abraham lincoln and the union-第24节

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However；　for　one　moment　in　the　autumn　of　1861；　it　seemed　as　if　all　the　masterful　work　of　the　Northern　navy　would　be　undone　by　the　Northern　people　themselves　in　backing　up　the　rashness　of　Captain　Charles　Wilkes；　of　the　war…ship　San　Jacinto。　　On　the　high　seas　he　overhauled　the　British　mail　steamer；　Trent。　　Aboard　her　were　two　Confederate　diplomatic　agents；　James　M。　Mason　and　John　Slidell；　who　had　run　the　blockade　from　Charleston　to　Havana　and　were　now　on　their　way　to　England。　　Wilkes　took　off　the　two　Confederates　as　prisoners　of　war。　　The　crowd　in　the　North　went　wild。　〃We　do　not　believe；〃　said　the　New　York　Times；　〃that　the　American　heart　ever　thrilled　with　more　sincere　delight。〃

The　intemperate　joy　of　the　crowd　over　the　rashness　of　Wilkes　was　due　in　part　to　a　feeling　of　bitterness　against　the　British　Government。　　In　May；　1861；　the　Queen　had　issued　a　proclamation　of　neutrality；　whose　justification　in　international　law　was　hotly　debated　at　the　time　and　was　generally　denied　by　Northerners。　England　was　the　great　cotton　market　of　the　world。　　To　the　excited　Northern　mind；　in　1861；　there　could　be　but　one　explanation　of　England's　action：　a　partisan　desire　to　serve　the　South；　to　break　up　the　blockade；　and　to　secure　cotton。　　Whether　such　was　the　real　purpose　of　the　ministry　then　in　power　is　now　doubted；　but　at　that　time　it　was　the　beginning　of　a　sharp　contention　between　the　two　Governments。　　The　Trent　affair　naturally　increased　the　tension。　So　keen　was　the　indignation　of　all　classes　of　Englishmen　that　it　seemed；　for　a　moment；　as　if　the　next　step　would　be　war。

In　America；　the　prompt　demand　for　the　release　of　Mason　and　Slidell　was　met；　at　first；　in　a　spirit　equally　bellicose。　　Fortunately　there　were　cool　and　clear　heads　that　at　once　condemned　Wilkes's　action　as　a　gross　breach　of　international　law。　　Prominent　among　these　was　Sumner。　　The　American　Government；　however；　admitted　the　justice　of　the　British　demand　and　the　envoys　were　released。

Relations　with　the　United　States　now　became　a　burning　issue　in　English　politics。　　There　were　three　distinct　groups　in　Parliament。　The　representatives　of　the　aristocracy；　whether　Liberals　or　Conservatives；　in　the　main　sympathized　with　the　South。　　So　did　most　of　the　large　manufacturers　whose　business　interests　were　affected　by　cotton。　　Great　bitterness　grew　up　among　the　Northerners　against　both　these　groups；　partly　because　in　the　past　many　of　their　members　had　condemned　slavery　and　had　said　scornful　things　about　America　for　tolerating　it。　　To　these　Northerners　the　Englishmen　replied　that　Lincoln　himself　had　declared　the　war　was　not　over　slavery；　that　it　was　an　ordinary　civil　war　not　involving　moral　issues。　　Nevertheless；　the　third　Parliamentary　group　insisted　that　the　American　war；　no　matter　what　the　motives　of　the　participants；　would；　in　the　event　of　a　Northern　victory；　bring　about　the　abolition　of　slavery；　whereas；　if　the　South　won；　the　result　would　be　the　perpetuation　of　slavery。　　This　third　group；　therefore；　threw　all　its　weight　on　the　side　of　the　North。　　In　this　group　Lincoln　recognized　his　allies；　and　their　cause　he　identified　with　his　own　in　his　letter　to　English　workmen　which　was　quoted　in　the　previous　chapter。　　Their　leaders　in　Parliament　were　Richard　Cobden；　W。　E。　Forster；　and　John　Bright。　　All　these　groups　were　represented　in　the　Liberal　party；　which；　for　the　moment；　was　in　power。

In　the　Cabinet　itself　there　was　a　〃Northern〃　and　a　〃Southern〃　faction。　　Then；　too；　there　were　some　who　sympathized　with　the　North　but　who　felt　that　its　cause　was　hopelessso　little　did　they　understand　the　relative　strength　of　the　two　sectionsand　who　felt　that　the　war　was　a　terrible　proof　of　the　uselessness　of　mere　suffering。　　Gladstone；　in　later　days；　wished　to　be　thought　of　as　having　been　one　of　these；　though　at　the　time；　a　famous　utterance　of　his　was　construed　in　the　North　as　a　declaration　of　hostility。　To　a　great　audience　at　Newcastle　he　said　in　October；　1862：　〃We　may　have　our　own　opinions　about　slavery；　we　may　be　for　or　against　the　South；　but　there　is　no　doubt　that　Jefferson　Davis　and　other　leaders　of　the　South　have　made　an　army；　they　are　making；　it　appears；　a　navy；　and　they　have　made；　what　is　more　than　eitherthey　have　made　a　nation。〃

