the slavery-men, and it still keeps up vollies of slang against all who desire the abolition of the slave-system. Mr. Horace Greeley is always nicknamed “Massa Greeley,” and many names of a coarser description are perpetually stuck upon any one who disbelieves in man’s right to sell his fellow-man. The Bible has been most profanely dragged into the fray, and scriptural quotations are flung about, in support of slavery, by writers whose scoffs at the deep and real religious feeling of the States show the blasphemous hollowness of their advocacy. It is therefore a moot question whether the “Herald” is simply a hired tool of the South, or a reckless and selfish speculation.
We have, of course, no hope that our remarks will be read in America by many whom they are likely to disabuse of the belief sought to be promoted by the “Herald.” Those who read what we write will not need to be told either that we thoroughly understand the object of the “Herald,” or that England has no such designs or feelings as are lyingly attributed to her by that journal. Yet, having the opportunity of entering a protest against the atrocious system which the “Herald” is pursuing, it is satisfactory to make such entry, and it is also well that the English reader should have some illustrations of the character of a print which is striving to widen the breach between himself and his American brother,—which is poisoning the mind of the latter with incessant allegations that England desires the destruction of the Republic, and that English gold has produced the war, and which continually assures Americans that as soon as the war is over, the conduct of England in refusing to lend aid against the South shall be punished by the sweeping away her flag from the New World.
Files of the paper lie—in every sense—before us, and it is the wealth of dirty material which makes selection difficult. But it may be well that Englishmen should at once understand that the war now raging in America has been brought about by the Americans themselves. That there may be no mistake on the subject, it should be known that Lord Shaftesbury, Lord Palmerston’s friend and confidant, distinctly stated to
“The Reverend Mr. Newman, of the Bedford Street Methodist Episcopal Church, that it would be impossible for England to permit the existence of an overshadowing empire like that of America;”
and therefore, of course, Lord Shaftesbury, a friend of the abolitionists, supplied the South with gold, in order to get up a rebellion, which should sever a large portion of the overshadowing empire from the rest. It was, however, in keeping with Lord Shaftesbury’s known highmindedness and frankness of character, that he should make this revelation to the first Methodist Episcopal who demanded to know the views of Lord Palmerston.
But the key-note having been struck, let us go on with the music. Here is the solemn commencement of an article on the recent fast day—the article will be found in the “Herald” of the 28th September.
“By the intrigues of the British Anti-Slavery Society and the gold of the English aristocracy, by the propagandism of American abolition societies, playing into their hands for the last thirty years, and by the anti-slavery disunion doctrines preached from the pulpit, and reiterated by the fanatical press, civil war has broken out in the American republic, and two hundred thousand insurgents on the banks of the Potomac, stimulated and inflamed by the abolition crusade against Southern domestic institutions, stand ready to march against the Union army, to seize the national capital, and to advance as far northward as the success of their arms will warrant. We know not the moment when the terrible collision will take place between four hundred thousand men in arms, all Americans and brothers. In the midst of this national calamity the President, whose wise, patriotic and conservative course has won golden opinions for him throughout the laud, issues a proclamation for a national fast, in the hope that such of the people as had been led astray by the demagogues of the pulpit and the press would consider the error of their ways, and make up their minds to return to the ancient landmarks of the constitution—a departure from which is the cause of our present misfortunes.”
Do not fail to observe the adjectives applied to the President; who, until he signified that he would “stand no nonsense,” and made it a little unsafe to abuse him personally, was the “ignorant old woodchopper,” and the “stupid clown.” But let us go on. The article is directed against one of the most earnest of the abolition clergy.
“Beecher, it seems, was afraid to preach, but Cheever, who has just come over from England with his trunk full of British sovereigns, amply makes up for the omission. He is more impudent and audacious than ever. He maintains that slavery is the damning sin which has brought affliction upon us, as it brought similar judgments upon the Jews of old; though, if we are to believe the Bible, that institution was expressly sanctioned and provided for by the Almighty in the laws which he gave to Moses for the Israelites.”
And at the end of the article the same sentiments are reiterated.
“The aristocracy and abolitionists of England are in league with the abolitionists of America to break up the Union; and hence the anti-slavery presses and pulpits of the North are giving utterance to the most treasonable sentiments against the Union and the constitution, and are denouncing the Chief Magistrate fur his patriotic and conservative action in modifying the proclamation of Fremont.”
There is scarcely a copy of the “Herald,” in which this doctrine is not preached. The British aristocracy is the great bugbear which half-educated Americans are taught to fear and to hate. It will be remembered that among the manifold lies by which Napoleon Bonaparte sought to incense the French against us, a similar charge was incessantly made, and the English nobility and the gold of England were stereotyped enemies of France. Even the City article of the English “Times,” is dictated in one of our fashionable squares.
“Foreign capital, as was expected, is coming here for investment in these securities, in spite of the silly efforts of the organs of European aristocracy to break down American credit.”
But here the charge is put more plainly than ever.
