New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-09-26


known here For our statements OF its deficiencies
reaching Europe by the same organs that lately
stated our assuredly overwhelming superiority In
every respect, gain limited credence. Luckily for
the South so far az European opinion lie concerned,
its newspapers are unknown here, and its easy mail
communication with Europe cut of. II conse-
quently enjoys the no small advantage with the
vulgar public of the " os'ae ignotum pro miryieo.
Again, oppressed, depressed, constantly threatened
with suppression as French journalism Is by the
organic law on the press the influence of the press
in France is stiIl perhaps as great on its reading
public as that of the American press on it's reading
public. This may seem to Englishnen and to
Americans a rash proposition; If time, space, ana
occasion served would make bold to support II.
Enough TO say for the moment, that Objectionable
as on many important accounts it may be, the OBJ
legation of signing every editorial article with the
name of its author, does assure aud secure
certain personal dignity and responsibility in which
irresponsible newspaper writers both English ana
American are wanting. Aud such weight OF au-
thorty as comes from that quality of the editorials
passes over to and is counted in the general in
huence of the journal. pass intermediate links IN
the argument, asking of the intelligence and con-
ideDce of the reader to jump with Inc tothe eoncln-
sion, that any statement 0ffact or OpnDn printed
in French newspaper does on that account bear
more authority with il to French readers, than 1t
can on that account bear to English OF American
readers of an English or American newspaper. (for
the rest, and in passing qualification none oil the
readers of The TRIBUNE who has vast
ed weekly half.hour for the past ten years in
perusing your Paris correspondents letters, VIII
charge their author with eItrayagant latdation OF
the Paris press
The editorial American specialist Of the Opinion
Rationale is a French gentleman, familiar by seven
years experience in loco, North and South, with
American men and things. The American specialist
of La Prose- is Mr.. Gaillardet. for long resident
in the United States, and sometime editor OF the
Courier des Eats Unis, published III New-fork
an ADLER paper under his than with It's present
management. TheAmeriean specialization lie Rays,
transferred some while since by change OF editor
ship, TO La Pdtrie, were partisans OF he Z. .. a.
the ablest of them, NJ. Pecquet du Belet, being
Louisianian. Editorial writers on American
affairs in other Partisan journals are, so far as
know, housekeeping Frencbmen, invariably intelll-
gent and all originally prejudiced In fa'0r OF the
Nortb--bnt some of them not better informed In
respect of American affairs than some American
editors are informed respecting French Gfairs. The
Opinion NaiiOHais has recently published three or
four remarkably able aud impartial letters from an
American correspondent, who is rightly or wrongly,
supposed To be in the suite of Prince Napoleon.
Apart from these doubt the American origin OF the
American correspondence" OF Paris newspapers.
II, as well al all American news, is made up
after the arrival of the American mall chiefly from
the ready-made French of the New-foik Courier
des Etdts URis. II it is not, then we must give up
all the established simplest rules hitherto IN use for
the detection Of plagiarism. Compare, as i have
compared, your this weeks files Of Paris journals
with your last months file Of the Courier in proof.
Is il strange, then that patent facts, the reports
of our own Northern press, and of the French New
York Secessionist journal, should tend to turn
French public opinion in favor of the vigorously
acting newspapershly discreet and silent South
This is not all. The French are a Hngularly logical
people, mean singularly fond OF logic-aDd con-
seqnenly Ike and appreciate clear definitions of
position. The position OF the South, on base Of
Slavery and self-deiense, against all corners and war
as war, ia clear The position Of the North,
a.sradde Of Slavery and IT'S defense, is not clear
And through the murk, Frenchmen of ordinary dis
,a-nment, who three months ago were with us heart
and SOIL because they did not then doubt that ours
was n struggle Of Freedom against Slavery now
getting 90 think they thst this is but the acc
dental element in lie quarrel, ~nd that The roai
struggle is essentially political and politica-econom.
zeal one Politically, they have no rational cause Of
preference for the North over the South; polItico-
economically, their natural preference is for the
free.trading South whose value as customer OF
French silks and cloth and wines they somewhat
oyerraie over the North with lie protective or rev.
enue tariff
Again: Anglo Americans visiting or residing in
Paris. coming and resting here, whether for their
pIessant convenience or for mercantile advantage,
or for diplomatic service, have hardly any relations
with or influence upon French society. For the
must part they cannot speak French ntelhgbly,
and forepather mainly with their own countIymen
and women--or worse. On the contrary LOuisi-
anian Creole French abound here; they keep up
IL ala
tiops in society to which they are freely welcomed
in many other cases--where they tell their own
story in their own way. The prevalence here Of the
notion that the overwhelming majority of the popu-
lation of the G.. s. A. is of French and Spanish
chiefly of FTeDch-oTlgin is rather surprising TO
nglo-American tolerably familiar with the geo.
grapby and ethnolOgy OF the United States. But
his surprise does not change the fact, nor in the
slightest degree affect the prevalence of the persua-
sion and the significance of its influence. Once
again: the Southern Commissioners are active,
bold and resOute, working in all ways, with ready
helpers, 10 effect their ends. What they think and
soy in English they get translated aud printed in
French. Their pOlitico-ecOnomica arguments--to
mention no Other-bOwever feeble they may seem TO
u.s. have their effect here-all the more that we
have no equally busy advocates to counterfeit it by
opposing argument.
In the above brief and extremely imperfect survey
of some Of the causes Of the change of drift in
French public opinion, have tried to confne my
self strictly within the limits of facts but have not
gone over nearly all the ground within those limits.
/ might enter upon the debatabe ground of opinion,
aud yet keep far this side of the closed land of idle
conjecture, if should say that a frank declaration
of Emancipation Of Tie Stare uttered by our Gov
ernment, would change the wavering and returning
current Of French sympathy into resistess tide in
our favor; and if should say that the Southern
leaders, in bold desperation or high intelligence, de-
carDg in advance Of us Emancipation of the Slaves,
would carry with them the full sympathy Of France
and England, am sure that should say the truth.