Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-12-14

~ ""Au anu OuF tOrelRn HeIas
tiOns.
The Instructions of Mr.. Secretary seward m
Mr.. Dayton, given in June last and now frat
published, throw come light on the peculiar
course which the Secretary has pursued toward
foreign powers. From this it appears that
England and France, having at first agreed to
act together on the subject of American affairs,
res2lVed to recognize the Southern States as
belltgerente, and directed their representa- tives
at Washington to communicate this intention
to the American Government, Mr.. Seward
acting as the medium Of communication on he.
halt OF our Government, assumed the position
that no communication could be received which
went upon the principle of recognizing the ex
istence OF any two powers of any kind within
the limits OF the United States of America -
he, therefore, having learned the contents OF
the proposed dispatch, declined TO receive It.
and Immediately Instructed the Ministers at
Paris and London accordingly.
Mr.. Seward appears in this matter to have
regarded the proposed communication as often.
aive' and 1t seems very probable that he has
ever since been acting on the theory that, the
British and French Governments had insultei
us, and that the insult was not yet withdrawn,
or apologized for. This perhaps explains the
tone OF his later foreign dispatches, and his in
tercourse with Lord Lyons We are bv nc
means prepared to believe with him that the
recognition Of the Southern States as belliger.
ents was necessarily an offense to the United
States. Seli-protection and self-interest fre-
quently justify nations in such recognitions II
would be as idle for England to ignore the ex-
istence OF war IN America, as il Is for us to at
tempt to convince ourselves that it il not a
war.
II Ireland were wholly in possession of the re-
volted Irish, We might and doubtless should
recognize the fact as an important one In the
geography of the, world, and while we did not
receive ambassadors we would probably, for
the protection Of our own commerce, consider
the vevolutionists as power, even If that DOW
or should last but g month or year We be-
lieve that the course taken by England and
France in this case was the best course for
American interests, and we think 1t has 80
proved. ai1r .ul '.re.r :. N
But the most remarkable portion of Mr.. Sew
ards Instructions to Mr.. DAYTON is that In which
wes for the first time officially, learn that the
MAJ cy doctrine on privateers was abandoned BY
the administration as soon as 1t came into DOW
er, and that Mr.. Seward instructed our foreign
ministers to accept the proposal to abolish pri
watering without conditions! Rumors of this
important fact circulated some time ago, but
had no decided foundation so far as could be as
certained. We note the present disclosure with
surprise and alarm. On what grounds the Sec
retary Of State has placed this abandon ment of
principle which so lately elected the applause
OF the nation, we are not informed Under
present circumstances, the people will not rest
satisfied with this sacrifice, unless excellent
reasons be forthcoming. In the event of a
war with Eogland or France occurring now,
the treaty which would make our priya.
teers pirates would be regarded as q trea-
ty to fight with our right hands bound
behind our backs. II seems that we have
escaped such treaty only because the French
ministry insisted that If adopted it should
not apply to privateers of the Southern Confed-
eracy. The reasons for this were that the
French were unwilling to conclude q treaty with
the United States, of which the United States
should demand an application to the Southern
States, whom France was about to recognize as
belligerent. In other words, the French na-
tion would not make treaty during our war, in
which we claimed to be masters Of the South,
recognizing US as such mastels; for II the re-
bellion should be successful, the treaty would
not apply to the Southern Confederacy, and
must be made over again with the new power.
France seemed to have an idea that new mar.
itme nation was possibly in the process of birth,
land might be living child; and preferred
suoEeiVre w WhtS tuo event. Dy Jnle means
| only we are saved the sacrifice which Mr. Sew
ard proposed to mAke.1
Isit possible that Mr.. Seward expected to
entrap the willy diplomAtists of Europe2 And
is IL also possible that, having offered to lay at
their feet the old and priced weapons of defense,
on which American commerce has 90 long and
90 firmly relied, he Is angry at finding his gift
disdained? We but utter the voice Of the en-
tire American people engaged in commercial
pursuits, when we say that Mr.. Marcy's plan
not to give up privateering till Europe would
give up war against private commerce, was
sound, strong and should never have been aban
doned BY an American Secretary OF State
Joar. fCont 6E SO H ts,