The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-23

with President Pierce ON Our Foreign and
Doncstic AMairs.Wars Wars
A brief communication, transferred to these
columns from the Richmond Enquirer, furnishes
us the substance of perhaps the most interest
ing and important volunteer political discus
sion that has taken place in the State Of Vir-
ginia for the last twenty years.
We allude to the speeches made on the occa-
sion Of the complimentary supper in Rich
mond, on Tuesday of last week, to Senator
Butler, of South Carolina. We presume that no
reporter of any of the enterprising newspapers
of Richmond was present, for this brief account,
which accidently found its way into the En-
quire, is from the pen of an intelligent volun-
teer, who modcstly says, "If you think it
worthy, publish; if not, throw it in the fire -
Now, had we been apprised in season OF this
meeting. by the parties concerned, we should
most probably have had d full report of it,
covering page of the HERALD, such, at this
crisis, is our estimate of the value of these
volunteer oA.hand speeches upon public affairs
from our leading statesmen and politicians,
especially of the South. The considerable gen.
tleman, however, who has rescued the proceed
ings of this Richmond festival from utter OBJ
ivicn, is entitled to our thanks His report,
too, though brief as pie-crust, is full of meat
as an egg. The outline which he has given of
the speech of Mr. Wise, satisfies US that, in his
general views upon our foreign affairs, the
Governor of Virginia speaks more to the point
and the purpose than the President OF the
United States.
Let us consider briefly the views Of Presi-
dent Pierce and of Governor Wise in juxta-
position. The President, in his Message, upon
our foreign affairs and the slavery question, is
maninrstly talking for Buncombe and the Gin
cinnati Convention. Governor Wise, at pri-
vate meeting of perhaps hundred men, re-
icved of the presence even of newspaper
reporter, must, we are free to conclude, have
spoken his honest sentiments and convictions,
without regard to Buncombe. Admit that he,
too, has an eye to Cincinnati Buncombe would
not hear of this speech, and so he had nothing
to fear or to hope from Buncombe. While,
therefore, we must take the Message of the
President as the work of calculating poll
tician, we are compelled to accept the opinions
of the Governor as those of his deliberate and
untrammelled convictions. And when we con-
slider that in experience, observation and in
formation in our public affairs, at home and
abroad, Mr.. Wise will compare advantageous
~ with llr. Pierce, notwithstanding the higher
official position Of the latter. we feel still more
at liberty to give the views Of the Governor
commanding Importance.
To the matter in hand, then. President
Pierce upon the Central American imbroglio
and other difficulties with England, and upon
the Danish Sound dues, labors adroitly to leave
the impression upon the public mind that
there are dangers Of war. We have been told
that it was because Of our critical relations
with England, and because of the necessity of
the earliest possible action Of Congress upon the
subject, that the President resolved to send up
his Message in advance of the election of
Speaker The Message was accordingly sent
up, bearing upon its face o visible sprinkling
Of "yillanous saltpetre;" and the war bubble
has been expanding ever since. But what says
Governor Wise! He says there is no danger
of foreign war-that the difficulty upon the
Danish Sound dues, which lIessrs. Pierce and
Marcy have magnifed into such vast impor-
lance, is humbug-and, substantially, that
with proper firmness and discretion at Wash
ington, the Central American volcano will
fzzle away in smoke. lie says, and says truly,
also, that there is no danger Of Louis Napoleon
stimulating Great Britain TO war with the
United States, and that he would most likely
give his ally no material aid if war should
ensue Mr.. Wise might have gone farther, and
said that o war between England and the
United States would speedily bring the present
'hoppy accord" between France and England
to an abrupt dissolution; and he might also
have added, that our single Southern staple of
raw cotton binds England to keep the peace
With us, whatever may be her relations with
the Powers Of Europe.
Now, if these views Of Governor Wise be
correct, President Pierce has been startling
the American people with his apparitions of
war purely as an offering to Buncombe. We
seriously suspect, too, that the Governor is
right-that the Danish Sound question,
as a war cry, is humbug; and that the Cen
tral American squabble will no more lead to
war with England than viii the japanese
treaty Of Commodore Perry. England cannot
afford it. She cannot afford to sacrifice her
vast and vital commerce with the United
States: and in addition to the tremendous re-
quirements Of war with US, run the hazards
of famine, riots and revolutionary risings at
home. Mr.. WISE then, is right. There is no
danger Of war between England and the
United States, because the subsistence Of the
English people, to a great extent, and the
safety Of the crown and the aristocracy, de-
pend upon peace. And thus this English war
expedient Of Mr.. Pierce, in default Of any
other, for political capital at the North, is
knocked from under his feet. Marcy may
cease to laugh in his sleeve, for Wise has ex-
posed the trick.
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