Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-12-28
TIE WAR AND OUR sYMpATIiIES.

bic article showing that the sol;citude which large
portion Of our population experience i'll behalf Of the
Cznr Is not the result "t mere ncusderate caprice.
There nrc very Just and tnrcb'e reasons tsavs that
paper, and SIC adopt lis lanSungel why our citizens
should not wish 10 see the Western PoScrs achieve
easy and signal conquest i'll their struggle against
Russia, however much rrpugmnncc they may have TO
The latter as the great embodiment anil champion ui
drspuis'n. The maintenance OF what is call.d the
b,h:ir'r ul power among the European governments
j., uf -..f lnatrr about which the United State.
may wrl! iec very .aruc,l interest At all events,
,..cy cannot c1mtem; late with Indifference any at.
temp, ui a formidable combination :u destroy ,hnt
bancc. -iiIce. il successful, il might, or probably
wnald, r!rGse certain hn:;c military and naval pow.
from the necessities which occupy them i'll the
Jthcr arm-r.rre, and facilitate them III their purpn-
oi Intervention in the affairs OF this continent
Wrcunno but dcprcra.e any sucl contingency, and,
wi;huu, entertaining ANY affection for Russia wish
n; thui she may extend aud strengthen her dominion
in The slighle., degree, We may very naturally be
10th to seq her conquered and disabled by the two
mighty empire, which are not only most tavorably
circun>tanood for inte:inciit!n:; m.schiev"usy on
this side c; The occar but which have nj late, ex'
h5cd towards very friendly and pacific dis
position.
Hut aside from any direct or practical interest
which America may have III the war, aside from t'
mere question whether The isruy would be most dras-
trous for her should IN. Allies, rather than the Car
succeed, il seems that consid rcd in IL absrac; mo-
raj and political nspcct., this Republic cannot be cx.
pected to -ympatile with the Augo French contede-
rutin IN fra. I'M IN
probation uf Chr,ieniom OIL the prrtcnce that it wa'
enlisted in defence u, civilization asHnst barbarian
ism,-of iish;cmcl constitutional liberty, against
the most severe aud uum.igatrd autocracy, but IN
this quarter tat protenson has appeared moro spe-
ciols than real and, when examined candidly, it is
doubtful whether it he admitted implicitly any
where. a. compared with Russia, France and Great
britain certainly superior i'll their social and civil
md religious ronGitiGr They have reached won.
derlll clninence in physical development in nellec-
nal refinement, the art AMI sciences, Industrial pros
urri.v and in the institutions of government. But
with ali these high claim 10 consideration
allowed in their fullest latitude, it is difficult 10
perceive how the peace, the freedom, and the happ-
Of the world are I" be essentially and truly pro-
NOTED secured by suborlinalins the rest OF Eu-
rope IN their unoppo-rd and absolute sway. Granting
,hn;, wherever they might attain political domination
~ substituting their own Tor los, liberal laws and in
s,iu.ios they would inprov" the masses of the peo
,lr in inrir material aI,l social circumstances, yet
other nationair- May well dread the dauGer OF their
acquiring rule SD extensive and res.Stl-s- "a 10 rX
pos, ,iai4 virtually sort nj! provincial snhiectiOr
Politically regarded, neither France nor England can
i ....,I,, 4, al,
Their past history shows m"t "ly that both have
sought to enlarge their jurisdiction by conquest, that
both have been aggressive and overbcarlng ln al I'M.
parnil-!-d degree, hat that, wherever they have
succeeded in establishing toir sovereignty. they
have exercised il with measure Gi MbIlrari-
n-s' "i drapotith, Of cruelty, rv.n. limited only by
what they conceive 20 bc thcr Interest and the
pxixcnc;"s oi their sncrIg,ug crpre. In III" civil
,ySterns oi Jpih the .nonnrccai ari-torratic ela-
in.u,s are accorded 4 paramount. influence over
the democratic principle Of government and while
THE HAY bu necessary condition III their c"n,iiiu-
lions, rs applied 10 peculia! state oi society, they
cannot br esteemed AZ favorable to The propaga-
iiniI Of repblcnnsm, in +" far as he civil free.
dom and supremacy OF the people are held t" be- u
unian, ntal ioaturc Of every jms ~ceme u: admins.
ratiu. j; il No., therefore, in :h;= vie" OF the mat
ter brarcr thar the people OF the United Stntrh axe
no! d. posed recG.nz" France and Great Britain
i.g re.inhr champions and dis-"n:net"rs oi crza.
tou in ,hr. nc;n-phcrc. Tia: is!"y have been ac-
uaiod IN The present war hy any 'li.nerested zeal
for liberal and popular government, in opposition 70
al extension Of the Grspu;c ru" Of Ru>sia, il not
credible, and Que OF the most significant evidences
ri
i. tie imperial character of;hoss Powers which they
have made 80 earnest anl persistent, an effort to
bring into their alliance.
