New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-27
TIE ISLAND or PERRIN
To ne Editor of Tas ". y Tribune.
warnings

To NE Editor Of The ~ T. Tibune
SIR: The observations contained in TnE TRiBusE
relating TO the CONTEXT between England and France ON
account Of tie seizure by the former Of the Island OF
Perrin, present to the American public but one side
Of The question and that the English This islaod
is Il Turkish possession. The Treaty OF Paris guaran-
toed the egrty Of the Turkish Empire. The abl-
trery fezure Of any part of its dependencies, flag
rant violation OF the Treaty This, however, is OF
itself secondary reason. The Island Of Perrin,
although as you say "a poor, desolate bit of rock,
shuts up wholly the entrance of the Red Sec. From
the batteries sready erected there by England the fire
can reach easily the opposite shore. This shore is the
terminus of passage through the Isthmus Of Suez,
projected and urged by France and strenuously OPP
posed by England.
DO not suppose that the sound Of the Amer-
can population would quietly the erection Of liie
defel zee in the pou.b Of any terminus through the
Istl,::us Of Panama. France, attempting TO accom-.
psh The passage Of Suez-obe Of the problems trans
nitted from the remotest sLtiquity-deyoid, as you
,neeiipgly observe, of colonial interests, represents
IN this Gaze the general interest Of the European and
American, and indeed Of the whole civilized and COM
uercisl word and 10 opposed by England. The
seizure Pc in H. in oil 10 feauTes respects good
faith and other points, twin TO that Vi Gibraltar,
only isr OminCus ~ other nations on account
Of Il general lIterCOulce hLu cOulupLicalloLs 50
much more extensive and frequent row than in BY
goLe centuries.
In great and small events History points repeatedly
Il France 0s the champion Of general interests moral
ard material Of the Continent OF Europe. Call It
cid ntsl or provideptia mpeled by generou. or by
eeOtcsl incentives, that TACT with its various aud
otten beneficial cOrsequences remains nevertheess
iueye!sble. Without going back to the Caroyin-
giAns 10 tie Crusades to tGe reign OF Francis L., 10
the policy Of Rchieu; the events Of the last century,
the American independence, the French Revolution.
give Illustrations almost within reach OF the
Cath Ole spirit OF France. The history Of every grea.
nation has rs ups and downs but that Of France ess
perhaps, than the annals Of others. The stain of the
tecwllled, egotistcal despOtic mind crushing poiicy
Of Louis XIV is redeemed by the alliance IN the ioi,
owing century with struggling America anu
the Inauguration of the revolutionary era
When the fret ten years Of our century shan
be ccmprehended in their true philosophc sigohca,
tiop. even the Napoleonic ware and conguests Will
shire in their true emsI cpatoIy hsot; Not thst 10,
the iuperiaI tpotist was its focus: but he was an
scent an Involuntary one, Of principle Despot a.
he " az he could not change It's acuon ana .APsn-
I'm He was IT. agert, imPanting the French code
:; al the conquered ard occupied lands, as Belgium,
H,iiard. parts of Germany, Italy, and Pollard.
Wbsteysr may lie the reasons moylp5 France to-day
=; he, ,tsmpts 10 reunits the Mediterranean and the
red seas TO remove from the passage tho obstruc-
tion Of English batteries yawElng msnacingly from
an. I.laId Of Perrin, am at loss TO Tod any, the
.Iiobtsst egotistcal sbadsw, in the action Of Inc
FTero On Gov eminent. This action of the FreEc Gov
emmett and the French press does not deserve tho
s1eerirg observations of journal which generally
tegsrds the events Of tie time with elevated AID
tiHely catholic minds eye. GUgowsxt.
Nsr,. York, April Is, 1883