"Untitled," Civilian and Galveston Gazette, October 14, 1843

Summary: The editor mocked Lord Brougham, an Englishman who ardently supported abolition in Texas. He quoted the remarks of a Texan who went to see Brougham and was taken aback by the latter's tendency to interrupt everyone's speeches. Also chided Brougham for believing that Texas was the center of the slave market in America and that its only access to the Gulf of Mexico was through the Red River. The editor was trying to downplay the significance of the pro-abolition men in England.

Lewis Tappan, who has been recently luxuriating among the abolition lions of England, entertained his less favored brethren, on his return, with a description of the animals, at a "select party," given by himself. The following is what he says of the great champion of abolition in Texas, who recently brought the subject before Parliament:

"While in London, I went to see Lord Brougham. He is a great curiosity--a great literary man, possessing unbounded and versatile talent. But his moral power is not great, owing to this versatility. I perceived in one of the windows of London a caricature, in which he was represented as one of those little dancing Jacks, and Lord Wellington had hold of the string, making him lack in every direction; and underneath was written the words, "a man that kicks every way." This is, politically and generally speaking, about a fair representation of the man, as he kicks frequently at friends as well as foes. I passed nearly an hour with him. He has a very singular way of interrupting people when they are talking to him. Soon after I commenced speaking on the subject of my errand, he stopped me abruptly by saying, "where is Monroe Edwards? he tried to get L50 out of me when he was here." He asked me subsequently to submit what I had to say to him on paper."

From this it would appear that the learned bear abated none of his usual rudeness towards his abolition friends from this side of the Atlantic, though they would no doubt have thought it glory enough to obtain even a kick from so high a quarter. Lord Brougham did well to desire what they wished said in Parliament to be put down in writing, for his remarks there evince any thing rather than a knowledge of his subject. They show that he was entirely ignorant of the treaty between his own country and this on the slave trade, that he supposes Texas to be the chief market where slaves reared in the United States are sold, when in reality there is no cash market here for slaves; they will bring better prices in the states, and all the slaves brought are the property of immigrants, who employ them after their arrival in the cultivation of the soil. But the most amusing passage in his Lordship's speech, is that where he says that the access of this country to the Gulf of Mexico is through Red River, which he obviously supposes to be our only avenue to the ocean, when, in reality, no such communication is open to us, and our country lies directly upon the Gulf.

Lord Brougham clearly does not know everything, and may make himself ridiculous on other subjects besides Natural Theology.

Source Copy Consulted: "Untitled," Civilian and Galveston Gazette, October 14, 1843, p. 2