The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-07 00:00:00

ENGLAND AND AMERICA.

OPINIONS OF THE FRENCH PRESS.

The llonde (the clerical organ), which seldom or
never has a good word to say to England, is ball
impartiy.l enough to speak as follows on the Anglo-
American quarrel:—

" We must not count too much on a pacific issue.
The Americans are no longer in a state to listen to
reason, and England cannot now draw back. The
whole world is looking on ; people ask themselves
if Great Britain will again submit to American
arrogance, if she will again allow her flag to be in-
sulted; and public opinion, which openly blames
the United States in this affair, encourages her to
go on. The friends of peace at any price—for
there are some in England as in France—are
preaching in vain ; they cannot shut out evidence
of the facts ; and the facts are these ;—England,
with respect to the belligerents, was a neutral
State; the Trent belongs to the Royal British navy ;
it carried despatches—if one can assimilate the
Southern envoys to living despatches—not from one
belligerent State to another belligerent State, but
to a neutral State. In this there was nothing
whatever resembling contraband of war; and a
State at war with another has not the right to pre-
vent neutral States from communicating with each
other in all that is not contraband of war. By
violating the laws of nations in the affair of the
Trent the Americans have not merely insulted
England, but have alarmed all neutral States, and
thus attacked the public rights of civilised nations.
England, charged by the circumstances with defend-
ing the general interests which she has so often
wounded, has a noble mission to fulfil. We shall
see how she acquits herself."

The following is an extract from an article in the
Pagrie, headed "The Anglo-American Conflict"
Public opinion in France is not engaged in the
affair except as far as a great event merits atten•
tion. But whatever may have been the motive by
which Captain Wilkes was impelled—whether he
followed, as we believe he did, the instructions of
his Government, or whether he acted from his own
impulse, if the Cabinet of Washington disregards
the public feeling and refuse to disavow him, and
if the English Government persist in demanding
satisfaction, a new situation may arise from these
facts which will interest every European Power.
Does not Mr. Lincoln, by adopting this resolution,
as a matter of calculation, rashly introduce a new
element into the struggle which is taking place on
the banks of the Potomac ? If the recognition of
the Southern States was the first hostile act of
England, would it not be a political necessity on
the part of all the Powers to take such a change
into account ? When the two divided States of the
ancient Union should find themselves engaged in
battle on the undefined limits of the two territories,
France and Europe might occupy themselves with
their commercial interests, and call loudly for the
conclusion of a war which might ba prolonged in a
manner not favourable to a speedy termination ; but
neither France nor Europe would consider them-
selves compelled to interv:me politically in the dis-
pute. Now, if in consequence of an act, of which
the Cabinet of Washington appears to accept the
consequences, the Southern Confederation, which
has hitherto existed only by the armed protest of
her Volunteers, should take her place among the
nations of the world by the recognition of one of
the Great Powers, would not other nations have to
consider what attitude they ought to assume in con-
sequence of such an important change. Would it
not then be the Cabinet of Washington itself which
would have to answer to posterity for the resolu-
tion imposed on Europe by the necessities of her
commerce and of her influence, since it would be
the definite consequence of an act originating with
itself, and covered by its authority. Whatever may
be the nature of the decision adopted by the Powers,
the Government of the White House cannot be
astonished or offended, for the most ordinary politi-
cal sagacity would have been sufficient to fore-
see it,"

The Debats makes the following observations on
the manner in which the Moniteur has spoken on
the American affair :

" This calm and moderate statement of the facts
appears to us all the more worthy of attention that
it contains an indirect criticism and disavowal of
the language which certain devoted journals
hold on the same subject. The reserve of
the Illoniteur sufficiently indicates that the French
Government (and we congratulate it thereon) is in
no haste to follow the counsels of those journals in
the adventurous course which they would fain
have it take by making common cause with Eng-
land, and immediately recognising the Southern
Confederation. What! the negotiations are now
pending ; the facts scarcely known, and the French
Government should take part in the quarrel before
the question of war or peace is resolved between the
two Cabinets interested ! Truly, we find it diffi-
cult to understand such a line of policy."