Opinions of foreign powers.
--That
Europe is not an uninterested spectator of affairs in
America, and that the interests and there.
fore the sympathies of her Governments are all on the southern side, is freely admitted by the whole Northern press.
Whilst some of our own people are disposed to think that
Europe has no partialities for either belligerent, the New York
Herald publishes a statement of declarations which have been made since the commencement of hostilities, by different foreign powers, in relation to the attitude of the States toward each other, which, in its opinion, virtually prejudges the whole question at issue between North and South.
England led off, in the proclamation, last May, of Queen Victoria, acknowledging the right of ‘"Southern traitors and rebels"’ to be considered ‘ "belligerent."’
France followed in June, which a declaration of neutrality and an imperial decree against privateering.
Prussia, at the same time, took the opportunity of urging the
United States to accede to the treaty of the Even the letter of Prince Gortchakoff written in July, is conceded by the
Herald to the patronizing this country
generally, and in greeting our statement how and when they should bring the civil war to a close."
Thus it will be seen that even the
Russian manifesto, about which that spavined old rheteacian,
Edward Everett, has written one of his protest productions in
Bonner's
Ledger, is regarded by
Lincoln's leading organ in New York, as every intelligent man in the
South pronounced it at the time, a vague declaration of friendship for both countries, instead of "aid and comfort to the
North, as the hyperborean and hyper lica contributor to
Bonner imposes.
Next came the
Queen of State, who issued a proclamation of neutrality, enlistment by Spanish subjects on other side, and denunciatory of privateering.
This was followed by a similar decree from the
King of
Portugal.
‘"Thus."’ complains the
Herald, ‘ "all of the principal European Power have deemed the efforts that are being made by this country to suppress rebellion, a fitting occasion to make an exception to the usual rules observed by diplomatists in relation to rebellion and civil war, and to present their opinions to the world.
Insurrections have taken place in
Ireland,
Italy,
France,
Germany,
Hungary, Bosnia, and
Poland without a sign of approbation or disapprobation on the part of the statement of the various foreign material Observing events closely, they have nevertheless abstained from official comment, this events here have startled them from our reserve and caused them to break forth into manifestation which, in other cases, would have been considered indecorous." ’
It is absurd to comment upon the wilful business which will not acknowledge the difference between the withdrawal of sovereign States from the old Union, and a rebellion against an authority acknowledged to be supreme.
Suffice it that the whole civilized world, according to the
Herald's admission, seen this question in the
Southern and States Rights point of view; and that no nation under Heaven, except the
North, which, in nullifying the
Fugitive Slave Law, led the way in rebellion considers the
South ‘ "Traitors and rebels."’ We have the opinions, the sympathies and the interests of all Christendom on our side, and shall perhaps, before long, have its active competition.
