abraham lincoln and the union-第20章

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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　activity。　　Palmerston；　whose　tenure　of　power　was　none　too　secure；　dared　not　risk　a　break　that　might　carry　the　disaffected　into　the　ranks　of　the　Opposition。

From　this　time　forward　the　North　rapidly　grew　in　favor　in　British　public　opinion；　and　its　influence　upon　the　Government　speedily　increased。

Says　Lord　Charnwood　in　his　recent　life　of　Lincoln：　〃The　battle　of　Antietam　was　followed　within　five　days　by　an　event　which　made　it　impossible　for　any　government　of　this　country　to　take　action　unfriendly　to　the　North。〃　　He　refers　of　course　to　the　Emancipation　Proclamation；　which　was　issued　on　September　23；　1862。　　Lord　Charnwood's　remark　may　be　too　dramatic。　　But　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　Emancipation　Proclamation　was　the　turning…point　in　Lincoln's　foreign　policy；　and　because　of　it；　his　friends　in　England　eventually　forced　the　Government　to　play　into　his　hands；　and　so　frustrated　Napoleon's　scheme　for　intervention。　Consequently　Lincoln　was　able　to　maintain　the　blockade　by　means　of　which　the　South　was　strangled。　　Thus；　at　bottom；　the　crucial　matter　was　Emancipation。

Lincoln's　policy　with　regard　to　slavery　passed　through　three　distinct　stages。　　As　we　have　seen；　he　proposed；　at　first；　to　pledge　the　Government　not　to　interfere　with　slavery　in　the　States　where　it　then　existed。　　This　was　his　maximum　of　compromise。　　He　would　not　agree　to　permitting　its　extension　into　new　territory。　He　maintained　this　position　through　1861；　when　it　was　made　an　accusation　against　him　by　the　Abolitionists　and　contributed　to　the　ebb　of　his　popularity。　　It　also　played　a　great　part　in　the　episode　of　Fremont。　　At　a　crucial　moment　in　Fremont's　career；　when　his　hold　upon　popularity　seemed　precarious；　he　set　at　naught　the　policy　of　the　President　and　issued　an　order　（August　30；　1861）；　which　confiscated　all　property　and　slaves　of　those　who　were　in　arms　against　the　United　States　or　actively　aiding　the　enemy；　and　which　created　a　〃bureau　of　abolition。〃　　Whether　Fremont　was　acting　from　conviction　or　〃playing　politics〃　may　be　left　to　his　biographers。　　In　a　most　tactful　letter　Lincoln　asked　him　to　modify　the　order　so　as　to　conform　to　the　Confiscation　Act　of　Congress；　and　when　Fremont　proved　obdurate；　Lincoln　ordered　him　to　do　so。　In　the　outcry　against　Lincoln　when　Fremont　was　at　last　removed；　the　Abolitionists　rang　the　changes　on　this　reversal　of　his　policy　of　military　abolition。

Another　Federal　General；　Benjamin　F。　Butler；　in　the　course　of　1861；　also　raised　the　issue；　though　not　in　the　bold　fashion　of　Fremont。　Runaway　slaves　came　to　his　camp　on　the　Virginia　coast；　and　he　refused　to　surrender　them　to　the　owners。　　He　took　the　ground　that；　as　they　had　probably　been　used　in　building　Confederate　fortifications；　they　might　be　considered　contraband　of　war。　He　was　sustained　by　Congress；　which　passed　what　is　commonly　called　the　First　Confiscation　Act　providing　that　slaves　used　by　Confederate　armies　in　military　labor　should；　if　captured；　be　〃forfeited〃which　of　course　meant　that　they　should　be　set　free。　　But　this　did　not　settle　what　should　be　done　with　runaways　whose　masters；　though　residents　of　seceded　States；　were　loyal　to　the　Union。　　The　War　Department　decided　that　they　should　be　held　until　the　end　of　the　war；　when　probably　there　would　be　made　〃just　compensation　to　loyal　masters。〃

This　first　stage　of　Lincoln's　policy　rested　upon　the　hope　that　the　Union　might　be　restored　without　prolonged　war。　　He　abandoned　this　hope　about　the　end　of　the　year。　　Thereupon；　his　policy　entered　its　second　stage。　　In　the　spring　of　1862　he　formulated　a　plan　for　gradual　emancipation　with　compensation。　　The　slaves　of　Maryland；　Delaware；　Kentucky；　Missouri；　and　the　District　of　Columbia　were　to　be　purchased　at　the　rate　of　400　each；　thus　involving　a　total　expenditure　of　173；000；000。　　Although　Congress　adopted　the　joint　resolution　recommended　by　the　President；　the　〃border　States〃　would　not　accept　the　plan。　　But　Congress；　by　virtue　of　its　plenary　power；　freed　the　slaves　by　purchase　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　and　pro