Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-11
Mr.. Stewards Instructions 10 Lincoln'G
Minister at Paris


War TO the knife-war if ne essary pushed to
absolute determination, to the destruction of cIes
the desolation of provinces the letting loose OF mil
lions of negroes on their proprietors-these words
furnish brief abstract of the resolution at which
the people and government of the United States
appear to have arrived. Respective lenity Is rele-
gated to Heaven, and government and people alike
breathe the language Of massacre and destruction
No potenate against whose sway the ancest al vas
sails of his house, who followed his torefathers To
the Crusades have risen in armed revolt. can feel
more acutely the outrage TO his sovereign rights
than the imperious democracy OF America, founded
on the declaration that all free and equal,
and that every man has right to seek his well
being and happiness under whatever government he
pleases. The term secession is objected to- though,
after ALL il ia probably the suitable TO describe
| the action of Sunderland or portion of fed
Grafton Withdrawing itself from the remainder;
because secession" ike federation, expresses ab-
sosae e0Qlu and correlation of rights achich IN RSr
present mood the Northern States are no. prepared TO
concede. The spirit of George Ill. seems to have
e Itered into the descendants of his rvvoted sub
jects. Before / will hear" writes George III
IN 1879. ''of any mans readiness to come into Of
fee, will expect to see it signed under his own
hand that he is determined to keep the empire
entire, and that no troops shall consequently
be withdrawn from America, nor independence ev
err allowed "The thought OF dissolution of
the Union peaceably or BY force, writes Mr. Seward
to Mr. Dayton, has never entered into the mind of
any candid statesman here and it is high time that
il be dismissed by statesmen ID Europe" We pro-
fess that we think the language of the king the
more moderate and reasonable of the two, for
George LII only refused to admit to his c0unsels
any one who would not sign declaration against
that independence which he was forced 10 admit
himself three years sfterward, while Mr.. Seward
only refuses TO admit the possibility of that OBJ
ject for which one half of the Union is in arms
against the other, but ISSUES inhibition TO all Euro
pedn statesmen to Gllolo such thought 10 cross their
maids This is indeed high strain of prerogaive,
and one to which none of the Anticipated despotisms
of Europe could for moment aspire. The truth
is American statesm do at last know their minds.
After six months of the most pitIable vacilstion
and uncertainty they have last heard the voice to
which they pay implicit obedience. State after
State went on seeding. senator after senator took
long farewell of the capitol, a government was
formed q constitution drawn up, President elec-
ted the arsenals of the United States were seized
and bait res thrown up for the attack of Fort
Sumpter and Pickens. yet the people OF the North
made sign they went about their business as US
ua and let the Southern States do exactly as thew
plea cd As long as this lasted the Cover nment of
Mr.. Lincoln had really no policy-at least
to which it dared to give any practical effect
But the cannon which signed the defe nders of Fo-t
Sumpter awoke the people of the North from
their lethargy. Itsoon became evident that they
were not prepared topermit the secession of the
South without struggle. The will of denocra-
cy as unused to and as impatient of contradiction
as any eastern monarch, was distinctly expressed
From that moment Mr.. Seward and his fellows be-
came the most resolute and decided of men. They
breathed nothing but and slaughter. and oec,l-
pied themselves, after uneasy slumber of six
weeks. with the most vigorous preparations for a
campaign in Maryland and Virginia. Ia all this
there is nothing to complain of. The voice of the
American people is the voice of the American Con
stituton, and have right severely to criticise
men who have shown themselves ready to give ef-
feet to the popular will as they have dis
covered what that popular will is.
But we do think that his own experience might
teach Mr. Seward little more charity and tolera-
ton for the doubts and difficulties of European
statesmen. Let him remember MS own uncertain
ties till within the last two or three weeks, let
HIM altogether forget that if we have not the same
confidence that he has, neither have we the advan-
tage of the same unerring Mentor to guide US. The
voice of the American people is, after all, only the
voice of local divinity, npse. ordces do not pass
current on his side of the atlantic Mr. ttodrdmoy
beleve and trebe; are are not disposed either to do
the one OF the other.
We have had no occasion TO point out the utter
inadeqnacy and even the ignorance of the real ma
ture of the quarrel, which characterized Mr.. Sew
ards proposition for Cancellation, and we have re-
marx d how precious time has been allowed to steal
by, the loss of which can never be compensated by
efforts of the most spasmodic energy. We must en-
tirey decline recognize in Mr.. Seward that gifted
.eer to whom the future is the present, and who
has the power OF informing not only Of the events
of civil war between the two conf deracles which
ment of direct impact hut who can tell US, in Ian |
guage ilSaed to the present condition Of his country
that in America there viii be only one nation and
one government. the same republic and the same |
constitutional Union that have ALREADY survived a |
dozen national changes, and changes Of government |
in almost every other country.
This is the message which. through Mr. Dayton, |
the American Secretary of State sends to the govern
ment of France-d message If not of d.tidnce ce
tdinly one tchich sounds Uery Ike an insult What |
good purpose can be served by reproaching France /
with long and tragical history Of her revolution
at the moment when America is about 10 plunge in
to civil war without one of the excuses which |
lend so thrilling an interest to the catastrophes of |
Lyons Toulon. and La Yendee. There is no Duke
of Brunswick on the frontier; there is Coblentz;
there is no Pretender to the Crown-none Of those
things which make men cruel by appealing tD their
fears. At any rate, we have undergone violent /
change since the Declaration of Independence, and
have therefore. on Mr. Stewards principle, right
to give an opinion on the subject on which he pro
noure es so dogmatically. The opinion which we
incline to-though, we, confess. With the very
greatest regret = is. that whatever be the re-
suit Of the civil war now pending. the result
least likely to occur is the confidently pre-,
dicted by Mr.. Seward. Let us grant that the South