Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-02-11

occasion to recede and no backstepping
From the London Times.
5MESSAGE IN ENGLAND.
The American President, with laudable de-
sire to cut short long debate in the House of
Representatives, has not waited for the election
of Speaker, but presented his annual Message
at once to the Congress. A portion of the A
merican press had long been busy in debating
what the Message ought to be; that it ought to
throw down challenge to England on every
point of existing or possible differences, and
that it ought to do so in manner which admit
ted Of no adjustment. AS far as England is
concerned, therefore, we must admit the good
sense displayed by the President in prolnulga-
ting his message without leaving the ground to
be preoccupied in the Congress itself by mass
Of adverse criticism.
The document, Ike many of its predecessors,
ahow the vast difference between the play ofdi.
plomacy and national act. The former, in the
New as well as in the Old World, is often littlo
better than game of brag, unworthy of states
men aud of civilized nations; the latter is gener
ally more in accordance with those solemn res
possibilities which rulers cannot but feel how
ever brief their tenure power. President Pierce
is evidently no more inclined to plunge the I'm
ion into war for any trife than We OF course
We are well aware that De OT1Ven 10 war 4.
even on point little appreciated or understood
by the people at largo; and America is equally
aware that we also are apt to forget the mercan-
tile or political inSignifcance of an object when
our honor is concerned There can only be mu-
tual respect between two such nations as the
British Empire aud the United Statse Of Aneri-
ca but we believe and trust that the statesmen
Of both countries will leave nothing undone to
arrange differences without sacrifice of honor
IA L., 80
faintcst thought of wish to extract honor out
ofAmerica, to gain silly chuckle at her expense
and to think ourselves all the letter because we
can think her the worse, There is no such feel
ing in this country. Indeed we are quite sure
that even if we had gained an imaginary triumph
over our transatlantic cousins, it would entailits
own punishment in the shame we should all feel
Ut the folly Of the transaction and the unnatural
character Of the wrongs we had inflicted.
Nebelieve that on the whole, notwithstan-
ding the frantic attempts Of few American wri-
ters--generally recent importatons from this
eountry-to blow every spark into fame and
70 disgrace England, with or without honor to
the States Government, the great majority of the
enlightened classes in that country are not so
disposed In the message before us the Presi
dent shows desire to lei negotiation on the af-
fairs of Central America drag on interminably,
On the speculation that time itselfmust one day
least is the construction put upon the message
by journal which evidentlythinks this the true
policy of the Union. 1t may or may not prove
= successful speculation. Undoubtedly in that
part of the world the great probability is that
the cause Of the States viii increase and that of
this country decrease. When there are but few
in this country who know what political rea-
tons we hAve in Central America and when, on
the other hand, the United States are evidently
pushing in that direction, by sea or by land, by
the growth of their commerce and their populH-
ton it would be idle to deny that such solution
as that hoped for is nearer every day. But the
speculation is morally unSound, and therefore
politically dangerous 1t can never be an ad-
vantage to any State that it should be in con-
dition to think an outrage aninsignifcant affair.
The simple fact that the pear" so to speak,
may be one day rips" may tempt the States to
an act of violence which may perhaps bewarmly
resented by this country negotiation, to be
honest, should be conducted with view to
settlement The statesmen of America must re-
collect that, if they have to make, as they con-
eeive, q certain impression upon US, they have
also To set an example to their own people; and
there are few examples so catching as those of
public diplomacy. Could Gen. Pierce and ms
Government succeed in persuading the citizens
in the Union that they have avoided a just set
Element by dilatory pleas and eyasiye answers,
they will be responsible for corrupting so the
morals of the Union In one sense simple
Isngthening Of negotiation in order to leave a
question to the arbitratement of time, to the
decay of right and the maturity Of wrong, is
ITSELF an immortality, and we trust that We shall
never be found involving the example before us
or sanctioning such policy in our own states
men.
On the subject of British recruitment in the
United States the President concludes his YER
zion of the story with the statement that he had
presented case to our Government in order to
secure, not only the cessation Of the wrong, but
its reparation, and that the subject is still under
discussion 1t is not denied that the wrong has
ceased, and It can hardly even be maintained
that it was conSummated by the effectual enlist.
tsent Of q single Individual into the British ser
vice. The President, indeed, alleges that the
attempt was obstinately and systematically con-
tinuedev after the official remonstra against
It hut that could only arise from the utter im-
possibility Of stopping at once number Of dis
tant and independent proceedings carried on
without quite so much concert and plan as is
thought However, the whole affair was stop
ped before any mischief wasdone; and, what is
more, reparation was msde-Feparahon that
would be thought ten times more than sufficient
by the dignified Courts Of the older world lon
this side of the Atlantic, when = mistake has
been made, anapology is offered; and to reject
that spology, and demand some hnciful compen-
aation for the supposed sfong, is always set
dywn to the sensitive iealbdsy of the man who
his his character and position still to make In
fact readiness 10 accept an apology ishere
Thought quite as much the marx Of gentleman