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iends　I　had　in　Americathe　most　hospitable；　kindly；　amiable　of　men；　from　whom　I　had　twice　received　the　warmest　welcome　and　the　most　delightful　hospitalitywas　a　prisoner　in　Fort　Warren；　on　charges　by　which　his　life　perhaps　might　be　risked。　　I　think　that　was　the　most　dismal　Christmas　fun　which　these　eyes　ever　looked　on。　Carry　out　that　notion　a　little　farther；　and　depict　ten　thousand；　a　hundred　thousand　homes　in　England　saddened　by　the　thought　of　the　coming　calamity；　and　oppressed　by　the　pervading　gloom。　　My　next…door　neighbor　perhaps　has　parted　with　her　son。　　Now　the　ship　in　which　he　is；　with　a　thousand　brave　comrades；　is　ploughing　through　the　stormy　midnight　ocean。　　Presently　（under　the　flag　we　know　of）　the　thin　red　line　in　which　her　boy　forms　a　speck；　is　winding　its　way　through　the　vast　Canadian　snows。　　Another　neighbor's　boy　is　not　gone；　but　is　expecting　orders　to　sail；　and　some　one　else；　besides　the　circle　at　home　maybe；　is　in　prayer　and　terror；　thinking　of　the　summons　which　calls　the　young　sailor　away。　　By　firesides　modest　and　splendid；　all　over　the　three　kingdoms；　that　sorrow　is　keeping　watch；　and　myriads　of　hearts　beating　with　that　thought；　〃Will　they　give　up　the　men？〃　I　don't　know　how；　on　the　first　day　after　the　capture　of　the　Southern　Commissioners　was　announced；　a　rumor　got　abroad　in　London　that　the　taking　of　the　men　was　an　act　according　to　law；　of　which　our　nation　could　take　no　notice。　　It　was　said　that　the　law　authorities　had　so　declared；　and　a　very　noble　testimony　to　the　LOYALTY　of　Englishmen；　I　think；　was　shown　by　the　instant　submission　of　high…spirited　gentlemen；　most　keenly　feeling　that　the　nation　had　been　subject　to　a　coarse　outrage；　who　were　silent　when　told　that　the　law　was　with　the　aggressor。　　The　relief　which　presently　came；　when；　after　a　pause　of　a　day；　we　found　that　law　was　on　our　side；　was　indescribable。　　The　nation　MIGHT　then　take　notice　of　this　insult　to　its　honor。　　Never　were　people　more　eager　than　ours　when　they　found　they　had　a　right　to　reparation。　I　have　talked　during　the　last　week　with　many　English　holders　of　American　securities；　who；　of　course；　have　been　aware　of　the　threat　held　over　them。　　〃England；〃　says　the　New　York　Herald；　〃cannot　afford　to　go　to　war　with　us；　for　six　hundred　millions'　worth　of　American　stock　is　owned　by　British　subjects；　which；　in　event　of　hostilities；　would　be　confiscated；　and　we　now　call　upon　the　Companies　not　to　take　it　off　their　hands　on　any　terms。　　Let　its　forfeiture　be　held　over　England　as　a　weapon　in　terrorem。　　British　subjects　have　two　or　three　hundred　millions　of　dollars　invested　in　shipping　and　other　property　in　the　United　States。　　All　this　property；　together　with　the　stocks；　would　be　seized；　amounting　to　nine　hundred　millions　of　dollars。　Will　England　incur　this　tremendous　loss　for　a　mere　abstraction？〃　Whether　〃a　mere　abstraction〃　here　means　the　abstraction　of　the　two　Southern　Commissioners　from　under　our　flag　or　the　abstract　idea　of　injured　honor；　which　seems　ridiculous　to　the　Herald；　is　it　needless　to　ask。　　I　have　spoken　with　many　men　who　have　money　invested　in　the　States；　but　I　declare　I　have　not　met　one　English　gentleman　whom　the　publication　of　this　threat　has　influenced　for　a　moment。　　Our　people　have　nine　hundred　millions　of　dollars　invested　in　the　United　States；　have　they？　　And　the　Herald　〃calls　upon　the　Companies〃　not　to　take　any　of　this　debt　off　our　hands。　　