had reported
a conversation with Rhett, in which the latter frankly declared that the
South would expect to revive the African Slave Trade[876]. This was
limited in the constitution later adopted by the Confederacy which in
substance left the matter to the individual states--a condition that
Southern agents in England found it hard to explain[877]. As already
noted, the ardent friends of the North continued to insist, even after
Lincoln's denial, that slavery was the real cause of the American
rupture[878]. By September, 1861, John Bright was writing to his friend
Sumner that, all indications to the contrary, England would warmly
support the North if only it could be shown that emancipation was an
object[879]. Again and again he urged, it is interesting to note, just
those ideals of gradual and compensated emancipation which were so
strongly held by Lincoln. In this same month the _Spectator_ thought it
was "idle to strive to ignore the very centre and spring of all
disunion," and advised a "prudent audacity in striking at the cause
rather than at the effect[880]." Three weeks later the _Spectator_,
reviewing general British press comments, summed them up as follows:

"If you make it a war of emancipation we shall think you
madmen, and tell you so, though the ignorant instincts of
Englishmen will support you. And if you follow our counsel in
holding a tight rein on the Abolitionists, we shall applaud
your worldly wisdom so far; but shall deem it our duty to set
forth continually that you have forfeited all claim to the
_popular_ sympathy of England."

This, said the _Spectator_, had been stated in the most objectionable
style by the _Times_ in particular, which, editorially, had alleged that
"the North has now lost the chance of establishing a high moral
superiority by a declaration against slavery." To all this the
_Spectator_ declared that the North must adopt the bold course and make
clear that restoration of the Union was not intended with the old canker
at its roots[881].

Official England held a different view. Russell believed that the
separation of North and South would conduce to the extinction of slavery
since the South, left to itself and fronted by a great and prosperous
free North, with a population united in ideals, would be forced,
ultimately, to abandon its "special system." He professed that he could
not understand Mrs. Stowe's support of the war and thought she and