The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-07
HOW PUBLIC SENTIMENT Is M1sLED.

The Paris correspondent of the NetC York
Times, chagIned at what he regards slight
to the Paris correspondents Of the American
Press, on the opening of the Crystal Palace,
discharges a volley of abuse against the
French Government. Did it never occur to
him, that he and his friends, by their constant
attacks upon the Allies, aud their champion
ship of Russia, have laid that Government
under no obligations to show them special IA
vor7 Why should it put itself to trouble, to
manifest extraordinary courtesy to its habitual
assailants2
Free, intelligent, and manly criticism on the
institutions or policy of foreign country, is
commendable. No one has a right to except
to it. But abuse is not criticism. Attempts
Gated by every liberal and candid mind We
know the resentful feelings provoked among
our too sensitive countrymen, by the Halls and
Trollopes of other days; and yet some of them,
in their dealings with foreign nations, seem to
have taken those worthless as their models
The correspondent to whom we have alluded
vents his Indignation in the following comments
upon saying of Napoleon about the Temple
of Peace:
Thus the Temple of Peace invites all ma
tions to concord. Let US see how many ma
tons the Empire of Peace invites to war. 1t
first got Turkey into trouble with Russia by
sending Lavsletto to Constantinople, which
brought Menschikoff down from st. Petersburg.
Russia and Turkey then went to war. Then
France went to war herself and drew England
into it. Then it tried to push Prussia in, and
Sweden in, and Denmark in then it endeayor-
ed to get Austria in, and has been endeavoring
ever since; then it succeeded in dragooning
Piedmont in, and is doing its best to drag Ma
Piles in, and is offering inducements to get Spain
in; it is intriguing to stir Hungary and Poland
in; it would be glad to involve Persia; it does
involve Algeria, as Turkey involves Egypt and
Western Asia, and England Canada and Hin
doostan. Not content with this, it threatens the
United States, and England recruits for soldiers
on our neutral soil. Thus it is that France in
vites all nations to concord. Half million
men have lost their lives since the Emperor
declared the Empire was Peace. Can he expect
to jugge out of our sight this hecatomb piled
to heaven, and does he hope to redeem the
pledge made at Bordeaux, by building a store
house and calling it Temple of Concord
How well he remembers that the European
press is bound and the English press enslaved,
when he utters falsehood so apparent, and
makes himself sponsor for show so unworthy"
1t would not be worth while to notice this,
but for the fact that it affords an illustration
of the way in which Public Sentiment in this
country is misled concerning European affairs.
The People, having no personal interest in
them, take their impression, without considera-
ton, from just such misrepresentation. The
false idea conveyed by the whole communca-
ton is, that France is at the bottom of the
Eastern war, and the real ulprit is studiously
kept out of sight. 1t is true that the French
Government committed blunder, by raising
any question concerning the Holy Places, but
it soon saw it, and promptly "backed out"
Not so Russia: the Car awaited himself of
the blunder, as a pretext for carrying out his
system of aggression. He demanded of the Sui
tan, not only an apology, but arrangement,
by which Russia would be made Protector of
the Greek subjects of the Porte, and Turkey
be degraded from the rank of an independent
Government. The world cried out against the
demand, as scandalous, and the People of the
and England should temporize so shamefully
in their action in behalf of Turkey. II uas
this demand Of Russia that provoked the ,car.
The Sultan was the first to proclaim it-England
and France, his allies, joined in it reluctantly,
but resoutely-and, having done so, their wise
and humane policy was, to unite all the West
ern Powers in one formidable Alliance, which
should compel peace, with the least possible
expenditure of blood and money.
If since then the Allies have committed
blunders, both in diplomatic and belligerent
operations, this fact does not change the char
acter of the war, or its origin, nor does it re-
lieve Russia from the fearful responsibility of
having provoked it by her traditional policy
of aggrandizement."
Let us be understood. We are not parti-
san of the Allies we confess our interest in
the struggle, going on is far less than it would
have been, had they rallied to their banner the |
masses of the People, by proclaiming the indie
pendence of Italy, Hungary, and Poland; nor
are we anxious to enlist the feelings of our
readers very strongly in the controversy; but
we have no patience with the attempts made to
lay the responsibility of the war on the nations
that were drawn into it in selfdefence or by
the force of circumstances, to throw a veil over
the criminality of Russia, and propitiate public
sentiment in this country in favor of Russian
Despotism and Russian Ambition.