The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-09

bad intended to follow up the Ostend meeting
with more comprehensive one, including our
ministers at st. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna,
and other German States; the object of
this larger conference being the original
purpose Of checkmating the American designs
OF the Western by some common diversion
among the central Powers Of Europe. To this
end our minister to Spain had himself propo-
sed trip to St. Petersburg. L. was part Of
his original plan; and, though somewhat en-
barrassed by the rupture between the Western
Powers and Russia, there was yet hope, from
the peace movements OF the belligerents, that
Russia, Austria, Prussia, and other central
States, from the great naval and commercial
issues involved in an American "balance of
power" in the Cult Of Mexico, might be en-
ployed to the greatest advantage against the
American policy of Eogland aud France.
1t was no part, as we are Informed, of the
programme of Soule to involve the United
States in the war with the Western Powers.
He believed that the American policy of Mr..
Pierce's inaugural might be peacefully accom-
plisbed. He believed that our supplies Of cot
ton and California gold to Eoglani and France
bad bound them over, and would hold them
bound, to keep the peace with us at almost any
sacrifice. His purpose was to detach them from
their foolish protectorate over Cuba, and Spain
from her slavish submission to the British Cabi.
net and Louis Napoleon. Possibly, with re-
gard to the Emperor of the French, the pro-
gramme Of Soule may have comprehend
ed republican revolution of some Sort
or the restoration of the Bourbons. It is
certain there was no love lost between our
minister and Napoleon the Third, from aud If
ter those threats at Madrid, and that the French
Emperor was an efficient ally of Marcy in work
ing out the total defeat of this extraordinary
mission to Spain.
The programme Of Soule was broad and COM
prehensve; but resting upon the slippery foun-
dation Of the inaugural of Mr.. Pierce, and upon
his imbecility and the deliberate malice and
treachery of Marcy, and being confronted by the
suspicious Of Spain, the hostility of Louis
Napoleon, and the diplomacy of England, his
failure was inevitable. Had there been no war
with Russia, his mission might have been more
successful in attracting larger degree Of the
attention Of the Continental Powers; had there
been no treacbery in our Cabinet it would GER
tainly have ended less disastrously to Soule,
American diplomacy and American interests
abroad.
The forthcoming history Of this remarkable
mission "and its consequences" will doubtless
be one Of the most destructive and interesting
books ever printed, to all aspiring diplomats and
politicians. Let Dudley Mann supply an ap-
pendix, and the European. di plomacy of Mr..
Pierce will be completely disclosed.
NATIVE AMERICANS NOT INTOLERANr-It
appears that several State Councils of the
Know Nothing Order in the South have ex-
plunged from their platform everything which
savored of Intolerance or hostility to the Ro-
man Caholics-the State Council of Louisiana
repudiating the Catholic test at meeting on
the 5th instant. Charles s. Morehead, of Ken
lucky, prominent member of the Order aud
the proximate Governor of the State, distinctly
disavows on the part of the section with which
he is acting any desire either to interfere with
the religious belief of any class of citizens, or
to erect any profession Of faith into test of
qualification for Office. We are persuaded that
much injustice has been done to members Of
the Order by giving them credit for far more
bitter sectarian spirit than they ever evinced;
now, at all events, these calumnies can be refut-
ed. He who still charges the Southern Know No
things with intolerance to the Roman Catholics
will do so in defiance of open fact, aud at the
sacrifice Of his character.
Nor has the reform been confined to the
South. Tolerance has penetrated even New
England, and the State Council of Connecticut
have come forward to declare their readiness
to admit Catholics to the rewards of Office
and the full rights Of citizenship Here, untor-
tunately, there can be no question but the ORR
ginal Know Nothings displayed o sectarian and
fanatical spirit. There is intolerance in the air
of Connecticut, and whole century of enlight-
eminent has not been able to dispeli it. They were
just the men to seize upon the most odious aud
narrow of the principles Of the new party, and
to give it prominence in their version Of the
platform. Yet, SO strongly has public opinion
in the present day set towards freedom of con-
science, so repulsive is erything that resem-
bles prescription on the ground of religious
differences, that even the Connecticut Know
Nothings have boldly cast off their sectsrian
character, and proclaim I" the protection of all
persons in the legal and proper exercise of their
religious and civil rights-the unrestraiued en-
joyment of all religious opinions and worship"
True, the Connecticut Council advocates .he
exclusion from Office Of all who "owe allie
glance, civil or ecclesiastical directly or indi
rectly, to any foreign Power" but herein, We
apprehend, they advise no more than the law
directs and immemorial usage has established.
The law declares that before any man shall ex
ercise the rights Of citizenship in this country
he shall renounce the allegiance he owed to his
former sovereign, and to all othet foreign po-
tentates and custom has not admitted to Office
any who have omitted 70 make this renuncia-
ton. The Know Nothings of Connecticut mere