The Continental Monthly, Vol. 3, No. 1 January 1863: Devoted To Literature And National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 3, No. 1 January 1863: Devoted To Literature And National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
But we trust that nothing of the kind may happen, and that England will
perceive that a great, prosperous, and united America, though it covers
the whole Western hemisphere, will be of more advantage to her than a
divided, impoverished land, full of fighting factions. It is a bad, an
inhuman, and a most un-Christian policy to set wealthy and powerful
neighbors at dissensions, to rejoice at their losses, and finally hope
to see them from prosperous citizens, turned into starved brigands. Envy
is of the devil. And it is the more wicked, because _we_ know, and every
one of our readers knows with us, that there never existed in this
country, within our recollection, any desire whatever to see England
impoverished, injured, or in any way 'set back' as a country. That
deep-seated desire, openly avowed by her orators and press, to see our
growing greatness checked, was never seriously cherished by any true
American--and it could be proved that the insulting expressions of such
a desire have in almost every instance originated with British _emigres_
in this country, who are notoriously the most bitter foes to their
fatherland.
It is finally worth noting that the sympathy expressed by Americans for
Russia during the Crimean war, has been of late frequently urged in
England as a reason for withholding sympathy from the Federals. Now it
is most _undeniably true_ that, with certain rare exceptions, the
friendship for Russia _at that time_ came in a great measure from the
Democratic party, and especially from the South. It was an Irish
antipathy to England in the North, and a serf-sympathy in the South
which caused it all--naturally enough, in all conscience. If any one
doubts this, let him recall Roger Pryor's book, indorsing Russia as the
great power destined to swallow up all Europe--written at a time when
Pryor was beyond question the first and loudest exponent living of
Southern feelings and principles. This is the simplest and plainest of
facts, most easily susceptible of proof--and yet how many Englishmen are
there who would believe it?
The truth is that the whole criticism of America by England has
presented the melancholy spectacle of prejudice and envy, made maudlin
by gross ignorance--and the worst of it all has been the making the
North responsible for the bygone evil deeds of the South. Repudiation,
protection, Russian sympathy, filibustering, and other objections--are
all heaped on the Federal head alone to bear? Will the _truth_ ever come
to light in England?
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