Important from Europe.
foreign mediation in American
affairs.
debate in the British Parliaments.
Butler's infamous proclamation
denounced.
of the French and English
press.
&c. &c., &c.
By the arrival of the steamers
Etna,
Bremen, and
Arabia we have news from
Europe as late as the 15th inst. American affairs continued to occupy a large share of public attention in
England and
France, and the detailed accounts which we subjoin will be perused with much interest:
British trade in War Contrabands.
The crew steamer
Columbia, reported to have warlike stores on board designed for the rebels, left Plymouth Sound on the 9th, bound for
Nassau.
Two other steamers had also arrived at
Plymouth, believed to be intended for the same destination.--Their names are the
Merrimac and the
Sylph.
The
D. Fleming with a cargo of turpentine, basin and fifteen bales of cotton, from
Charleston, had arrived at
Liverpool.
She left
Charleston on the 5th of May, in company with the
Louisa, for
Barcelona and six schooners for
Nason.
She left on vessels in port.
The London press on the defeat of Banks.
The London
Times, of June 10, in commenting on the defeat of
Gen. Banks, says:
‘
The
battle of Winchester was one of the most important successes that the
Confederates have obtained.
For thought it is not likely to enable them to carry the war into the enemy's territory, and though it may be that the
Federals will once more endeavor to advance into the
Valley of the Shenandoah, yet the
South have given proof of their courage and resources in thus ejecting the invaders from their soil, and convincing the most confident Northerner that efforts and sacrifices greater than any that have gone before must be made if even a border State is to be won back to the Northern Union.
At the present time the
Confederate outposts extend to the
Potomac.
The long
Valley of the Shenandoah is again in their power.
Federal authority is once more endangered in
Western Virginia and the conquest of the
State can no longer be looked on as a certainty by the most sanguine Northerner.
The fact that a body of fifteen thousand Confederates could thus clear an important region of the enemy, and inflict such disgrace on him and raise such an alarm in his chief cities, shows that the present resources of the
Federals in men, however large, have been used to the utmost in prosecuting the war. The
North is now to conquer by capturing vast entrenchments, and not by driving the enemy before it in an open fight.
We may therefore, say that the expectation of those who think that the war is to come to an end in thirty or ninety days are little likely to be realized.
Several months must elapse before the new Federal levies can be raised, drilled and brought into the field.
All this time the increasing debt on both sides and mutual hatred are tending to make a new Union more and more impracticable.
The London
News treats the defeat of
General Banks as unimportant, and shows that it can have to serious effect upon the ultimate result of the campaign.
The attack of the
Confederates it regards as a raid and nothing more, and not in the slightest degree calculated to disconcert the plans of
General McClellan.
The news of the evacuation of
Corinth was not received in time for its effect to be fully developed and commented upon prior to the departure of the
Etna from
Liverpool.
’
Butler's Rule in New Orleans — important debate in Parliament.
The London
Post, of June 11, denounces in the strongest terms the proclamation of
General Butler relative to the ladies of New Orleans.
It regards it as the greatest insult that could be offered to the
Federal army, and thinks the
Government is bound to call
Gen. Butler and have him court-martialed.
Such an fact as that of Batler's, says the
Post, if not promptly disavowed, would soon turn the scales finally and decisively in favor of the
Confederate cause.
In the House of Commons, on the 12th of June,
Mr. Clay asked if the attention of the
Government had been directed to the repeated interferences of the
United States cruisers with British vessels in the
West Indies, and particularly to the case of the steamer
Circassian, captured in central waters, while bound from
St. Thomas to
Havana, and within twenty miles of port?
Mr. Layard could not give an answer
at present, the case of the
Circassian being under consideration of the law officers of the Crown.
Sir J. Elphinstone asked if the
Government had any information of a Federal steamer having fired into an English and a French steamer, killing the captain of the latter, news to that effect having been received at
Lloyd's.
Lord Palmerston had no information on the subject.
In the House of Lords on the 13th of June Earl Carnarvon called attention to
General Butler's proclamation relative to the ladies of New Orleans.
He condemned it in severe terms,
as without precedent in the annals of mar, and asked if the
Government had
information of its authenticity, and if it had protested against it. He also asked if there was any truth in the rumors of the
mediation of France and England. The success of such mediation would depend greatly upon the manner in which
and the time at which it was offered; but he trusted the
Government was in a position to give the subject favorable consideration.
