Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 66, No 409, November 1849Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 66, No 409, November 1849
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
corresponding cheer. Now, setting aside the absolute impudence of the
proposal--for we presume Mr Cobden must have known that he had as much
power to stay the flux of the tides, as to regulate the actions of the
money-lenders--what are we to think of the new principle enunciated
by the veteran free-trader? What becomes of the grand doctrine of
buying in the cheapest and selling in the dearest market, without
the slightest regard to any other earthly consideration, save that
of price? Will Mr Cobden NOW venture to persuade us that he had some
mental reservation, when he propounded that ever-memorable axiom; or
that dealers in coin were to be regulated by a different code of moral
laws from that which was laid down for the use of the more fortunate
dealers in calico? We presume, that, without cotton, and blankets, and
machinery exported from this country, the slaves of Cuba could hardly
be made to work--why, then, should we not clap an embargo on these
articles, and point with the finger of scorn, disgust, and execration,
to every man who traffics in that unholy trade? And yet, if our memory
serves us right, no very long time has elapsed since we beggared our
West Indian colonies, solely to drive a larger trade in those articles
with the slave plantations, for behoof of Messrs Cobden and Co.
Slavery, we presume, is an institution not congenial to the mind of Mr
Cobden--at least we hope not, and we are sure he would not be willing
to admit it. In point of humanity, it is rather worse than war; why
not, then, let us have a strong exercise of moral force to abolish it,
by stopping the supplies? The withdrawal of our custom, for three or
four years, would effectually knock Cuba on the head. Why not try it?
We should like to see Mr Cobden's face, if such a proposition were
made in Parliament; and yet is it not as rational, and a great deal
more feasible, than the other? But it is a positive waste of time to
dwell further upon such a glaring absurdity as this. Baron Rothschild,
member-elect though he be for the city of London, will care very little
for the extended digit of Mr Cobden, and will doubtless consult his own
interest, without troubling himself about Manchester demagogues, when
the next Russian loan is proposed.
Having delivered himself of this remarkable oration, Mr Cobden very
wisely withdrew; perhaps he had a slight suspicion of the scene which
was presently to follow. The majority of the meeting consisted of
gentlemen whose notions about moral force were exceedingly vague and
general. Their strong British instincts, inflamed by the stimulus of
beer, led them to question the use of abstract sympathy, unless it was
to be followed up by action; and accordingly Mr Reynolds, a person of
some literary as well as political notoriety, thought it his duty to
give a more practical turn to the deliberations of the meeting, and
thereby cut short several interesting harangues. We quote from the
report of the _Times_ of 24th July.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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