Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/170

 158 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Lincoln's emancipation proclamation, "and from that time the success of the Union cause meant the freedom of the slave."

But this hypothesis does not help Mr. Adams in interpreting ■> Palmerston's motives ; for the emancipation proclamation was made public on September 226., a month before the Cabinet meeting, and iMr. Adams proceeds to tell us, that -"at first in Europe and more especially in Great Britain, the proclamation was not taken seriously. * * '■•• On the contrary, it ex- cited scorn and derision." We are told that Beresford Hope, an M. P., characterized it as a piece of "weak, yet demoniacal spite, the most unparalleled last card ever played by a reckless gambler." Another member of Parliament at a great popular demonstration in October, declared the proclamation was not worth the paper it was written on, and "Avas one of the most devilish acts of fiendish malignity which the wickedness of man could ever have conceived." So that Mr. Adams himself fur- nishes the refutation of that suggestion that the proclamation had anything to do with the action of the Cabinet.

We are compelled, therefore, to look further for some explana- tion of the sudden change of program on the part of the Cabinet. Now, with great deference to the distinguished lecturer, we ven- ture to suggest the existence of a potent influence which had everything to do with the action of the Cabinet, and that was the influence of England's Queen. Mr. Adams docs say there is no record of her having exerted any influence, but no record should be expected. The influence of the Crown was oftentimes felt i\vhen there was no articulate expression of it. There are many reasons which induce us to think that Mr. Adams is mistaken in failing to take the Queen's influence into account.

It is quite safe to say, that as a rule the heads of Monarchical governments do not wish to see the established order of things broken up. They arc naturally averse to the disruption of exist- ing government. They look with disfavor upon revolutions. Napoleon TIT was as much possessed of this feeling as any Crown head of the time, but in this instance he was willing to forego it. because of the situation in "Mexico, and his belief