Let　us；　on　our　side；　entreat　the　English　press　to　give　this　announcement　every　publicity。　　Let　us　do　everything　in　our　power　to　make　this　〃call　upon　the　Americans〃　well　known　in　England。　　I　hope　English　newspaper　editors　will　print　it；　and　print　it　again　and　again。　　It　is　not　we　who　say　this　of　American　citizens；　but　American　citizens　who　say　this　of　themselves。　　〃Bull　is　odious。　　We　can't　bear　Bull。　　He　is　haughty；　arrogant；　a　braggart；　and　a　blusterer；　and　we　can't　bear　brag　and　bluster　in　our　modest　and　decorous　country。　　We　hate　Bull；　and　if　he　quarrels　with　us　on　a　point　in　which　we　are　in　the　wrong；　we　have　goods　of　his　in　our　custody；　and　we　will　rob　him！〃　　Suppose　your　London　banker　saying　to　you；　〃Sir；　I　have　always　thought　your　manners　disgusting；　and　your　arrogance　insupportable。　　You　dare　to　complain　of　my　conduct　because　I　have　wrongfully　imprisoned　Jones。　　My　answer　to　your　vulgar　interference　is；　that　I　confiscate　your　balance！〃　What　would　be　an　English　merchant's　character　after　a　few　such　transactions？　　It　is　not　improbable　that　the　moralists　of　the　Herald　would　call　him　a　rascal。　　Why　have　the　United　States　been　paying　seven；　eight；　ten　per　cent　for　money　for　years　past；　when　the　same　commodity　can　be　got　elsewhere　at　half　that　rate　of　interest？　　Why；　because　though　among　the　richest　proprietors　in　the　world；　creditors　were　not　sure　of　them。　　So　the　States　have　had　to　pay　eighty　millions　yearly　for　the　use　of　money　which　would　cost　other　borrowers　but　thirty。　　Add　up　this　item　of　extra　interest　alone　for　a　dozen　years；　and　see　what　a　prodigious　penalty　the　States　have　been　paying　for　repudiation　here　and　there；　for　sharp　practice；　for　doubtful　credit。　　Suppose　the　peace　is　kept　between　us；　the　remembrance　of　this　last　threat　alone　will　cost　the　States　millions　and　millions　more。　　If　they　must　have　money；　we　must　have　a　greater　interest　to　insure　our　jeopardized　capital。　　Do　American　Companies　want　to　borrow　moneyas　want　to　borrow　they　will？　　Mr。　Brown；　show　the　gentleman　that　extract　from　the　New　York　Herald　which　declares　that　the　United　States　will　confiscate　private　property　in　the　event　of　a　war。　　As　the　country　newspapers　say；　〃Please；　country　papers；　copy　this　paragraph。〃　　And；　gentlemen　in　America；　when　the　honor　of　YOUR　nation　is　called　in　question；　please　to　remember　that　it　is　the　American　press　which　glories　in　announcing　that　you　are　prepared　to　be　rogues。　And　when　this　war　has　drained　uncounted　hundreds　of　millions　more　out　of　the　United　States　exchequer；　will　they　be　richer　or　more　inclined　to　pay　debts；　or　less　willing　to　evade　them；　or　more　popular　with　their　creditors；　or　more　likely　to　get　money　from　men　whom　they　deliberately　announce　that　they　will　cheat？　　I　have　not　followed　the　Herald　on　the　〃stone…ship〃　questionthat　great　naval　victory　appears　to　me　not　less　horrible　and　wicked　than　suicidal。　Block　the　harbors　for　ever；　destroy　the　inlets　of　the　commerce　of　the　world；　perish　cities；so　that　we　may　wreak　an　injury　on　them。　It　is　the　talk　of　madmen；　but　not　the　less　wicked。　　The　act　injures　the　whole　Republic：　but　it　is　perpetrated。　　It　is　to　deal　harm　to　ages　hence；　but　it　is　done。　　The　Indians　of　old　used　to　burn　women　and　their　unborn　children。　　This　stone…ship　business　is　Indian　warfare。　　And　it　is　performed　by　men　who　tell　us　every　week　that　they　are　at　the　head　of　civilization；　and　that　the　Old　World　is　decrepit；　and　cruel；　and　barbarous　as　compared　to　theirs。　