Seward Baffled.
--We published yesterday the correspondence between
Seward and his man
Dayton, or rather the instructions of the former, reciting the contents of a letter received from the latter.
The French Government refuses, absolutely, to make itself an accomplice of
Seward in the wretched knavery he attempted to practice, If he had not been entirely destitute of all delicacy, instinct would have taught him that such would be the issue.
The
French Emperor, if some people object to his system of government, is yet a gentleman, and no man could be a gentleman and not despise the meanness of
Seward from the very bottom of his heart.
The
United States, only four years ago, positively refused to accede to the treaty of
Paris, expressly on the ground that its mercantile marine was large while its navy was small, and that in the event of a war with any of the high contracting parties, the
United States could depend upon nothing so much as its privateers.
It never would have entered Seward's head to make the present proposition had the
Union continued intact.
If war should take place with
England tomorrow, the principal dependence of the
United States would be upon its privateers.
Such being the facts of the case, the attempt to make the
French Government assist him in fixing the stigma of piracy upon us was a despicable trick, especially worthy of the man and the cause.
It was full blooded Yankeeism all over.
As long as privateering was useful they stuck to it;now it makes against them they wish to punish others for an of fence which they themselves had first claimed the right to be guilty of. The instincts of a gentleman forbade the
Emperor to listen to such a proposal.
