19 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. ADVOCATE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 1863. OUR COMPLAINTS AGAINST ENGLAND. The English, surprised at the altered tone of feeling among our people towards them, ask what they have done to provoke or excuse our displeasure. It is certainly a fair question; and we will attempt an answer by glancing at what we conceive to be the chief grounds of complaint. 1. It seems to our people, then, that England has departed in this case from her lately proclaimed policy of Non-Intervention. Her treatment of us, whatever name she may give it, has clearly been a direct interference against our government in aid and encouragement of our rebels. No impartial observer can view it in any other light. We have never asked her help; we should have been quite content if she had let us entirely alone; but, instead of this, she has from the start practically abetted the rebellion in every way she safely could. Well aware that its leaders were looking to her for countenance, she gave it in hot haste under circumstances which showed that she was only too glad of the chance. This idea, so patent now to every eye, is rooted in the minds of our people too deeply to be eradicated soon, if ever. 2. We think, moreover, that England has in this matter violated, in spirit, if not in the letter, her treaty obligations to us. These obligations, fairly and honestly interpreted, required her, in all her official conduct, to ignore the rebellion, and treat our rebels as we did hers in Canada, Ireland and India. What was that treatment? Always as |