Year: 1874




Boston to the Rocky Mountains and from Niagara to
New-Oreans have never heard one mention Of my
native country that an Englishman would not like
to hear IApplause.I


Well, Sir. you have alluded to the facts connected
with your great struggle Of civil war; will hardly
myself allude to them. You have said with great


generosity that in your opinion. as time grows on.


history will prove both to Americans and English


that you had in that great crisis frendsin


our country than perhaps you supposed at the time


think You will find you get to know more OF the


actual facts that that really was the with both


the people and the Government Of England. You


stated, and with great truth, that there were men


in country who could not help being your


friends in that great struggle; that the Abotionst


the old anti-Savery men, knew moro in


regard to what that struggle meant. In


deed / may say was brought NJ


to abhor and hate Slavery from the time could


first read book or listen to words / may say


should have had an opportunity for excuse if had


not had sufficient knowledge to see what was the


real meaning Of the terrible contest in which you


were engaged acknowledge that there was


any struggle in which my own country was engaged


in which felt so intense interest as in your


GREAT war; There never was war on when


depended so great a stake Of which the issue was


more important. History believe, will declare


that it was the war of this century, of this age.


What the two great results the great stakes at


issuef The preservation of your great Union. the


abolition of this terrible evil of Slavery. What


would have happened if you had not succeeded


Why your Union wOuld have been broken up and


standing armies, with alliances. combinations,
frontiers with constant jealouses at war


with each other would have been the ruling


feature of the age and regards Slavery. the


L.. tatr thA dnr,I nil
over large portion of your country, and in fact
the world would have been put back in the
progress Of civilization for many, many years.
What would then have been the RESULT There
never was a waged for a greater stake. The
results can be summed up almost in two
words. Slavery abolished in the United
States, and by tho abolition and destruction Of
Slavery your Union saved not only from that ter
rible evil, but saved fully believe. forever. lap
pausel No one can travel over your country or
read your history without seeing that you are
united together by every tie Of trade interest, and
blood; and without seeing that such tremendous
evil as Slavery could never hope to separate you.


j knew what an important war it had been, and
how great the stake and the results; but confess
that travelling IN your country has made me realize


it more even than did; for l was reading to-day
the accounts that reached me during the struggle,



terrible war it was. doubt whether there ever
was civil war. OF anv war; which was waged
with greater destruction of life on each sidcy
with greater suffering, and may say with greater
courage beroisIn, and endurance--and when say
that do not say on siGe-for your fcllow-coun
trymen in the South showed that they are Ameri-
cans; showed NAV say. that they were of English
descent. Laughter and applausel They fought in
deed on what was the wrong SIDE the bad side but
which many of them didn't think bad cause. Cir
cumstances appeared to so surround them. such
seemed to be the fate and destiny hanging their
actions that they did not seem so much
TO be fighting against the nation in their own view
as fighting for their fresides | have been told
since was in the South. Not only was the war |
waged one of the greatest wars in the world for the
valor and heroisn with which it was waged, but |
there is another fact which appeared to IN the |
short visit made. and that is that there never was
i civil war which ] verify believe has left less
hatred and rancor behind it (applausc less hatred
between the victor and the vanQuished, less between
the freedmen and their masters.


consider that there is absolutely no feeling of
N-win left on The part of any of the true of
the South or the North, as to what has happened
lnrng this struggle, for the raDcOr has been ell
tirely wiped out of their memories / say this to
The credit of our common race that we believe there
never was in all the past not merely OF its tremend
)us size-that we can hardly find anywhere
Jut any civil for any length OF tlmo
whatever that has left SO little of that
feeling of hatred on the part of the combatants, and
made ii so easy for them TO unite together and be
,ne country as your President says. lApplausel
As went through the country, L heard men talk
,ver the battles in which they had been opposed TO
.ach other, and in fact, / was always told that if
here was any disagreement left it was not between
hose who bad fought, but rather between those who
lad not fought. Laughter and appause.l Then as
egards the master and the slave l don't deny that
Tou have a most difficult problem before you.
he problem of dealing with the freedmen, and of
considering what slavery has made him. and
I'VE, what it made his master. The problem Of hav-
NO to deal with these men in their new conditions
one that nav we'll call for all the fOrbearance and
wisdom of government, aud OF politicians and of
he PEOPLE, but even then, while don't mean to say
hat you have difficulties in the present and in the fu
ure vet you ought to be full of hope, for how great
= the progress IL the past l am telling you what
you know so much better than do, that 1T seems
almost presumptuous to me to put before you what
title have learned this short and basty tour,
mt must say that going down to the South with
he most intense interest in the fate and the cODdi
ion of the freedmen, have come from it, spite OF
very difficulty that there may be at present, spite
II the disturbances that sometimes hear Of and
amentable as they are with great feeling of hope
ulness that you win really be able to solve that
problem. These details deeply impress me. went
% a ugar plantation near w-Oreans, and there
found only two changes. The ownership had
changed and the slaves were free There i saw
man and two women working away, cutting down
The cane. black man beside them, their foreman
now They had been women whom he had fiogged
no to their work, and now were working for $50
month. Now you may set that tagainst what you