men in forming this association. which procaimed its
cardina points the the federal Union
the abolition of slavery In the United states
This movement. by embracing both tho political and
phanthropic elements ot that great struggle.
of the action OF the thon existing organizations,
uute lnWn AT W MI N
with the spirit and necessities of the crisis.
sympathsers with the slave power had already estab-
lsed societies to excite the passions and mould the
opinions of the peope into approval Of the socalled
Confederacy but the lsbors OF this society
to American brethren that the majority OF the people
as true as ever IN their amston Of tree institutions
aud their hatred to slavery.
The general council at this their last meeting sincerely
thank you for the munhcent aid have cnesrfuy
given TO sustain their operations aud 70 accomplish the
objects or the sociey aud they that long
live continue patriotic labors In the
rcss and to realise your earnest aspirations for the
political enfrauchisemop OF all nations