The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-18
4 Historical Parallel.

In one respect there is perfect analogy be-
tween the advance OF the Federal army into
the fevolted States and that of BOnaparte
into Russia-We mean the terrible seruils al
lance in each case offered Says Hazlett, in
his Life of Napoleon - ''One great fear of
the Russians was that their slaves would rise
up and throw OFF their bondage; and il was
therefore, an object TO prevent their having
any comm unicntion with the French They
made use Of the most improbable and disgust
ing fables to excite their terror and hatred
and or their ignorance and degradation to
perpetuate that ignorance and degradation. -
''1hose serfs, i" rs Moutholon says, "who iu-
habited the little towns, We're well disposed
TO head IN insufrection against the nObiesse-
This was the reason why the Russians re-
solved to set fire to all the towns the route
of the army
Such is the perfectly analogous situation in
the two cases. We believe that our true poll
cy is precisely that which commended itself to
the greatest practical publicist of his age
Bonaparte refused to avail himself of the
disposition of the serfs to rise against their
masters. And why? For precisely the iden
teal reasons thai force themselves upon u.s.
1.-The serfs,' said he, care unfit to be trusted
with the liberty they desire. II encourage
the subjects of the Gar to rise against him,
cannot hope that he will ever again become
my friend" He subsequently made use OF
this language to the Senate of France by
proclaiming the ncjpation of the slaves
l could have armed the greater portion of the
Russian population against himself. In sew
erai villages this Acknowledgement was de-
manded of me. But the war l made upon
Russia was political and, besides, the bEu-
taiity OF this numerous class of the Russian
people is such that this measure wou Ill de :
vote many families to the most horrid bar
baIities.
Well, we are engaged in just such q politi-
cal war; In spite of our own will, against an
adversary that has been, and whom 1t is OF
great consequence should again be, our
"Iriend." In neither ease was sHt.jugation the
purpose, but simply the restoration of affairs
TO the STATUS qn0 ante 1eithm. That being the
object OF 5onaparte, us he himself declared
he did not doubt that his true policy was to
prevent his political war" from being the
occasion of social and servile war. He held
to his policy 10 the last, even up to the time
he left Moscow. AS is said by Sir Robert
Wilson, an English writer, who was present
during the most of the campaign: "There is
no question that civil war could have been
who rejected the offers of insurreetion which
We're made TO him dnring the time he was In
Moscow
Now, ii Bonaparte was iIapellsd by the i'm
portanee of not permanently alternating the
Czar, and also by considerations Of human
ity, TO avoid all Indictment TO seryile war, the
same policy is most assuredly incumbent upon
us. The recovered friendship of the Gear was
necessary to him simply that an external
ally might be won but the regained friend
ship OF the Southern people is necessary to
US that our Internal oneness may be saved
The humane Inducements in his case referred
only to distant foreigners, of alien blood,
strange religion, and barbaroas language;
In our case they refer to our own kith and
kin, speakers OF this same mother tongne.
worshippers at the same altar, and fellow
citizens under the same free rnie. The rea-
sons which pressed SO powerfully upon the
great French Emperor prsss With far more
5orce upou ~. - =