Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-26
fall under suspicion. Asa whole the letter Is
grstulsous and untsnable ip every point. WA A,

fal underfsuspclon. Asa whole the letter is
gratuitous and untenable In every point. ggs (,
Thereby of Secretary Seward 10, in general,
prollx and diacursiye.g IL lacks that terseness
and point which we have been accustomed 10
admire in. many Of even the lesst studied
speeches OF the writer. 4 We might . ford, how
ever. 70 overlook its yordiness, II Il we're not
deficient IN dignity, and dsfguredj BY ,garoasm,
which 10 always petty in the presence Of serious
leets; Take, for example, those parts Of II 10
which the Secretary "regrets, after 40 long an
Official intercourse, that Il should now be necea-
safy to inform her Msjestys Government"
etej and such expressions es, Ioertainly Il IL
not necessary to announce 70 the British Gov.
efnment that an insurEecilcn, exists; but Il does
seem necessary to Dtate for the Information of
tnat Sovernment,p etc. Why not simply give
the case as IL s, without this schoolboy style of
tnfust In contsoversy1 Againi "This Govern.
ment does not question the Learning Of the legal
advisers OF the British crown, or the Justice OF
the deferenee which her Majesty pays to them.' -
nThe British Government will hardly expect
the President 10 accept their explanations of the
Constitution" ole must be allowed, there
fore, TO prefer to be- governed BY the view Of
our own organic national Law which receives
the sanction Of tho people for whom II WAS
made These are sneers, which add nothing
70 tho foreo Of the argument. IN Blind 80
b 10 the present state OF our relations with for
elgn nations, who have q prodieiously large
commercial investment In Us and who must
thefetore be expected 30 feel lively interest In
Our conduct Of affairs, 1t would be the part Of
wisdom, and ought to be the religions duty Of
our statesmen, to observe the strlctest rules OF
formal politeness and Diplomatic point In ali
their Official interchange. II 10 undigniAed
and miaehieyous 10 indulge our spleen In con.
nection with grave social and national events,
even IL our opponents give the provocation.---
Thus, when 10 said, In apology for the Secreta.
~, that the arrogance OF the dispatch to which
ne replied was sore temptation, we admit that
IL was, to q journalist or a rhetorician. vboss
function calls him often TO use sharp, or smart,
or sarcastic turns; but q Minister of State has
other duties, and 10 bound by other proprieties
He represents the good or i'll, the veal or woe,
OF millions upon millions Of human beings, and
must study words even as he does truths. "Be-
hold how great q fame" says the Scripture,
"a little fire kindethp When we consider,
then, how little word, inadvertently slippe6
into controversy, may excite prejudices and
passions; how, indeed, great nations have been
seta variance by single unguarded expires.
sion, the importance of the most scrupulous
caution becomes evident. We would not have
our diplomatists mean-spirited and trucking;
they should speak the honest truth plainly at
all times, but they should speak with digni-
fed selt-respect and courtesy. Let them be
strong in the thing, but gentle in the method,
according 10 the old adage, which embodes the
principle of all successful diplomacy. !. ms
AT this time we can scarcely afford to provoke
any unnecessary hostility or ill.feeling. We
have great civil war on hand, and will need
all our energies and all our resources for iie
suppression. Nothing would please the rebela
more than to see US undertake 10 fieht the
world while we are fighting them. They who
urge us into foreign complications are their in
struments. IL Ia perceived that the cause Of
the rebellion Ia hopeless If left to struggle with
the loyal power, and that q foreign war is the
only ioophole Of escape. We do not believe
such a war probable, but the Government
should none the less abstain from every phrase
even which may render it prObable.-N Y.