The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-05
For the South Western

: known 10 every school boy that during our re
evolutionary war; France rendered US matera
aid both ia men and money. and was the frs
nation OF Europe to welcome US to plac
amongst independent nations. Now the ques
ton is. how far should our gratitude extend 70
this help in time of need.
! According 10 a principle of moral law, tn
motive gives character To the act. Let us yer,
briefly examine the motives thar actuated Franc
: in extending to us that aid for which we feel ST
deeply grateful. and for which we are willin!
to divide our birth-right with any and ever,
people on the face Of the earth, as well th'
French as those who assisted in ravaging ou
land. numbering our ancestors, and endeavorins
to riyes upon US the CALLING chains Of abjec
, slavery
As far back as the history OF the two coun
tries extends, England and France have beer
rival powers. entertaining mutual animosiiie.
aud iealousies, and each has been ever ready
upon the slightest pretext. to embrol the other
in war, from the sole motive of weakening the
+ power of her rival
By a succession of reverses France had been
compelled to cede to England all her posses.
sions in North America lying east of the Mis-
sissippi including. of course, Canada. Smart
ing with the pangs of a wounded pride. and
burning with revenge. an opportunity was Of
tered In our revolution to assist in inhicting a
blow upon her rival. But let us see with what
caution did she seize the opportunity.
| On the 18th of April did the contest begin,
and though France had, BY her agents, been
assisting, for months. in kindling the flames
| that now burst out, by ntimating that she would
give US aid, yet for nearl y three long years did
| she stand aloof and view the bloody contest
with an eye of great satisfaction. 1t was not the
wish of France to see the United States free,
but England humbIed. Charles Botta, an i'm
partial historian of great merit and undoubted
veraclty, says: "Nor should we omit to say
that though France would rather see America
independent than reconciled to England, she
relished the prospect of long war between
them still better than independence. Perhaps,
even, she would have liked best of all a CON
quest by dint of arms, and the consequent sub
jusatlon." This is the language Of an impair
ta historian
. After the battle of Saratoga, and capture of
Burgoyne, the American agents at Paris, by
coup d'etat, induced the French government
to signify to them the preliminaries Of the trea-
ty OF friendship and commerce to be stipulated
between the two States. This was done on the
18th day of December, 1777, by M Gerard,
royal Svndlc of the city of S'rasbourg, and Sc
cretary of the kings council OF states' And in
these prellmnaries We find the following words:
Not pretending to act solely with view to
their particular interest, since, besides the be-
nevolence he bore them, it was manifest that
the power of England would be diminished by
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of her colonies" What
ever notions we may have formed previously,
this language, coming from the kings own Sc
cretary, and that, too, by direct authority ieaves
no room 10 doubt of the real motives that in
duced the French government TO espouse our
cause. Then who will contend that we are un-
der such strong and lasting obligations to the
French as to make US willing to share our
birth right with even them. Was it the great
owe that Cortez bad for the unhappy Incas of
Mexico, that induced him to espouse their cause !
against Montezuma? Was it the same great
owe that Pizarro had for the unhappy Incas of
Peru, that induced him to espouse their quar-
el against the equally unhappy monarch? I'm
Ter the same obligations were those unhappy
meas to regard Cortez and Pizarro as their es-
'ecial friends and benefactors that we are to re-
,ard the French as ours; the motives were the
anne in all.
Was it the disnterested love that France and
england had for Turkey that induced them to
spouse her quarrel against Russia? No man
/ three grams of common sense will say that
was. lift was through sef-interest, then can
hey, consistently, claim debt of deep graft a
lde OF Turkey for their services? Not very Il
think. t.
Then why should we be an exception Why Q
Mould We be under such great and lasting OBJ u
cations for acts that would not in the least de-
rec bind other nations? Then If We are under
0 such obligations to France, how much less G.
re we under obligations to those Hessians, s.
no hired themselves to rivet on us the chains T
Slavery! SUMNER GROVE. n
MosErARY-The Picayune in its review of NJ
e money market for the week ending on the W
9Th ult,, says: The accounts from Europe that OF
ave come to hand this week, though advising
further advance in the Liverpool cotton mar VI
It, are far from reaching the expectations of ca
e trade. The untavorable crop advices from su
is side have been counteracted by sudden Is
I'd stringent turn in the money market, caus ap
z general advance in the rates OF interest II
iii in England and on lbe continent, with no an
mediate prospect, moreoveg, of change for 10
e better. The primary cause OF this altered III
sition of affairs is TO be found in the precari sp
5 condition of French finances, which are .
ally beginning to shake under the e1iraor
nary and unnatural stimulus of speculation sc
at has prevailed unchecked for the last two uls
three years. The continued loss of bullion, HI
used in great part by the enormous demand on o.
silver for the east, has compelled the bank MS
France to adopt defensive measures, the ha
avity of which may be inferred from the fact 81
institution refuses to discount any paper be- cd
nd sixty days, and has limited It's advances arr
stocks to 40 per cent. and on railroad secu the
es 10 90. Still the specie continues to flow iaS'
:, and apprehension are entertained in some ne
arters that suspension ofeash payments may son
ressrted to. We do not positively share in SKI
Sc fears, though it is impossible TO foretell ma
at may take place under the influence of S'a
tic, fostered AS it would be by an imperious ner
nand for relief. AS to the effect which such Gee
,easure would produce opinions are wide nat
1T. though we cannot help thinking that ii the
lii prove disastrous in many respects, and gre
,ht very probably react unsssorsbly on this run
l..