The Br:ti. pre,s, nevertheless. has expressed with
remarkable unanmi;y and no l:te warmth Of tone,
il. surprise that the citizens aud government OF this
country have not manifested, from the outset hear
ty sympathy will. tho Allies in the pending contest.
We find, however one striking exception. III viSor-
Gus article in the November number OF the North
struggle" Notwithstanding the political proclivitics
of that magazine, it has defined with ~ much force
and truth the position Of America in relation to tho
belligegarts, and the rea.ons why the cause OF the
Western Powers las not been regarded with moro
favor OH ,hi, side Of the water hat VIC quote from
rhe essay referred To. The following impressive pas
sage:
- And these considerations, by tho way, will
help to explain matter which has given rlre to
much natural vcXaon, hnl n'i quite just dsappoint-
nent, yiZ the rnlIn-s- mons yIupahy at I'll. Ane-
ricans At first sight, doubt, ii ,erins but hitting
tnat in the battle wagin: for justice AMI cIvlll-
zati0n the good wishes, nj lcnst, oi the people VINO
boast thenls. y,a the most enlightened upon eartI',
should be enlisted side tiu in striving 10 re-.
press the aggre-sions the great despot OF tn" Old
World we should have thr hearty prayers, If not tn"
active assistance, ui the great republic ol the
New: and That lard once tho hope aud re-
irre of the injured and the prosecuted, should on
ali occasions he innrr ready TO pleHd for mud en-
cnurarr the oppressed than To applaud and hound
on the upprcssor. CnhGppiiy. II is not SO; anu,
a.nuny nisuy less worthy and nrOwaoe reasona
WHY II should not he 81. is one which II not dis-
creIiiabe To the Anrr!cgrf and ought not to De
surprising tn U.s. 1t IL dihcult 10 innRe IL c!eaT 10
them that the war We waS !ng is i'll any inte!!-
ribIe sense n rJr on bchaij 81 irccdom. There
i an uutrstiunablo Inconsistency, indeed. Il the peo-
pc who so jctc1 and Glnricd h"sslth, no" synipa-
tLjzg with the despot by whom hnsauth was crush
cd hut on the other hand, the partaliiics OF Anne.
rica are necessarily rrpub!ican-and repubEcansm IL
the uvnwcd horror Of both the English and French
governments. II there is one court i'll Europe which
the Americans especially dislike and despiso It Is thai
OF Austria: and Ia obtain the aid and alliance OF Aua-
tra in this war ha- been the ceaseless eacavor o he
western powers. The sympahes OF America 20
ayoweLly with the oppressed nationslities; aud II
has been the most anxious aim I" the allies, from the
outset to prevent these nntonnes from ,ninging in
the STRIFE. OF the four power. who were, were
supposed to be, arrhyed agnlnat Russia, ono was a
constitutional monarchy, but The other three were
desuoia the first OF whom was the supposed tyraiit
NJ s Christian subjects: the second the notorious and
brutal oppressor Of all those republican aspirations
WHICH Am",ic;. lonyrd 10 aid; while the third had
iu,, transformed Il republic into an empire. How
could such II war, wuged by such parties and with
such allies bs represented rs genuine war tor beF-
tyI Ii canno, be gainsaid that it was nat the sian
ixrd Of freedom or seli-governnent that we raised ;
!. was the standard of justice, Of civza.irn OF es.
tabslcd treaties of the status quo o. the balance OF
power in Europe. How could we reasonapiy asH
American sympathy or mid for such a complicated,
hybrid, conventional, Old World banneri 1t, III
decd us at one time seemed not Improbable austria
had taken her natural aide aud cast i'll her lot with
the ugg-esaor, and Italy, Hungary and folnnd had