Earl Russell said that, from Lord Lyons's dispatches, the
Government believed the proclamation was authentic; but with respect to any action of the United States Government in the way of approval or disapproval, they had no information.--Lord Lyons had made no representations to the
American Government on the subject, and he did not appear to have any official information concerning the proclamation upon which he could do so. For his own part, he (Earl Russell) hoped the
American Government would, for its own sake, refuse its sanction to it and disavow it. The proclamation was important to the whole world.
The usages of war should not be aggravated by proclamation of this character.
He thought that such a proclamation, addressed to a force which had just captured a hostile city, was likely to lead to great brutality.
He thought there was no defence for this proclamation, and be sincerely hoped the
American Government would disavow it. With respect to the rumors of mediation, he was glad the question had been put, for such rumors were likely to lead to much mischief.
Her Majesty's Government had made no proposal to
France in reference thereto, and the
French Government had made no proposal to
England.
Therefore there had been
no communications of any kind on the subject between the two Governments.
Without, however, giving
any opinion as to the propriety of offering mediation at some future day if circumstances should prove favorable, he must say that the present time appeared to him most inopportune.
He conceived that in the embittered state of feeling in
America it would lead to no good,
but retard the time for such an offer being favorably made.
Earl Russell also said, in reply to Lord Brongham, that now the
American flag was not likely to be used for slivers, the attention of the
French Government had been called to the probability of their resorting to the
French flag; but no reply had been received.
In the
House of Common Sir J. Walsh made inquiry as to the authenticity of
General Butler's proclamation, which he denounced as repugnant to the feelings of the nineteenth century, and moved for any correspondence on the subject.
Mr. Hapwood asked if there was any truth in the mediation rumors.
Lord Palmerston said that no communication had been received from the
French Government, on the subject; and as to the
British Government, they had no intention at present to offer mediation.
Mr. Gregory deprecated any fussy or meddling interference in the affairs of foreign States, and entirely disapproved of the homilies which were continually being read to foreign Powers by her Majesty's Government.
This, however, was an exceptional case.
A proclamation had been issued by a General of the
United States repugnant to decency, civilization and humanity, which was to be put in force against a people to whom we were connected by every tie of family, language and religion.
It was the duty of the
Government to protest against such a proclamation and appeal to the moral sense of the world against an outrage so wicked, so inexcusable, and so useless.
Lord Palmerston thought that no man could read the proclamation without feelings of the deepest indignation.
(Cheers,) It was a proclamation to which he did not scruple to attach the epithet of infamous.
(Cheers.) An Englishman must blush to think such an act had been committed by a man belonging to the Anglo-
Saxon race.
If it had sprung from some barbarous people not within the pale of civilization, one might have regretted it, but would not have been surprised.
But that such an order should have been issued by a soldier — by a man who had raised himself to the rank of a General — was a subject not less of astonishment than pain.
He could not bring himself to believe that the
Government of the
United States would not, as soon as they had notice of the order, have stamped it with their consure and condemnation.
Her Majesty's Government received a dispatch yesterday from Lord Lyons, enclosing a copy
of the proclamation of General Beauregard, in which allusion was made to the order of General Butler. There was no objection to-day the dispatch on the table.
With regard to the course the
Government might think fit to take, that was a matter for their discussion; but he was persuaded that there was not a man in
England who
would not show the feeling so well expressed by Sir James Walsh and Mr. Gregory.
The motion was then agreed to.
Latest dispatches
The latest dispatches, dated at
London and
Liverpool on the 14th June, say:
‘
The steamer
Scotia's advices of two days fighting at
Richmond were eagerly canvassed on Change in
Liverpool to-day.
There has been no time for newspaper comments as yet.
The news by the
Scotia has no apparent effect on American securities or cotton.
The advance in the latter to-day was caused by the ministerial refutation of the mediation rumors.
The city article of the London
Times again speculates on the impending financial crisis in
America, regarding it, sooner or later, as inevitable.
It is estimated that the cotton throughout
England on the 1st of June was 428,000 bales, against 1,645,000 at the same date last year.
’
