Year: 1862

Hon. RICHARD CoBDEN, q distinguished
member of Parliament, said in a recent
address on the American question.


We are told very frequently at public
meetings that we must recognise tho
South, but the recognition of the South
is always coupled with another object,
namely, TO obtain the cotton you want;
because If it were not for the distress
brought on us by the civil war in Amer
lea, do not think humanity would in
duce us to interfere any more than 10
does in any other war in other parts of
the world. And now let us try and dis
pei this floating fallacy which has been
spread through the country by interes-
ted persons. Your recognition of the
South would not give you cotton but
recognition of the South in the minds of
parties who use that term is coupled with
something more. There is an idea of
| going and interfering by force to put an
end to that contest, in order that the
cotton may be set free.


If were President LINCOLN, and found
myself rather in a difficulty on account
of the pressure of taxation, or on account
of discord of parties in the Federal
ranks, and if | wanted TO see the whole
population united as one man ready TO
make me despot, | should wish MOTH
ing better than for England and France,
or both together, to attempt TO interfere
| by force in the quarrel. You read now
of the elections which are going on in
| America, and l look TO those elections
with the greatest interest as the only in
dication TO guide me in forming judge
ment of the future. You see it stated
that in those elections there is some dis
union of parties, but let the foreigners
interfere in that quarrel and all the
old lines of demarkation will be
effaced forever, and you will have
an united people joining hear.) 1t
was so in France in the great to-
gether to repel the intrusion. (Hear,
revolutionary war. What was it that
caused the reign of terror, but the cry of
alarm that the foreigner was coming 10
invade them? and the aristocrats were
| guillotined, as traitors TO their country,
because they were friends of the foreign
ers. And let me remind you that your
interference would not obtain cotton. IL


would have, in the present state of ar
maments, very little effect on the COM


batants.


If people were generally better ac-


quainted with the geography of America,


and the state of its population, they


would see how much we are apt TO eXag-


gerate even our power to interfere TO pro-


duce any result on this contest The


policy TO be pursued by the North will


be decided by the elections in the great


Western States mean the great grow


ing regions of the Mississippi Valley, the


States of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana Illi-


nois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.


If they determine to carry on the war,


and say they will never make peace


while the mouths of the Mississippi,
which drains q, 900 miles of navigable
water into the ocean, remain in the hands


of foreign power, we could never expect


to put period to it. You must remem-
} Der that you have to go one thousand


miles up the Mississippi before you
get 70 that vast region peopled by eight
| or ten millions of souls, that will be the
: future depository of the wealth and num-
3 bers of that great continent, and what
Q ever the will Of the people is New York


is but the broker of their opinion, and
New York, Pennsylvania, and New Eng
g land must go with them. 1t is as idle,
q then, as the talk of children for France
r aud England TO pretend that they can 60
n there and reach that population. For
4 my part, think the language which ie
/. used sometimes in certain quarters, with
= regard TO the power Of this country TO &c


and impose its will upon the population


of America, almost savOrs of the ludic-
a rOus.


% When America had but 100000 o.
e population we could not enforce our viii
|, upon it, and when you have to deal witt
Q civilized people, having the same me-
v chanical appliances as yourselves, ant
= when that people number ten or twenty
It millions, it is next to impossible for any
q force 60 be transported across the Allan
: tic which will effect a conqest English
/ men are very apt to think that they cal
A do anything by force; let them banisI
= that idea their interference in this cas-


could only do harm, and in the end yo,


would not get your cotton. Even ii yOl


could, what price would you pay for ii
A ! know something Of the way in whicl
70 money is voted in the House of Common
3 for warlike armaments, even in time o
r, peace, and / venture to say that il wouli
W be cheaper TO keep all the population en-
le gagged in cotton manufacture - aye, L
g keep them on turtle, champagne and ven
1t ison-than TO send TO America TO obtai
i that cotton by force of arms. (Laughte
. and cheers) 1t would involve you in
l. war, and six months Of a war would cos
i more money than would be required 3
g" maintain this population comfortably 10


ten years.


IN 60 n