Bright to Sumner, were observing with satisfaction, "that democracy may
get into trouble, and war, and debt, and taxes, as aristocracy has done
for this country[1340]." Thus Bright could not deny the blow to
democracy; nor could the _Spectator_, upbraiding its countrymen for lack
of sympathy with the North: "New England will be justified in saying
that Old England's anti-slavery sympathies are mere hollow sentimental
pretences, since she can rest satisfied to stuff her ears with cotton
against the cries of the slaves, and to compensate her gentle regret
over the new impulse given to slavery by her lively gratification over
the paralyzing shock suffered by Democracy[1341]." This was no taking up
of cudgels for the North and "Progress" such as Adams had hoped for.
Vigour rested with the opposing side and increased when hopes of a short
war vanished. The _Saturday Review_ asserted:

"In that reconstruction of political philosophy which the
American calamities are likely to inaugurate, the value of
the popular element will be reduced to its due
proportions.... The true guarantee of freedom will be looked
for more in the equilibrium of classes than in the equality
of individuals.... We may hope, at last, that the delusive
confusion between freedom and democracy is finally banished
from the minds of Englishmen[1342]."

"The real secret," wrote Motley, "of the exultation which manifests
itself in the _Times_ and other organs over our troubles and disasters,
is their hatred, not to America, so much as to democracy in
England[1343]." It was scarcely a secret in the columns of the journals
already quoted. But no similar interpretation had as yet appeared in the
_Times_ and Motley's implication was justified for it and other leading
daily newspapers. The Reviews and Weeklies were for the moment leading
the attack--possibly one reason for the slowness in reply of Bright and
his followers. Not all Reviews joined in the usual analysis. The
_Edinburgh_ at first saw in slavery the sole cause of the American
dispute[1344], then attributed it to the inevitable failure in power of
a federal system of government, not mentioning democracy as in
question[1345]. _Blackwood's_ repeatedly pushed home its argument:

"Independent of motives of humanity, we are glad that the end
of the Union seems more likely to be ridiculous than
terrible.... But for our own benefit and the instruction of