this controversy and give aid to
its friends:

"After all, this struggle of ours both at home and abroad is
but a struggle between the principle of popular government
and government by a privileged class. The people therefore
all the world over are in a species of solidarity which it is
our duty and interest to cultivate to the utmost[1364]."

But Adams gave contrary advice. Wholly sympathetic with the democratic
movement in England as now, somewhat to his surprise, developed, he yet
feared that the extremes to which Bright and others were going in
support of the North might create unfortunate reactions in the
Government. Especially he was anxious that the United States should not
offer opportunity for accusation of interference in a British political
quarrel. It is noteworthy that while many addresses to Lincoln were
forwarded by him and many were printed in the annual publication of
diplomatic correspondence, those that thus appeared dealt almost
exclusively with emancipation. Yet Adams was also forwarding addresses
and speeches harping on American democracy. A meeting at Edinburgh,
February 19, found place, in its emancipation aspect in the United
States documents[1365], but the burden of that meeting, democracy, did
not. It was there proclaimed that the British press misrepresented
conditions in America, "because the future of free political
institutions, as sketched in the American Declaration of Independence
and in the State Constitutions of the Northern States, would be a
standing argument against the expansion of the franchise and the
enjoyment of just political rights among us, as well as a convenient
argument in favour of the continued domination of our aristocratic
parties[1366]." The tide of democratic feeling was rising rapidly in
England. On March 26, Adams wrote to Seward of a recent debate in
Parliament that that body was much more judicious in expressions on
America than it had been before 1862. "It will not escape your
observation that the question is now felt to be taking a shape which was
scarcely anticipated by the managers [of the _Times_] when they first
undertook to guide the British mind to the overthrow of free
institutions in America[1367]."

On the evening of the day on which this was written there occurred the
greatest, most outspoken, and most denunciatory to the aristocracy, of
the meetings held to support the cause of the North. This was the
spectacular gather