Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-05-16
Yelmont Ghrnmitle,
France and the Southern Confeder-
acy.


W, find in the Philadelphia Press an ar
,ticlc on the Southern Confedcracy, from the
Opinion Rationale, journal generally held
to reflect the opinions Of the French Govern
ment. 1t does not hold out much encour-
agement to the Southern Commissioners
who have gone abroad to secure an acknowl-
edgment of Southern Independence. Be-.
fore discussing the commercial advantages
offered by the Southern Confcderacy, the
Opinion Nationae says France should in
.auire by what title the ''slavtcs' can claim
their independence as a nation. ltisargued
that nothing can be rightlully done by France,
by way of such recognition, till the indepen-
dcnce of the seeding States has been ac-
knowledged by the majority Of the United
States
To comply with the demand from the
South, it is said, would be dangerous as a
precedent, ''for it would be giving encour-
agement to rebellious and dscontented mi
norities benccforward to oconsder themselves
rs holding the right to free themselves with
violence-establishe by majorites. The
same journal gives further expression to
French feelings and views, in a very decided
manner, as may be seen from the following
quotations:
''The Confederate States are not merely
in the situation of II factious minority-they
are themselves oppressors; they withdraw
from the Union because the North has libcr-
al tendencies, and endeavors to constitute a
nation of equals, while they desire republic
composed of masters and slaves, of the priv
ieged and the pariah, the executioner and
the victim.
'Impelled by strange and fatal blindness,
the Confederate States prohibit the enfran-
chisement of negroes, just at the time that
Russia proclaims emancipation to her serfs.
They will not even allow the manumission OF
slave who had saved his masters life
They ordain that every free negro, if he be a
stranger, who enters their territory, shall be
sold as a slave, no matter what his pretext
may be: :. ;.
regarding all considerations of international
treaties, issued two writs against M. de Me.
Jan, French consul at New Orleans, because
be had received in his inviolable domicie
and sheltered from ill-treatment, French
sailor, who had the misfortune to be negro
AN article of the Constitution, adoptej
by the Southern Congress, prohibits thu
slave trade; but the ancient federal law
prohibited it as well, under pain Of death
and yet it was carried on upon a large scale
"a society has existed for some years il
the South, known by the name ofthe 'Afri
can Labor Supply Association, ofwhich NJ
de Bow is president, and it embraces sever
al of the members Of the government o
Montgomery, and most of the members @
the new Congress The True South,on, Q
Yicksburg, (Nlississippi) published 18th @
June, 1856, the statutes of this society
founded with the avowed intention of en-
conraging the importation of negroes fror
Africa.
'Mr. Jefferson Davis, president of tn
Southern Confederation, has always show
himself favorable to the establishment
the slave-trade; and the Vice President, Nj
A. H. Stephens, said, recently, in meetin
held in Augusta, Georgia: J For the In
ten years have constantly said that it
necessary to increase the number of slav
States; but to colonize tho new territories
we must have new importations Of Africa
"These States, whose past is 80 deplori
BILE, and whose present position is so false
now come to implore the moral support {
England and France. They forget thu
France and England have imposed enormor
sacrifices upon themselves, in order to abo
ish slavery in their possessions beyond I'll
sea. They forget that England claims to
the most liberal nation on the globe, an
that France bestOws her blood and treasu
to aid tho oppressed peoples in recoverr
their liberty,
1T is known that the liberal powers
Europe preserve friendly relations with &C
tain countries, although slavery is still q
forced therein, as was the case with Il
United States and is the case with Brazi
but factious and retrograde minority wi
bring disorder ihtoa country in the name
slavery, can have no title, when it Great
itself into an independent nation, to the G
TEEN or sympathy Of q free people.
"Depots for sduages imported from Afri
are established in more than twenty of Il
large Southern cities, where the initial,
trade, in one word, was not more prospero,
when it was legally organized. In the Ia
four years at least two hundred slavers ha,
arrived in the United States, principally
the eharbors of Florida. Surprising that eac
vessel contained, with deduction for loss
death in the voyage, $50 blacks, the increa
Of the slave population, by importation fro
the African coast, during the Presidency
Mr.. Buchanan, has been about 10000.
'Will the three commissioners sent
France and England by the Government
Montgomery deny that tho slave trade h
always been in request in the Contedorat,
States, Notwithstanding the federal laws pr
hibiting il? Will they deny that all the 0
pedtions of the fillibusters have been orga
lied in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabam
Will they deny that several ofthe Confedt
ated States have repudiated their debts I?
yN.il tta,, Jac,, hat tha, hay tr.,, lad n
compelled the French consul to appear
fore simple Recorder of New Orleans ?
Finally, will they deny that their sole ail
in separating from the Union, is to riv'
more strongly and forever, the chains up
our millions Of unfortunates."