Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-02-25
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ENGLAND AND OUR FOREIGN POLICY.
A Premier Of England is reported to have re-
marked upon cue occasion, That American hal no F.
foreign policy" The remark CONVEYS soDne ides Of /
the snsll importance attached to the United States
as q power in Continental politics. Il was de-
sig1ed IS sheer, but was really a high eompli-
Insn, to the craftsmanship which has rest,aiue ed Us
thus far from all attempts to exercise our influence
by active intervention ia the affairs Of Europe
We have a foreign polcy-Wel recognized and
dehccd-Wser than that of other government
whose dipomstists affect TO despise il as go pol.
icy ct all and as simple as il is wise. Its two
great msXims are non-InterVention in European
ahirs-EuroPesu non intervention in American
sfaiIs. These two leading IDEAS for the direction
OF our foreign policy, sanctioned by the highest
expeulency, and BY the authority of all the emf
ueDt statesmen OF our country. By them the de-
csion OF every question which srises in our rela-
tons lth foreign powers ought to be controlled
and determined. We do not lack foreign policy.
What we do need is a holder assertion of that
which we have, by which we may he freed 3. once
| ard forever from slf complication with European
powers, except that growing out Of our commercial
intercourse with them; and be relieved from that
surveillance and control which they assume to eX.
| e,cise over Us. upon questions which are essen
! 4ially American and in which they have not the
| interest to justify their interference
| Our government always has been prompt to vim
Gicste its honor, and to ssert its rights whenever
they have been directly assailed. Here there is 20
! iTresolutiOn or impotence OF which we may Justly
! complain. But in the decision Of questions, com
ing within the province of dip onacy, and 10 which
its interests were Involved, It has usually suffered
and submitted. Tnjs result is not attributable TO
the higher accomplishment Of European diplomats,
| when compared with our own, but to the want OF
| bOldness and decision on the part Of our own ed
LnInistT8tions, which are prone to deter to every
expression Of the popular will, and to permit sec
uOIal Interests, party policies, aud temporary eX-
pedieucie5 to contTO the solution Of questions, sri
| sing II our Intercourse with other nations. The
consequence is, that our diplomacy has won but
few aurels, end can point to but few results at
tsiled by It, by which it has added to the prosper
itg and power of the Union Indeed, the position
which the Union has attained, has been won, not
only Independent Of it, but in spite Of its many
b!unders THUS in the extension Of our territory,
which is ct the same time tbs great element and
evidence OF our prosperity, we owe nothing, COM
psrstlTely, to our diplomacy The gradual extern
! sion o. our limits has not been accomplished by
tie ssgscity Of our diplomacy, il anticipating and
controlling even e, bus by fortune, chance, and by
the irresistible march OF events which It had no
agency IL creati-g or directing A striking Illus
raLiOu OF this fact 10 furnished il the purchase of
Louisiana from the government Of France The
instructions OF tue American nCgOgiatOrs only su-
tlorIsed them to ask for the Cesson OF New Or
leans and the navigation Of the Mississippi river.
The French Consul, upon the eve Of war with
EGG and, against whom be knew that be could not
Lo!d Louisisua, met them with the proposition to
sell the whole OF IL 10 the government OF the Uni
ted States for the psitry Of hi,e5n millions Of
dollars. The American I5gotiat0rs we're astOund-
ed and hesIiated to accept this unexpected propo-
slGOn MIR. 5feTson hest ated to submit the treaty
which they at last made, and the Senate hesitated
e al -
ara, Rud EXTENDED our limits across the Mississippi,
IRON the Gut Of Mexico, to tie Pacific ocean.
Tbs territory purchased, embraced an area of more
than million 0. square mics, Waered by our
great finland ses" aud its tributaries, aud now kss
the population AID commerce of great empire.
Its acquisition placed US at once among the leading
nations OF the esrth-gsVe to England as The fret
Consul remarked when he ratified tie treaty, "a
maritime rival that sooner or later would humb c
her PRIDE and laid the foundation for every suose-
qu8nt accession Of territory which we have secur
cd. For It We are indebted, not to our diplomacy,
but the bJldn6ss and de ,sion Of the first COGsu
IL Remembering France Of territory which she
could no. bold IN q war which was then impeod-
ing with great maritime power
We would Be content perhaps, ii, IS in this in
I stsucsr our pOmsCy would cOlide itsslt To the
Insignificant role of con5ummating with its red
tape aud sasi0g wax, that which events taxi z
the T own course had accomplished Tor Us. If i.
could saoW no ssgscty CT enterprise n this role
il would, at least, exhibit no sctus tjmidllY,
DO no Eres. wrong. Tuis it will not always do,
hui oCcas Oasuy, IRON difference to opinions at
home or abroad, II inteEieTes to prevent events
from working out their own results, n our behalf.
Thus, to refer again to is connection with tae *
tension Of our territory, in ali OF our negoistiO-s
upon Central Amer can affairs j. hal abandoned
al the ancient iand marks ot our foreign policy, u
r compromise wIl England upon her Freteusions il
that quarter OF the globe. IL wcud rave en-
better for us if a diplomatic Tote had never hem
exchanged WITH England in relation TO the c..
tEal American States, for al that our diplomacy
has tflcei las ocel = Ii terlere with the aJGr--
CT events an 10 create dfi2 3lt.-l il tie va, q
this Government WEsu those States -asI ls T.a e
10 be aJs1-IeL
EY-.. J .- interested, o. witI.a ~ ...-.s. s. .
s-ues 70 interfere IL aim. eE-r7 q.=sloa CT
( aec.zt wita oar 'o-egu policy, aI4 &C Ia gle IL.
ety - aeCii Fug-u'e miCl aer wllcl ~ 10
! cor q pi5IsCy mucl 0! IFS character Ter lu.Il,y
and iusso uIon. Tho imminent dIUger y. & y a.
With & gland, which &c would ccc-siJu--'ris l.
che consideration which is forever urged whenever
lis Government las exhibited a disposition 10
carry out 3 bod aud independent .o-eig1 policy o.
is O7D. L gland has no disposition 20 p.o7o<a
q war with lLi3 country snd would be with d.fli-
/ Gully provoked INTO one. Il is no, her EU.icy sn
d IL ssfs to assume that SIC would e governed by
lha. consideration SIC is under an Iuju strisI
vas aage to this country, and pesce with it is one
OF the conditions OF her prosperity and Of he de-
nestle quiet But even It El gland was ready snd
wiling a. al times 10 embark in war win this
country, yet the true foreign policy OF this country
WOlld sill reTnain-the sane, snd ought not % be
changed or influenced by the disposition Of EGG
sud, or of any other European Go7efnmsnt to-
wards Is TIeir insdious Influence upon cur d..
piOmlcY il mole 70 Re dreaded than their opea
hostility and from it We can meyer be prot-c ed,
except by a strict adhereDco to tle two gTea IDEAS
Of cur foreign poicY--non Intervention il Euro
p5au eff.jrs. and European Do9-iut rycuIion in
American atfa;rs. This policy, practically carried
CGt, excludes them from all PGrIicipa ion in cur
diplomacy, AID relieves il OF their surV= ilsue3 s1d
/ control
A DESPERATE DUEL.