The　same　politicians　who　throttle　commerce　at　its　neck；　and　threaten　to　confiscate　trust…money；　say　that　when　the　war　is　over；　and　the　South　is　subdued；　then　the　turn　of　the　old　country　will　come；　and　a　direful　retribution　shall　be　taken　for　our　conduct。　　This　has　been　the　cry　all　through　the　war。　　〃We　should　have　conquered　the　South；〃　says　an　American　paper　which　I　read　this　very　day；　〃but　for　England。〃　　Was　there　ever　such　puling　heard　from　men　who　have　an　army　of　a　million；　and　who　turn　and　revile　a　people　who　have　stood　as　aloof　from　their　contest　as　we　have　from　the　war　of　Troy？　　Or　is　it　an　outcry　made　with　malice　prepense？　　And　is　the　song　of　the　New　York　Times　a　variation　of　the　Herald　tune？〃The　conduct　of　the　British　in　folding　their　arms　and　taking　no　part　in　the　fight；　has　been　so　base　that　it　has　caused　the　prolongation　of　the　war；　and　occasioned　a　prodigious　expense　on　our　part。　　Therefore；　as　we　have　British　property　in　our　hands；　we　&c。　&c。〃　　The　lamb　troubled　the　water　dreadfully；　and　the　wolf；　in　a　righteous　indignation；　〃confiscated〃　him。　　Of　course　we　have　heard　that　at　an　undisturbed　time　Great　Britain　would　never　have　dared　to　press　its　claim　for　redress。　　Did　the　United　States　wait　until　we　were　at　peace　with　France　before　they　went　to　war　with　us　last？　　Did　Mr。　Seward　yield　the　claim　which　he　confesses　to　be　just；　until　he　himself　was　menaced　with　war？　　How　long　were　the　Southern　gentlemen　kept　in　prison？　　What　caused　them　to　be　set　free？　and　did　the　Cabinet　of　Washington　see　its　error　before　or　after　the　demand　for　redress？*　The　captor　was　feasted　at　Boston；　and　the　captives　in　prison　hard　by。　　If　the　wrong…doer　was　to　be　punished；　it　was　Captain　Wilkes　who　ought　to　have　gone　into　limbo。　　At　any　rate；　as　〃the　Cabinet　of　Washington　could　not　give　its　approbation　to　the　commander　of　the　'San　Jacinto；'〃　why　were　the　men　not　sooner　set　free？　　To　sit　at　the　Tremont　House；　and　hear　the　captain　after　dinner　give　his　opinion　on　international　law；　would　have　been　better　sport　for　the　prisoners　than　the　grim　salle…a…manger　at　Fort　Warren。

*　〃At　the　beginning　of　December　the　British　fleet　on　the　West　Indian　station　mounted　850　guns；　and　comprised　five　liners；　ten　first…class　frigates；　and　seventeen　powerful　corvettes。　。　。　。　　In　little　more　than　a　month　the　fleet　available　for　operations　on　the　American　shore　had　been　more　than　doubled。　　The　reinforcements　prepared　at　the　various　dockyards　included　two　line…of…battle　ships；　twenty…nine　magnificent　frigatessuch　as　the　'Shannon；'　the　'Sutlej；'　the　'Euryalus；'　the　'Orlando；'　the　'Galatea；'　eight　corvettes　armed　like　the　frigates　in　part；　with　100…　and　40…pounder　Armstrong　guns；　and　the　two　tremendous　iron…cased　ships；　the　'Warrior'　and　the　'Black　Prince；'　and　their　smaller　sisters　the　'Resistance'　and　the　'Defence。'　　There　was　work　to　be　done　which　might　have　delayed　the　commission　of　a　few　of　these　ships　for　some　weeks　longer；　but　if　the　United　States　had　chosen　war　instead　of　peace；　the　blockade　of　their　coasts　would　have　been　supported　by　a　steam　fleet　of　more　than　sixty　splendid　ships；　armed　with　1；800　guns；　many　of　them　of　the　heaviest　and　most　effective　kind。〃Saturday　Review：　Jan。　11。

I　read　in　the　commercial　news　brought　by　the　〃Teutonia；〃　and　published　in　London　on　the　present　13th　January；　that　the　pork　market　was　generally　quiet　on　the　29th　December　last；　that　lard；　though　with　more　activity；　was　heavy　and　decidedly　lower；　and　at　Philadelphia；　whisk