Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1863-12-02 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

AMERICA.—A very interesting lecture was delivered in Alltwen, last Friday night, by Mr. Edward Richard Lewis, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on "America." The chair was occupied by John Morgans, Rig., of Gellygron and the Rev. Phillip Griffiths was also present. 'rue admittance was free, and a voluntary collection was made to defray the expenses of the lecture. Mr. Lewis said that on arriving in this emery he was greatly surprised to see mendicants habitually begging from door to door, inasmuch as he had never seen the like in America. There are no poor there in the true sense of the word, except those given up to idleness. and who do not want ti work for a livelihood. The English papers represented America worse than it really is; and if such a case as the triple murder in a cab in London, for instance, bad happened in the streets of New York, it would have been made the most of by every paper throughout Britain. The lecturer dwelt some time on the Republican and Democratic parties, and drew a comparison between them and our Whigs and Torii a. He said that they had revival meetings every year, and it was customary to go to the wood to hold religious meetings during the fall, but the bustle of war occupied so much space in the papers, that nothing was said about it. Towards the middle of the leeture the election of President Lincoln was spoken of at great length. The minority were not willing to be governed by the majority, and consequently the outburst followed. While the South were endeavouring to pass some laws whereby the slave might be brought back to his master from the North, the latter became disgusted with them, and then followed the election of a President. who was against slavery. Abraham Lincoln was the first to hang a slave trader in New York, for going to Africa to capture slaves and sell them in America. The lecturer disapproved of the system of slavery, and said that it was injurious to the master, the Working man, and the country, because half-a-dozen slaves would not do the work of one free man, if an overseer was not kept to drive them on. It was no interest for them to work, because they would only get the same if they were to work hard or not. He liked to see men that would work as well when their master was away as when he was present. The lecturer spoke at great length on slavery. He said that although the S uh took the North unawares, when their war-ships and seldiers were abroad, yet slavery had received a fatal blow during this war, and will never regain strength again. It had already died on the frontiers of the free States. Formerly, if a person had lectured against slavery in the Slave States, he would be hung immediately, but lately he had heard of a person who had lectured in the centre of the Slave States unmolested. The lecturer drew a comparison between the ill success of the North during this war, and the war ie Spain, when the English were hardly able to cope with the French, but Waterloo gave us our crowning victory; and the day was approaching when the North will gain a decisive and terminating battle over the South. The lecturer concluded by saying that his object in lecturing in Wales was to enlighten his countrymen on the present state of America.—After the lecture, Mr. Lewis was presented with £3 21. 4d., which had been collected.