New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-03-25
LETTER FROM LONDON,
Special to the New Orleans orssesnt.1

| Mr.. Edttor-There was quite a long and interest
| ing debate had in the House of Commons ON the
9th, yesterday on the African slave trade. in
| which some things were said respecting the Gov
| eminent at Washington, which will admit of con.
tradicion. To these it is not worth while to refer
| But in the course of a speech by Mr.. Buxton
| well-known Abotionst, the following very signi-
| fcant words were uttered: " He looked to them
| the British Ministry on this OCCASION to adopt q
well considered, as well as a vigorous policy and
| undoubtedly the country would go heartily along
with them in doing whatever requisite to ami
| hate the trade. Now, he presumed, the British
| Government woEd refuse to recognize the flag Of
| the Southern Confederacy, except upon the stpu-
lation that the African slave trade should not be
| revived"
| Upon the latter half of this paragraphs, wish to
| make two observations. 1st. Neither Lord John
Russell nor Lord Pamerston made any reply to this
| portion of the speech They could not prudently
do So for the reason that such recognition of the
| flag of the Southern Confederacy had been re-
| solved upon without reference to this condition.
| I'd. The remonstrance of MFR. Buxton was uttered
with a view to policy of which he was cognizant
T And, argue, if such purpose of recognition had
not been entertained, the remonstrance would have
| been noticed; for it implied Of action on
the part of the Ministry of the greatest national
| concern.
| I think do not err in drawing these differences
| from premises which admit of no other construc-
| ulOn BESIDES, nave Jhe concurrence OF the most
sensible men upon the absolute necessity OF re-
| cognition of the Southern Confederaey. To be
| sure, you must be prepared-and the government
| of your Confederacy must be especially prepared
| for counteractlng influences in American diplo-
macy. Rest assured that two very powerful argu-
ments will be pressed upon the attention of the
| British Ministry to deter them from this course.
The first will be, that they can receive their cotton
through Northern ports and the second, that there
| will be secured to them the trade of the great West
as consumers of their manufactures. To these ar
guments will be added many others of merely
political character, together with the assurance
that the Confederacy will surely be broken up|
either by the superior military power of the North,
| or through its own want of strength and cohesion
among its several parts. Every artifice and every
argument will be resorted to by the incoming ad-
minstraton; which, if its composition be such as
rapprehend it will be, will resort much to ruse
as to open diplomacy to secure its ends.
| 1t is important, therefore, that your action be
prompt and firm. However difficult to accomplish
it, you nletst, at almost any risk, stop the delivery
of cotton through Northern ports. Foreign pow
ers must be compelled to send their ships South.
Il this be not done, they may leave you to be block
AIDED until your commerce is utterly gone and your
cities in rebellion. Perhaps treat this matter too
seriously, Such, however, are my views. What [
have already said in anticipating the course of this
Government, Notwithstanding the contrary opin-
ions OF the press, entte these views to some con-
sideration.
And yet, feel disposed to add, that there are
} still other reasons and influences which will work
in your favor. admit that the people of England
that is the more intelligent middle classesas well
as the press, do behold with sincere and undissem
bled regret the approaching dissolution Of the
| American Union, and the dissipation of its powe,
and prestige in Europe. But rest assured that the
court, the ministry the nobility and arstocracy dc
not by any means sympathise with this feeling
They cannot do so, in the nature of things. No
only do the free institutions Of the country re6ec
unfavorab1y upon the monarchica system, and 81
tend to create discomfort in the working classes
but America has become the great rival of England
,i,1 n,,1
turing power; and however much politicians may
dream of union of their forces upon any emer
gency of danger to England, the governments Of
both countries know too well that such unior
would be impractiCable, and that it can never be
seriously thought of for u moment. The growth Of
America has done more to depreciate England ii
the eyes of the world than you can well be aware
of; and the Government feel it. 1t has withdrawn
admiration from her power, industry, enterprise
J energy, to fix it upon you. You were becoming
the greater nation, not without loss to her. II
then, such be the case, and | assure you my opin
ions are those Of calm and dlspassonate observer
you may have much to hope, well from tn,
pride, the jealousy of England, as from her inter
ests.
| Now it is not an impossible thing, might say
, is not altogether an improbable thing, that tn
North may involve itself in with this country
through the complications, of this secession move
: ment. Certainly England will use q more poremp
0 tory tone than formerly, and the North will
il more ready to resent it, in their negotiations wit
each other, should the South succeed in establish
$ ing a permanent government England has bu
little respect for weak States, and will always cor
tinue to pick quarrel with them when it is to he
d interest to do The Republican leaders at TIL
r North are not far-seeing men; nor, in any sense
t wise men. If they had been they never woul
= have provoked q revolution upon the grounds the
i did They are just the men, under some fancie
insult or wrong, to plunge into foreign Sup
e pose such an event to occur; with hostile South
I ern border and England and Canada on the Eas
and North; what is to become of California? | will
: not speak of Oregon but what is to become o
, California? IF she have not already seeded ant
erected an Independent government and entered
into treaty with England she will surely be annex
ed to the British crown. Nothing can save her!
} Remember that England had turned her eyer
toward that part of tho American Continent long
before your war with Mexico and of course, longe
still before the discovery of her mineral treasures
and that it was the great object of her Statesmen
to secure the magnificent bay of San Francisco 70
her navy, and to establish colony in that fertile
, region. To this end, the Ministry here had gon'
SO far as to propose to assume the debt of Mexico
to English subjects and, il need be, add aonceu
of considerable weight to the bargain. You
Southern statesmen were aware of this and NJ
! gree to precipitate the movement on the Ri
Grande under Gen. Taylor.
Goa you suppose that England is less dcsirou
now than she was then to secure California? Th
H. question of the island of San Juan is still unsettled
and very little buster on the part of John Bull
might precipitate quarrel with Brother Jonathan
that would bring the whole Of Oregon and Wash
lnELOn territory Wltnln lHe JURISDICTION OF the Coy
cpnor of British Columbia. And then, to seiz
California, ships and men would soon be forth
coming. And what glorious colonial possessio
would that be, with its mines and agricultural Pre-
f auctions, and its immense bay Of San Francisco
/ 1t would make England undsputed mistress Of til
Pacific Ocean, and bring its islands, their popula
} ton and wealth to augment its revenue an
3 strengthen its empire.
- As to the ability of the Northern States to pre-
vent such misfortune, it is idle to speak. To dc
= fend their ports and cities on the sea.board
9 on the North and the South would require all, am
a more than ell thor resources Of men and money
And then what would become of their trade IN,
domestic industry in the meantime?
conceive, therefore, that ut this iuncturc, it i
not merely the interest, but as well the duty, 0
California; to take her condition, IN reference Il
: these GvHutuatGs, into the most serious Gonsidera
ton What has she to expect in the way Of assist
ance from the Northern States? The proecte
railroad can never BIO made under present AUSPICES
and she will be pushed, ii not geographically the
f effectively Ms to meAns of communication, sti
4 father from the East. Should your Southern Cor
} icderacy be able to command the Gulf of Mexico
| what is to be her route Of travel? How IS she t
receive her merchandise remit her products
save by Cape Horn? But, let her dcclars her indie
penlcnce, unite with the South, and thus becom
ssparty to its tr9GtieS with foreign Staaes and sh
i will be respected. Her Immense reBcarces will b
a opened to invite the commerce of tia world; ar
she will be able, under better devised COnstsI
:, ton, to bauish her Chinese populaton which is s
1pD liyib ND In Ia