Because of the blockade, by the Union fleets, of the Southern cotton
ports, England was deprived of her supply of cotton, and scores of
thousands of British operatives were thrown out of employment by the
closing of the cotton mills at Manchester and other cities in Great
Britain. England (John Bull) felt so badly about this that the British
wanted to go to war on account of it, but when the United States eagle
ruffled up its wings the English thought over the business and concluded
not to fight.
“Harper’s Weekly” of May 16th, 1863, contained the cartoon we reproduce,
which shows John Bull as manifesting much anxiety regarding the cotton
he had bought from the Southern planters, but which the latter could not
deliver. Beneath the cartoon is this bit of dialogue between John
Bull and President Lincoln: MR. BULL (confiding creature): “Hi want my
cotton, bought at fi’pence a pound.”
MR. LINCOLN: “Don’t know anything about it, my dear sir. Your friends,
the rebels, are burning all the cotton they can find, and I confiscate
the rest. Good-morning, John!”
As President Lincoln has a big fifteen-inch gun at his side, the black
muzzle of which is pressed tightly against Mr. Bull’s waistcoat, the
President, to all appearances, has the best of the argument “by a long
shot.” Anyhow, Mr. Bull had nothing more to say, but gave the cotton
matter up as a bad piece of business, and pocketed the loss.