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638 Douglass Monthly. April, 1862 [[line]] [[3 columns]] [[column 1]] LETTERS FROM THE OLD WORLD [[line]] NUMBER LXXIX [[line]] HALIFAX, Feb'y 1, 1862 My Dear Friend:- Here I am once again in the midst of my kind Halifax friends trying to lose the last lingering remains of feverish influenza; which unpleasant epidemic has recently visited many households, prevailing to an extent not known in this country for fifteen years. But for this visitation, which prostrated me entirely, (and all our home circle, the Dr. and E. excepted) and epistle from my hand would now be winging its way across the Atlantic in time for the March number of your journal. The year 1861 will not be soon forgotten in the annals of England. Death entered out palaces in its opening and closing months and many of the great and good of our land were mown down by the stern Reaper, as he passed along. The kind hearted and excellent LORD HERBERT of LEA, the devoted Bishop VILLIERS were alike cut off in the prime of life and in the midst of great usefulness, beloved and mourned by them, SIR JAMES GRAHAM, SOUTHWOOD SMITH and other veterans, whose names are well known and respected, were summoned from among us, as the year rolled on. In true sympathy we mourned with Victor Emanuel when from his side that noble man, wise counseller and great statesman CAVOUR, was called away deservedly lamented, alike by his sovereign, and his country, little dreaming as we did so, that ere the same year closed, he whose manly virtues adorned and sustained our own beloved Queen he of whom it has been said by a distinguished statesman, without fear of denial, that he "has never given expression to a syllable which did not tend to promote the honor, integrity, and welfare of our country," out beloved Prince Albert, the ornament of the Court, the idol of the nation the consort of the Sovereign, would be laid low. I shall never forget the sensation produced when on leaving Woodhouse Lane Chapel on the morning of the 15th of December, a friend communicated the ill-tidings, at first people refused to believe the news,"it co-d not be true, the Prince was never know to be ill, there must be some mistake," ans so as long as possible, hope was clung to and the telegrams discredited, until the solemn dirge of bells, "tolling for the brace; the brave that were no more!" gave confirmation of the report. "Bell, thou soundest mournfully, and didst tell the bitter parting had gone by." Two days before Christmas, all that was mortal of this truly great and good Prince was laid to rest with as little pomp as possible, considering his station, a miniature of her he so much loved was placed on his breast by a loving daughter, and sweet flowers were laid on his brow by the same gentle hands. "Amidst the noblest of the land They laid the Prince to rest, And gave him an honored place With costly marbled drest; In the great Minster's transept high Where lights like glory fall, Where the sweet choir sings and the organ rings, Along the emblazoned wall." Truly the whole nation was present in sympathy, people mourned as for a friend and brother, and the most festive season of the year found the nation arrayed in mourning. black draperies covering the pulpits and casting their dark shadows on interiors of all our [[/column 1]] [[column 2]] public buildings, and our bereaved and widowed Queen a lonely recluse, sorrowing in close retirement from her unspeakable loss. I never remember so melancholy a Christmas in this country. The distress in the cotton districts and in other of the manufacturing towns was and still is great. War with America seemed then to be far from impossible, through all good people hoped that such a calamity would be averted, and very drearily the old year closed. At our New Year's day school tea party, Dr. C. received and communicated the glad tiding of Peace. With all their since of omission and commission, I gave the American government great credit for consenting to give up the two man- Mason and Slidell- when once they were safely in custody, a great deal of sympathy was got up for the two (worthy!) prisoners by some of the English friends, who knew nothing of their characters, nor that the infamous fugitive slave bill was brought in by the same Mason, a man so thoroughly dead to all the claims of humanity, so far as the colored race is concerned, that imprisonment for life would be far too good a far for him, and so I told my friends. But alas! for the inconsistency of the northerners, so apparent to every one on this side of the Atlantic that is cannot be denied. "You don't mean to say they are in earnest on the slavery question do you?" is a question often asked my. They don't want the slaves free they are only fighting for the union, some say "Oh if they were really fighting for the freedom of the slaves all England would be with them, for the English people at heart, are thoroughly opposed to slavery, and though cotton dust has partially blinded a few among