Year: 1861

When the Americans can find leisure for reflection


they will, we sure, be disposed to give the peo-


pie of this kingdom credit for far feeling and honest
wishes towards them and their country. They win
discover in cooler moments and on more sober
thoughts that our opinions have been shaped by


events AID that if our sympathies have occasionally


wavered, there was good reason for the oscillation
If they wish even now to track the variations of


feeling on this side Of the Atlantic we can help them


In doing so, and we here place before them with,


out dissmuation or prejudice outline Of British


opinion.


At the first intelligence of the rupture between


North and South there was but one feeling in. this


country, and that was feeling of regret at the
dismemberment Of kindred and friendly State
and at the contemplated approach of war between
tive sections of q prosperous and powerful Union.


If in any quarters il thought that the partition


Of domineering or overgrown Republic might be


not unatt ended with advantage to its neighbors


the idea was considerably suppressed. and il was


evident, from the unanimity Of the press and the


tone Of Parliamentary debate, that the one pre-


ponderating sentiment was that of good viii to the


American people, and sorrow for the troubles
coming upon them. At that time too, as far as
any prepossession existed, they were certainly in
favor Of the North. We were so resoluteIy neu-
trail in the matter, and our neutrality was based
on such obvious principles of wisdom, that aYOwss
Of Partially were rarely made (; but there was
undoubtedly, nothing in the Southern cause to at
tract our sympsthies, while there was much to /





and slavery-the very abomination of Englishmen l
was then conceived to be the sole cause of the
war.


The conduct, again, of the Secessionists offended
all our national ideas of political fair play The 1
Southern party had been beaten in an open eoBsti-
tutiOnsl election, with which they did not so much
as pretend to find any fault except that they were
left at the bottom of the poll Il might have been
even said that it was their turn to lose for they
had long enjoyed almost a monopoly Of Office and
power. When, therefore, upon the success Of th1ir
they threatened to seeede frsm the
Union they appeared Like men who could not take
a beating, and who were willing to sacrifice the
interests Of great nation to their own vindIctive
Moreover, they were in no great fa-
vor with us, to begin with. We know full well
that when the policy Of the American Government
had been rudest and most arrogant that Govern I
ment was administered by Southern statesmen, and
The disgraceful system Of repudiation if not with
Dut examples in the North, was commonly identified
with the principles Of the South. IT, therefore our
)verruling feeling had not been against war alto
yether, very large msjority Of the public would
iave wished to see the North successful in the J
trife.


In sh0rt time, however, certain charge IN /
loubtedly. came over the spirit Of opinion and il
proceeded, In the frat place, from the conduct OF
Iortherners themselves. Their behavior towards
Is was 80 unWarrantable, their menaees 20 insO-
snt, and their exaetions were 80 fierce and i-F4-