such an appeal to English hearts for sympathy and help as never before, perhaps, was heard."

In Manchester, with a population of a little more than three hundred thousand, there were thirty-four thousand starving people. In other cotton manufacturing cities the distress was equally great. Soup-houses were established, great kettles brought into use, industries provided, contributions gathered, boards for distribution of food and clothing organized, with Lord Palmerston, Prime-minister, at the head. Contributions came from India, China, Australia, and Canada. Newspapers were provided, so that the men and women who could get no work might at least learn what was going on in the world. With eager eyes they read every item of news concerning the great struggle between Freedom and Slavery in the Western World.

This the pen-picture from the correspondent of the News:

"The people, as a rule, had rather starve than ask relief. I have made. my observations in families where death was within a few stages, waiting to close the hard but unsuccessful struggle for life. One cannot withstand the intense pleading of silent want. Halfpence will drop into little famished hands and shillings into the palms of mothers, who weep over the sufferings of their children, from whose cheeks the roses have long since fled, but they never ask for charity."

This the record of earnings in the cotton mills: Betty Taylor earned in two weeks two shillings and eleven pence(')-less than seventy-five cents for twelve days. Susannah Fletcher in two weeks earned one shilling and sevenpence-about thirty-six cents-going into the mill at eight. o'clock and staying till half-past five.

Nearly six hundred thousand people() were receiving relief. In the cotton manufacturing districts only one-third were working on full time. One hundred and sixty thousand operatives were working half time, while two hundred and twenty-eight thousand could find no work. They were wholly dependent on charity.

Notwithstanding starvation stared them in the face, notwithstanding nearly all the newspapers of England, the lords, dukes, nobles, and nearly all the members of Parliament sympathized with the South, these famishing toilers prayed for the success of the North.

On the evening of the last day of the year the great town-hall of Manchester, England, was filled with the working men and women of that city, many of whom had gone hungry through the day because "King Cotton" had inaugurated a war in the United States for the establishment of a slave empire. The mayor of the city presided. They had assembled

for the purpose of sending a letter to President Lincoln, thanking him for the Proclamation of Emancipation, which was to go into effect at the hour of midnight. These their words:

"Heartily do we congratulate you and your country on this humane and righteous course. We assure you that you and your country cannot now stop short of a complete uprooting of slavery. . . . We implore you for your own honor and welfare not to faint in your providential mission. Leave no root of bitterness to spring up and work fresh misery to your children. . . . Our interests are identified with yours. We are truly one people, though locally separate; and if you have any illwishers here, be assured they are those who oppose liberty at home... Accept our high admiration of your firmness in upholding the proclamation of freedom."

The steamship which brought this address across the Atlantic passed a gallant new ship, built at Quincy, Massachusetts, the George Griswold, with all sails set, bound from New York to Liverpool. This her cargo: One hundred barrels of pork, fifty barrels of beef, one hundred and two boxes of bacon, three tierces and two bags of rice, one hundred and seven bags and five hundred barrels of corn, one hundred and twenty-five barrels and four hundred and fifteen boxes of bread, fourteen thousand seven hundred and thirty-six barrels of flour.

The ship was full, and the cargo was valued at $108,000-all contributed by the people of New York, Philadelphia, and other cities, for the starving of Lancashire: the committee of relief had still thirty-five thousand dollars left. The George Griswold went down the harbor and out through the Narrows on January 10th, with all her flags flying, to be followed, on the 19th, by the bark Achilles, from Philadelphia, on their errands of mercy in the spirit of that Christmas song first chanted on earth by the angels of God above the green pastures of Bethlehem— "Peace on earth, good will to men."

The

On the 9th of February, the George Griswold reached Liverpool, sailing up past the ship-yards of the Messrs. Laird, whence the Florida and the Alabama had sailed to begin their work of destruction. people of Liverpool had heard of the departure of the vessel from New York, and the commander of the fort at the entrance of the harbor welcomed her with a salute. A tug took the Griswold in tow, and that vessel, decorated by her captain with the flags of all nations, laden with food for the famishing, freely given, went on to her dock amid the swinging of hats and the hurrahs of a multitude of the workingmen of Liverpool.

At that same hour the Lord-mayor of London and his invited guests