"The upper and ruling class" wrote Bright to Sumner, were observing with satisfaction, "that democracy may get into trouble, and war, and debt, and taxes, as aristocracy has done for this country[1340]." Thus Bright could not deny the blow to democracy; nor could the _Spectator_, upbraiding its countrymen for lack of sympathy with the North: "New England will be justified in saying that Old England's anti-slavery sympathies are mere hollow sentimental pretences, since she can rest satisfied to stuff her ears with cotton against the cries of the slaves, and to compensate her gentle regret over the new impulse given to slavery by her lively gratification over the paralyzing shock suffered by Democracy[1341]." This was no taking up of cudgels for the North and "Progress" such as Adams had hoped for.
Vigour rested with the opposing side and increased when hopes of a short war vanished.

The _Saturday Review_ asserted: "In that reconstruction of political philosophy which the American calamities are likely to inaugurate, the value of the popular element will be reduced to its due proportions....

The true guarantee of freedom will be looked for more in the equilibrium of classes than in the equality of individuals....

We may hope, at last, that the delusive confusion between freedom and democracy is finally banished from the minds of Englishmen[1342]." "The real secret," wrote Motley, "of the exultation which manifests itself in the _Times_ and other organs over our troubles and disasters, is their hatred, not to America, so much as to democracy in England[1343]." It was scarcely a secret in the columns of the journals already quoted.

But no similar interpretation had as yet appeared in the _Times_ and Motley's implication was justified for it and other leading daily newspapers.