ual enforcement of emancipation[940]. In a speech at
Birmingham, December 18, Bright had little to say of emancipation;
rather he continued to use previous arguments against the South for
admitting, as Vice-President Stephens had declared, that slavery was the
very "corner-stone" of Southern institutions and society[941]. A few
public meetings at points where favour to the North had been shown were
tried in October and November with some success but with no great show
of enthusiasm. It was not until late December that the wind of public
opinion, finding that no faintest slave-rising had been created by the
proclamation began to veer in favour of the emancipation edict[942]. By
the end of the year it appeared that the Press, in holding up horrified
hands and prophesying a servile war had "overshot the mark[943]."

Soon the changing wind became a gale of public favour for the cause of
emancipation, nor was this lessened--rather increased--by Jefferson
Davis' proclamation of December 23, 1862, in which he declared that
Lincoln had approved "of the effort to excite a servile insurrection,"
and that therefore it was now ordered "all negro slaves captured in arms
be at once delivered over to the executive authorities of the respective
States to which they belong, to be dealt with according to the laws of
said State." This by state laws meant death to the slave fighting for
his freedom, even as a regular soldier in the Northern armies, and gave
a good handle for accusations of Southern ferocity[944].

Official opinion was not readily altered, Lyons writing in December that
the promised January proclamation might still mean servile war. He hoped
that neither Lincoln's proclamation nor Davis' threat of retaliation
would be carried into effect[945]. Russell regarded the January 1
proclamation as "a measure of war of a very questionable kind[946]."

But the British anti-slavery public, now recovered from its fears of an
"abolition war" was of another temper. Beginning with the last week of
December, 1862, and increasing in volume in each succeeding month, there
took place meeting after meeting at which strong resolutions were passed
enthusiastically endorsing the issue of the emancipation proclamation
and pledging sympathy to the cause of the North. The _Liberator_ from
week to week, listed and commented on these public meetings, noting
fifty-six held between December 30, 1862, and March 20, 1863. The
American Minister reported e