Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-04-03
An English Protest against Southern
Recognition.
From the London News, March III

| i.e elFrom the London News, March r.
Mr. Gregory has given notice that on an
| early day be will call the attention of her
| Majesty's Government to the expediency of
prompt recognition of the Southern Confed-
eracy of America. There is no occasion for
Mr. Gregory or any one else to be anxious to
| get our Government to acknowledge the So
called Southern Confed racy of American
| States. The practice of the British Govern
ment in such cases is firmly established and
| well understood, viz: to recognise all de fdcto
Governments, irrespective of opinion, origin,
| or any circumstance but the fact of being the
| actually established ruling power. If ever
| aud whenever that happens with the South
ern States, which now profess to be COnfed-
eracy, there can be no doubt about their be-
ing recognised by all the European Powers;
and by England, with the utmost certainty
and d;stinctuess. But the case has not yet
reached this stage; and it is very far from
reaching it. The secession leaders who have
assumed office do not pretend to be more
than provisional body; no appeal has been
made to the people of their States; none of
the constitutional conditions of republican
organization have as yet been complied with;
and none of the antecedents which were
specified by the founders of the republic as
jusLifying rebellion have occurred. The mo-
yers in the case have begged the question in
regard to the right of secession; and there
has as yet been no opportunity of reply on
the other side. The whole matter remains
for treatment; and, in the most democratic
country in the world. the great body of the
people has been silent during whole winter
of crisis, from actual want of opportunity to
declare their opinion and will. There can be
no recognition from without of any new claims
put forth in such an interval; and the Amer
lean nation has a right to expect from its
foreign allies patience to wait till the people
have spoken and taken their course OF &C
ton. -..s.r
The inauguration address of the Provision
al President of the South was intended to
produce just such an effect as it seems
to have produced on Mr.. Gregory's mind.-
This audacious parody on the Declaration of
Independence might, it was evidently
thought, catch the ear of Americans, to whom
that Declaration is as familiar as the Lords
Prayer; and it might entrap the Imagination
of foreigners who might not have paid sufh-
cient attention to the course of American af-
fairs to detect its inapplicability. One does
not look for extreme accuracy or for any i'm
Partially in Political manifestoes issued by
revolutionary officials, on their first attempt
to rule the people they have raised; but it
may be doubted whether in any European
conflict within this revolutionary century any
document has appeared more impudently
false than Mr.. Jefferson Davis Address. 1t is
so incredibleIthat he and any bearers qualified
for political action Gamble self-deceived to such
point as to believe what he was saying,
that we can only suppose the object to be to
lead the ignorant people about them by the
sound of familiar and venerated words trust
ing to their inability to perceive the baseless-
ness of the thoughts. If the poor.white of the
Southern section, who constitute nearly three
fourths of the white population, can really be
led by such an address as this to fancy them
selves resisting oppression and establishing
free government under the special blessings
of heaven, in imitation of the fathers of nine.
ty years ago, they are indeed fit only for such
subsection to oligarchical government as has
long been, and still will be, required of
them. " t-t[E --
In citing the familiar and venerable state
ment of the Declaration of Independence, as
to the causes which justify rebellion, and the
principles on which the resulting policy
should be framed and organized, Mr.. Jeffer-
son Davis pronounced the most crushing con-
demnation of his own case, in terms of the
keenest irony. The staunchest Republican
of the North might have taken up the same
parable as the aptest speech he could make.
The Philadelphia patriots exhibited the
long course of oppression the colonies had
endured before they lost patience, and the |
actual extremities of injury they underwent |
before they raised hostile flag. In the pre- |
sent case the Southern party has enjoyed |
thirty years possession of the Federal Gov |
years of domination over |
the whole UniOn-during which they have |
altered the laws, undermined the COnstitu- |
ton, carved out territory, restricted liberty |
and created license, for their own sectional |
objects and interests. So much for the long |
which has driven them to resis-.
lance. And what outrage reused the reiuc- |
tant men of peace at last? What was the |
Stamp Act of the present occasion? 1t was |
the loss of an election, constitutional cleo
ton, conducted in a regular and orderly |
Way