The　Prime　Minister；　Lord　Palmerston；　wished　to　intervene　in　the　American　war　and　bring　about　an　amicable　separation　into　two　countries；　and　so；　apparently；　did　the　Foreign　Secretary；　Lord　John　Russell。　　Recently；　the　American　minister　had　vainly　protested　against　the　sailing　of　a　ship　known　as　290　which　was　being　equipped　at　Liverpool　presumably　for　the　service　of　the　Confederacy；　and　which　became　the　famous　Alabama。　　For　two　years　it　roved　the　ocean　destroying　Northern　commerce；　and　not　until　it　was　sunk　at　last　in　a　battle　with　the　U。　S。　S。　Kearsarge　did　all　the　maritime　interests　of　the　North　breathe　again　freely。　　In　time　and　as　a　result　of　arbitration；　England　paid　for　the　ships　sunk　by　the　Alabama。　　But　in　1862；　the　protests　of　the　American　minister　fell　on　deaf　ears。

It　must　be　added　that　the　sailing　of　the　Alabama　from　Liverpool　was　due　probably　to　the　carelessness　of　British　officials　rather　than　to　deliberate　purpose。　　And　yet　the　fact　is　clear　that　about　the　first　of　October；　1862；　the　British　ministry　was　on　the　verge　of　intervening　to　secure　recognition　of　the　independence　of　the　Southern　confederacy。　　The　chief　motive　pressing　them　forward　was　the　distress　in　England　caused　by　the　lack　of　cotton　which　resulted　from　the　American　blockade。　　In　1860；　the　South　had　exported　615；000　bales；　in　1861；　only　10；127　bales。　　In　1862　half　the　spindles　of　Manchester　were　idle；　the　workmen　were　out　of　employment；　the　owners　were　without　dividends。　　It　was　chiefly　by　these　manufacturing　capitalists　that　pressure　was　put　upon　the　ministry；　and　it　was　in　the　manufacturing　district　that　Gladstone；　thinking　the　Government　was　likely　to　intervene；　made　his　allusion　to　the　South　as　a　nation。

Meanwhile　the　Emperor　of　the　French　was　considering　a　proposal　to　England　and　Russia　to　join　with　him　in　mediation　between　the　American　belligerents。　　On　October　28；　1862；　Napoleon　III　gave　audience　to　the　Confederate　envoy　at　Paris；　discussed　the　Southern　cause　in　the　most　friendly　manner；　questioned　him　upon　the　Maryland　campaign；　plainly　indicated　his　purpose　to　attempt　intervention；　and　at　parting　cordially　shook　hands　with　him。　Within　a　few　days　the　Emperor　made　good　his　implied　promise。

The　month　of　November；　1862；　is　one　of　the　turningpoints　in　American　foreign　relations。　　Both　Russia　and　England　rejected　France's　proposal。　　The　motive　usually　assigned　to　the　Emperor　Alexander　is　his　hatred　of　everything　associated　with　slavery。　His　own　most　famous　action　was　the　liberation　of　the　Russian　serfs。　The　motives　of　the　British　ministry；　however；　appear　more　problematical。

Mr。　Rhodes　thinks　he　can　discern　evidence　that　Adams　communicated　indirectly　to　Palmerston　the　contents　of　a　dispatch　from　Seward　which　indicated　that　the　United　States　would　accept　war　rather　than　mediation。　　Palmerston　had　kept　his　eyes　upon　the　Maryland　campaign；　and　Lee's　withdrawal　did　not　increase　his　confidence　in　the　strength　of　the　South。　　Lord　Russell；　two　months　previous；　had　flatly　told　the　Confederate　envoy　at　London　that　the　South　need　not　hope　for　recognition　unless　it　could　establish　itself　without　aid；　and　that　〃the　fluctuating　events　of　the　war；　the　alternation　of　defeat　and　victory；〃　composed　such　a　contradictory　situation　that　〃Her　Majesty's　Government　are　still　determined　to　wait。〃

Perhaps　the　veiled　American　warningassuming　it　was　conveyed　to　Palmerston；　which　seems　highly　probablewas　not　the　only　diplomatic　innuendo　of　the　autumn　of　1862　that　has　escaped　the　pages　of　history。　　Slidell　at　Paris；　putting　together　the　statements　of　the　British　Ambassador　and　those　of　the　French　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　found　in　them　contradictions　as　to　what　was　going　on　between　the　two　governments　in　relation　to　America。　　He　took　a　hand　by　attempting　to　inspire　M。　Drouyn　de　L'huys　with　distrust　of　England；　telling　him　he　〃HAD　SEEN。。。a　letter　from　a　leading　member　of　the　British　Cabinet。。。in　which　he　very　plainly　insinuated　that　France　was　playing　an　unfair　game；〃　trying　to　use　England　as　Napoleon's　catspaw。　　Among　the　many　motives　that　may　well　have　animated　the　Palmerston　Government　in　its　waiting　policy；　a　distrust　of　Napoleon　deserves　to　be　considered。

It　is　scarcely　rash；　however；　to　find　the　chief　motive　in　home　politics。　　The　impetuous　Gladstone　at　Newcastle　lost　his　head　and　spoke　too　soon。　　The　most　serious　effect　of　his　premature　utterance　was　the　prompt　reaction　of　the　〃Northern　party〃　in　the　Cabinet　and　in　the　country。　　Whatever　Palmerston's　secret　desires　were；　he　was　not　prepared　to　take　the　high　hand；　and　he　therefore　permitted　other　members　of　the　Cabinet　to　state　in　public　that　Gladstone　had　been　misunderstood。　　In　an　interview　with　Adams；　Lord　Russell；　〃whilst　endeavoring　to　excuse　Mr。　Gladstone；〃　assured　him　that　〃the　policy　of　the　Government　was　to　adhere　to　a　strict　neutrality　and　leave　the　struggle　to　settle　itself。〃　　In　the　last　analysis；　the　Northern　party　in　England　was　gaining　ground。　　The　news　from　America；　possibly；　and　Gladstone's　rashness；　certainly；　roused　it　to　increased　acti