Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-28
from the New York Herald, September al
The Attitude of the British Govern-


from the New York Herald September al
The Attitude of the British Govern.
ment towards. the United States.
The intelligence larely received that abe
British army in Canada il to he reinforced
during toe present month BY q. 500 men il.
If reliabls. and When viewed in cSnnee,ion
with tbs present. state of affairs, both signiti-
caut'snd pnrtentous. We make this qIalifi
caiion because we have been unable I'd find
any statement in our Elgiisb files curr"bpra-
tive Of the report telpgraphed from Cape
Il are. circumstance. however. which of it,
seif does moi dispr"ve the truth of the latt r
We, therefore. frame our argument accord
ingiy. II it were an isolated act. and this
country instead of bling involved IN vital
struggle f"r it, own u1tloII existence. W AZ
at peace, W. shOuid regard the increase OF the
British forces beyond the border only in
tend ID for the additional protection of British
territory. die ated by policy we should lit
tie care to investigate. But when for some
mouths past the course Ol Eagiand towards
this country has been suc1 a. TO excite our
seriOn- sppreh,asiOns Of a violent rupture at
no distant d tte-wnen We s-e fOrtlhcatlonS
that were always i'll good rep ,ir being brought
up to A pitch oi unusual strength and efn-
cheney, and a powerful q ct of line of battle
ships and gunboats added to the usual North
American squadron, We naturally attach
more tnan ordinary Importance 10 an event
like tine present, aud the more ESPECIALLY "a
II follows close upon similar reinforcement.
which was OF sufficient extent at that time 10
arouse strong suspicion on this side OF the
Atlantic of the motive which induced 1t.
Moreover, the language employed by Brit
ish statesmen has mere than once betrayed
OPT Mons not at all reconcilable with a friend
ly feeling towards this country, and we have
seen letter from Lord John Russell relating
to the annexation of San Domingo, which
clearly shows that he his since the outbreak
of the rebellion looked upon it a. certain to
be successful. Ii speaks OF the Northern and
Sou bern Considerations of North America as
fixed facts, and alludes to the probability OF
their for ming an alliance at some future time
for the purpose OF resenting the aggressive
interference of Spain in the New World. Such
references o the independent national exist
ence of the rebelliouS States are both uacall-
ed for and offensive But they servs very
we'll to enlighten us upon the subject of Off
cial views in England, from which We may
infer the policy OF a government always jeal-
ons of our greatness, and the example we
afforded of the success OF republicanlsm, and
as cons auence by no means syerse to our
overthrow
To confirm us in the belief that this move
ment is precursive of hostilities towards the
United States we learn that the London
Tins, while calling upon the English Gov
erument to develop the cultivation of cotton
in India, says it will waive all scruples when
the prosperity of the country and the exist
ence of millions are at stake. This means,
We presume that the British Government
will have no hesitation in breaking our block
ade in order to get cotton whenever the de-
maud for that commodity in Lancashire be-
comes sufficiently pressing. 1t may be thought
that this can be done with something like
impunty when the Can garriSons are
OF
that country by Americans; but no more ia
tai mistake could prompt an evil action. and
no greater disaster could occur to Englan
than a war with this Republic. Whatever
may be the intention of the British Govern
ment however, the United States is prepared
for the worst. Our forts and harbOr defences
generally are being increased and put in the
best working order, besides undergoing all
the improvements which modern science can
suggest while thos we have captured from
the Rebels are about 10 be armed with rifed
cannon, and made as impregnable as possible.
Meanwhile our army and navy are daily re-
cPiving accessiOns and becoming more for
midable in their strength. We have thus ev-
cry reason to oe confident of our power to
prevent Great Britain successfully carrying
into execution those plans which her dubious
policy does not fail to indicate, and to which
the absence of scruples in the management
of her International affairs would oppose no
obstacle.
As a reason for the despatch of SD large a
force to Canada. 1t may be alleged by the
British government that 1t was In consequence
of an apprehension that an attempt might be
made at the annexation of Cindda To the
United States, and a simple measure of
safety during the war In this country But
no such explanation will be accepted by the
people of the United States or those in Eng
land who are coguiZint of the real object the
government have in vieW-the idea of our
invading Canada without the provOcatiOn of
a war with Eugla being absurd. We say
this because we have no doubt the govern
ment will be asked for an explanation of a
proceeding, which Judging by the Parliamen-
tary aud press remarks upon the original en-
forcement, is certain to provoke strong oppO-
sition in England aud may not unlikely lead
to charge of administration. The sgnit-
canoe OF the act of sending such a large body
of troops TO swell the already unusually large
military force in Canada, is increased by
simultaneous change in the GOvernorship in
the Colony. Sir Edmund Head is to be su-
perseded by Lord Monck, an Irish peer. who
will doubtless act upon special instructions
and be the willing instrument OF the present
ministry.
IL will be fortunate for England if the alb
sence of SO large a portion of her naval and
military strength in these waters does not
open a convenient opportuny Tor Louis Ma
poleon to carry into execution some of his
favorIte European PROJECTS, OF which the an
nexation of the Island OF Sardinia is among
the least And it will be well, in any case.
for her to profit by our warning advice, that
breaking the blockade maintained by the
United States Government would be the pre-
lude TO the most disastrous chapter in her
history. Her shipping would be swept from
the sea; ten millions vi her psople-the num-
Der dependent upon the American trade
would oe reduced to destitution; starvation
aud riot would reign in Lancashire, and the
very throne itself, undermined by the Puri-
tan party, would be imperilled. Meanwhile
the United States, fig Iting in good cau-e
and with vastly superior resources TO those
OF England, would be comparatively little
affected, and at lenghth emerge victorious.
But, for the sake of humanity and civiiza-
tion. it is 10 be hoped, however omInous may
be the signs of the times. that such war
will never darken the century in which We
live.