them, what wonder when so many of the New York merchants have to my certain knowledge, taken pain to convince our people that slavery is a necessary evil, and that vast numbers of the slaves are wholly incapable of taking care of themselves, so much be cared for by their tender and kind masters! I know nothing of the right of the Trent affair, so far as human law is concerned, and care as little, but I do feel that had war been declared between our two governments, the people of England would not have been easily enlisted to fight a people fighting for freedom. Are there Federals fighting for freedom? Let them nobly declare it if they are-and not in this namby pamby, half and half, milk and water timorous, cowardly manner sleepily carry on a warfare for an unprincipled union that kept up as it has hitherto been is not worth preserving. Oh! for an American Joan of Arc to arise and advancing to the foremost ranks of a then victorious army, shout a new war cry, "Freedom to the Slave." "Peace, peace, friend Julia" some of my dear Quaker friends will say, so I will stop and looking above all secondary causes bring to remembrance that God reigns and rules and over rules and that as certainly as He brought out the oppressed children of Israel from Egypt, will He in His own time deliver the oppressed American slave, punishing alike his enemies and his traitorous friends. LEEDS, Feb. 22nd I had the pleasure of being present at the mreting of the Halifax Anti-Slavery society, while visiting in that town. The meeting was not large but earnest, our excellent friends, the [[/column 2]] [[column 3]] Secretary and Treasurer of the association do all in their power to keep up the interest and not in vain, numerous enquirers were made about you, by the Halifax friends and many kinds messages sent in which my host and hostess (Mr. and Mrs. L) cordially joined. Early in April the friends in Bristol intended holding their anti-slavery Bazaar, which I expect and hope will prove successful, a great many friends are at work for it, much do I wish I could comply with the kind invitation given me to visit Bristol at the time. The Long continued and serious illness in our own household compels me to give up all hope of their taking so long a journey. The Great International Exhibition is now occupying the thoughts and attention of many thousands in this country. Strange to say the first contributions that were taken into the building came from Liberia, these consisted of palm and other vegetable oils, logs of hard and dye woods, and other samples o[[f]] raw colonial produce. I hope Hayti will do its part. The people in the States will be too much occupied with the arts of war, I conclude, the attend top the arts of peace. We have read your February paper with much interest, especially have we been interested in your Philadelphia speech from which Dr. C. never moved until he had finished reading. I mark all you say, and fully agree that "no President, no army can withstand the mighty current of events," may the American government have wisdom ere it is too late and proclaim, not in timid whispers, but in voices clear and loud, FREEDOM TO THE SLAVE!- May you my dear friend, be preserved from all danger and permitted to see the day that shall deliver your people from whom you have so long labored and toiled, from the southern prison-house. Remember me kindly to all friends, and with our united kindest regards, believe me as ever Your friend, most truly, JULIA G. CROFTS [[line]] THE REBEL FORCE.-Jeff. Davis is informed the rebel Congress that he estimated the force of the "Confederates" at 400 regiments of infantry, with cavalry and artillery in proportion. This calculation was bssed on estimates made before Roanoke and Donelson were captured, which take off twenty-five regiments.-The rout and dispersion at Mill Spring disposed of half a dozen more regiments. The period of enlistment of twenty more has expired. The average strength of each does not exceed 700 effective men-perhaps not 600-which give a total of 245,000 Confederate soldiers under arms. The cavalry, artillery and guerillas will not more than make up for the exaggeration of the number of regiments, which Davis puts fifty too high. The rebels have not a regiment of infantry more than 300 at this time. And when the dispersion of Prince's army is taken into calculation, a score more regiments much by subtracted from the count. But Davis thinks that the new, levies and re-enlisted men will fill up the gap and that they will be ready to take the field in thirty days. He makes the confession that his troops are so disorganized at present as to impair their ability for a successful defence [[line]] Illinois, which tried to exclude free negroes from her borders, still send back fugitive slaves. A few days since a slave owner named Rector appeared before the United States Marshal at Springfield to claim a runaway piece of human property. The Marshal sent a deputy to find the slave, and he was duly caught and returned. [[/column 3]]
