Year: 1862

JERSEY ISLAND, Sept 23d, 1862


J. H. McNEELY, P. N. Dear Sir:
After four months absence l am now
in the beautiful and fertile Island of Jer-
sey, situated in sight of the coast of
France, and is said to be mild and
pleasant winter residence / do not pur-
pose troubling you with any details of
my journeying, but to give you my expe-
rience of the English feeling with regard
to the unfortunate state of affairs in
our beloved country, and also, as far as
/ can discover, what causes predominant
to give rise to those feelings. / have
had extensive opportunities, and have
spared no pains to find out their views,
both on steamboats, and trains, at hotels
and on public and private occasions,
(for this is the season that England and
London in particular, is turned loose for
excursions of pleasure) at Tunbridge
Mills, Kent, Isle of Wight, Southsea, Jer-
sey and Guernsey, at all of which,places
have met them by thousands.


As far as can discover, business men
and spectators, and also operatives are
in sympathy with the South, merely be-
cause they are in sympathy with their
own interests. Manufacturers care but
little at present for either side, for, hav-
ing large stock of goods ON hand that
they could scarcely dispose of at any
price, they have now advanced on them
to such degree that they are likely to
make more profit $50 long as their stock
lasts) by their mills being idle, than they
did when they were in operation. So
did they manage it at one time, when
their operatives made a strike for wages,
when they raised the price of their goods
a penny a yard, and made profit on
their very idleness. At present think
they have nearly doubled their prices,
which still adds to the general discon-
tent l question them why they should
be with the slavery party, when they were
SO philanthropic as to hberate the slaves
in their own colonies, and that they had
always been taunting us on the slavery
question, as being inconsistent with Re
publicanism. They say they are still
decidedly against slavery, but say to me
"what could you expect us to do when
we see so many of our fellow-beings
suffering, and taxing us heavily by con


slant contributions to keep them from


starving2" have conversed with 9
great many church men, and minister,


Of the gospel, and they assure me tha


the great body of christians in Grea


Britain and Ireland are decidedly and


unchangeably for the Union, and for 1
gradual and final emancipation of sla


very. They also assure me that th'
feeling is gaining strength in the mind
of all classes, and that it is now beyon'
all question that England will never in


terfere with the matter.


An article, or editorial in the Rich
! mond papers, expresses the opinion


that all interference, such as raising tn
. blockade, and acknowledging their inde


pendence, will only exasperate an
strengthen the North; that nothing but a
}. armed alliance will be any benefit This


coming from the southern press, has sa


isied most Englishmen on the score {


Intervention, for they have no idea OF II
e curing the expense and risk of an 0


fensive alliance / think the fixed d.
}. termination of the Government has bee
II long since decided on, upon all thos
/ points, but the mass of the people though
= otherwise up to very late period.