The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-31

ltrIGuctlOD OF such vessels lutO all our Oc1er
oct an steam mail lines, in view OF the possible
c,rtDgency of war, but tina. Congress should
aleo, in the adaptation of the Collins improve
III, hts to our war steamers, endeavOr to keep
| pace at least, with the naval steamers OF Eng
land. But at crisis like this in the worlds
ticns in empires and political systems th /.
wide world over, it would be the extreme of
folly and false economy to abandon the COM
mercal highway of the Atlantic to the supre-
macy of England, and to discharge the Collins
line Of steamers, the most efficient naval
nucleus afoat, fully up to the highest speed
and improvements Of the age.
AngIo-French Intervention In the United
States.
The columns Of the Courier and Enquirer
contained, day or two since, long article
on the European war, and the relations OF the
United States towards the belligerents. It's gist
wa. to show that The administration and their
organs had misled the country by uatraly i'm.
putting to England sentiments of hostility to
the United States; whereas in tact the Courier
! bore witness to an earnest desire on the part Of
the British government to conciliate this ma
ton, and 10 settle all existing disputes in q sa-
tistactory manner. These views were accom-
panied by arguments Of greater or less force.
all tending to show that the United States
ought to espouse the cause Of the allies, ana
thoroughly crush out the Russian tendency
which is beginning to manifest itself in many
quarters.
So far as opinions are Concerned, every msu
has right to his owe, and the editor Of the
Courier is as much entitled to give vent to his
sympathy as Mr.. Cass to his hatred against
England; but, really, opinions on the war are
20 cheap now. a-day u.s. that the best are hardly
worth controverting The Cou,ier's article
might pass without notice were it not for I'll.
intimacy which is said to have existed besweeu
the editor and Lord Clarendon, which of cour
gives a certain weight TO assertions OF mat
tiers of fact by the former. l. has long been a.
practice OF members of the British government
10 engage foreigners to advocate its views
abr DAD; thus the Chevalier Wikoff obtaieed $500
from Lord Palmers,on for influencing the public
Nii in the United States, and was still en-
ploy ed in diplomatic missions when his unfor-
tunate atfa at Genoa which is only now abo1t
to be explained in his DO ck--cut short his official
career It'll impossible to say what may have
been the nature of the conversations which are
said to have taken place between Mr.. Webb of
the Courier and Lord Clarendon, but we have
the word Of the former that conversations di d
take place, ia which our countrymsn filled no
mean part in amateur diplomacs. Aud now
that those conversations are over, the self. con-
stituted representative of the United States
allows their effect to appear in his jealous en-
deavors to perform what the Chevaler Wikof,
his c5OO year notwithstanding, never could
accomplish.
Assuming therefore that the Courier spoke
in some sort as private organ OF Lord Claren-
den, the assertion that his lordshp has written
letters to Mr.. Buchanan, denying the truth of
the Interpretation placed upon his words in
Parliament, relative to the obi ects of the West
ern alliance, is quite worth considering. Taere
is nothing surprising in the statement; for it
was, under any circumstances, foolish thing
for British minister, at the opening of seri-
Gus war, wantonly to provoke friendly
Power; aud this was so we'll ssen in England
| that one of Lord Clarendon's colleagues at
| tempted correction OF the lapsus as
| soon as its effect here was perceived. But such
| a remark as that which aroused the apprehen-
sion of this country is not cured by simple
| verbal retracti0n. A deliberate menace m adc
by Minister of State. in his place in Parlia
ment, against foreign nation, is not wiped
out by private letter or a few equivocal
sentences hurriedIy uttered at the close of a
midnight session; especially if the whole for
mer policy of the government which thus
threatened was in harmony with the tenor of
the threat. If Lord Clarendon was really sin
cere in Discovering any intention to modest the
United States, why did he not give tangible
for Cancellation in the pending disputes between
this country and England. Yet, instead Of
attempting it, the whole course of England's
diplomacy since the threat has been as mimi
cal to our interests as ever. The unjust inter-
ferences commenced by Chatield in Central
America have been continued as theoretically
as before. The British Consul at the Sandwich
Islands intrigues, menaces, protests against
their annexation to the United States. The
British and French Consuls at Dominica
threaten the native authorities with violence,
IL treaty Of friendship and amity is concluded
with the United States Now, these various
functionaries did not pursue this uniform
policy from private motives of their own; it is
clear as daylight that they acted under in
structions from home. One of two things,
then: either Lord Clarendon wrote in igno-
rance Of the policy Of the government Of which
he was leading member, when he begged Mr..
Buchanan to disabuse the American mind with
regard to his former speech, or he wilfally
sought to deceive. II 10 impossible to recon-
s.ls sAs vvuiss VI Il..4~A sislv.sASy ~ Cvssrh