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The Grievances of the South
Richard Cobden MP, photographed in the early 1860s. Cobden believed passionately in free trade as a means to eradicate war and racism, and bitterly resented the attempt to justify a war, and safeguard an economy based on institutionalised slavery, in the name of free trade.
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Richard Cobden MP, photographed in the early 1860s. Cobden believed passionately in free trade as a means to eradicate war and racism, and bitterly resented the attempt to justify a war, and safeguard an economy based on institutionalised slavery, in the name of free trade.
Introduction
Richard Cobden MP had considerable sympathy with the Confederate States in the American Civil War of 1861-1865, as he regarded Washington as arrogantly meddlesome and corrupted by big business. But in 1863 he held up a report from the US Congress and told his Rochdale constituents that the South’s politicians had forfeited any right to an Englishman’s goodwill.
THE members from the Southern States, the representatives of the Slave States, were invited by the representatives of the Free States to state candidly and frankly what were the terms they required, in order that they might continue peaceable in the Union; but from beginning to end there is not one syllable said about tariff or taxation. From the beginning to end there is not a grievance alleged but that which was connected with the maintenance of slavery.
This is a war to perpetuate and extend human slavery. It is a war not to defend slavery as it was left by their ancestors — I mean, a thing to be retained and to be apologised for, — it is a war to establish a slave empire, — a war in which slavery shall be made the cornerstone of the social system.
Well, I say, God pardon the men, who, in this year of grace 1863, should think that such a project as that could be crowned with success.
Abridged
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Richard Cobden, a veteran campaigner for free trade, objected to the way that British supporters of the Confederacy in America’s Civil War made out that the issue was freedom to trade, citing an American report showing that the Southern States themselves seemed concerned only with their right to legalise and extend slavery. (52 / 60 words)
Richard Cobden, a veteran campaigner for free trade, objected to the way that British supporters of the Confederacy in America’s Civil War made out that the issue was freedom to trade, citing an American report showing that the Southern States themselves seemed concerned only with their right to legalise and extend slavery.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, besides, just, must, since, unless, whether, who.
Richard Cobden (1804-1865) was the son of a bankrupt Sussex farmer. By a mixture of talent and audacity, Richard rose from sweeping his uncle’s warehouse floor to become a Manchester mill-owner and then Liberal Party MP for Rochdale in Lancashire. He came to prominence in the late 1830s as a vocal critic of London’s panicky and greedy policies towards Russia and later China. Soon afterwards, he emerged as the leader of the Parliamentary rebellion against economic protectionism, i.e. the policy of using sanctions and trade tariffs to ring-fence the profits of domestic corporations and cripple the economies of foreign countries. The Corn Laws, the flagship protectionist policy that had brought thousands close to starvation, were repealed in 1846. The campaign almost ruined him financially, but he recovered and his final triumph was the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty of 1860, a landmark free-trade agreement between Britain and France which put centuries of mistrust behind us. Richard married Catherine Anne Williams, from Wales, in 1840 and they brought up five daughters together.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Connect. Make. Representative.
2 Grace. Invite. Require.
3 Say. Slavery. Social.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Left. 2. Well. 3. Frank. 4. Order. 5. Free. 6. Man. 7. Mean.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
trm (5+1)
atrium. term. tram. trauma. trim.
tearoom.
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