The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1861-12-20
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT

Thih Government considers that our relations
/ n Europe have reached crisis, in which it il
necessary for Il to take decided stand, on
which not only IT. immediate measures, but its
Ultimate and permanent policy, can be deter
mined and defined. at the same time Il neither
| means to menace Great Britain nor to wound
| the susceptibility Of that or any other Euro.
pean nation. That policy is developed in this
paper. ss
After instructing Mr.. Adams on the sub.
ject Of the blockade, etc, Mr.. Seward Gays /:
As to the recognition Of the so-called South.
ern Confederacy. il is not 70 be made q subject
OF technical definition. It is Of ofcourse, direct
recognition 70 publish an acknowledgment
OF the sovereignty and independence Of new
power. It is direct recognition to receive It's
Ambassadors, Ministers. Agents, or Commis.
si0ners officially. A concession Of belligerent
rights is liable to be construed as recognition
of them. No one of these proceedings will
pass unquestioned by the United States in this
case.
Mr.. Adams, in subsequent dispatch,
details his interview with Lord John Russ
sell, remarking that Lord Russell said che
did not himself know what he was to say.
If it was expected of him to give any
pledge of an absolute nature that his Gov
ernment would not at any future time, no
matter what the circumstances might be,
recognize an existing State in America. 1t
was more than he could promise" etc. In
the course of the correspondence Mr.. Sew
ard says:
The British Government can never expect to
induce the United States to acquiesce in her
assumed position of this Government as di-
more than for peace. At the same time, if
| Her Majesty's Government shall continue to
practice absolute forbearance from any inter-
ference in our domestic affairs, we shall not be
| captiOus enough to inquire what name it gives
| to that forbearance, or in what character it
presents itself before the British nation in do
| ing so. We hold ourselves entitled to regard
| the forbearance as an act of a friendly power,
acting unconsciOusly of domestic disturbance
among US of which friendly States can take
no cognizance. On this point our views are
not likely to undergo any change. In main.
| tanning this position, we are sure we do moth
ing derogatOry from the dignity of the British
| Government, while we in1exibly maintain and
preserve the just rights and the honor of the
United States.
The correspondence between the United
States and Great Britain is volumnious. A
few points only are above given in the hur>
ried abstract, ,-other questions besides that
of recognizing the Southern Confederacy
and maritime rights included.
OUR RELATIONS WITH FRANCE.
The correspondence with France is vol
luminous. In letter from Ex-Minister
Faulkner to Secretary Seward, the former,
in detailing his conversation with M. Thou.
yenal, says:
| M. Thouvenal, in his reply, said that no ap.
| plicatiOn had yet been applied to him by the
| Confederate States in any form for the reeog-
milton of their independence that the French
| Government was not in the habit of acting
| hastily upon such questions, as might be seen
by it's tardness in recognizing the new king
| dom of Italy; that he believed the mainte.
nance of the Federal Union in its integrity
was to be decided for the benefit of the people
| of the North and south, as we'll as for the in
| terests of France, and the United States might
rest we'll assured that no hasty or precipitate
action would be taken on the subject by the
Emperor. But whilst he gave utterance of
| these views he was equally bound to say that
the practice and usage of the present century
had fully established the right of de tacto GoU.
| ernments to recognition when proper case
was made out for the decision of Foreign Pow.
ers. Here the official interview ended.
The correspondence on this point has al
ready been published.
Secretary Seward to Minister Dayton
May 30, says:
first desire that NJ. Thouvenal may be in
| formed that this Government cannot but re-.
| gard any communications held by the French
| Government, even though unofficial, with the
agents of the insurrectiOnary movement in this
| country, as exceptional and injurious to the
| dignity and honor of the United States. They
protest against this intercourse, however, not
| so much on that ground as on another. They
| desire to maintain the most cordial relations
| with the Government of France, and would
therefore, if possible, refrain from complaint !:
| but it is manifest that even an unofficial recep.
| tion of the emmissaries of disunion has a GER.
tain though measured tendency to give them a
prestige which would encourage their efforts
| to prosecute a civil war destructive to the
prosperity of this country and aimed at the
| overthrow of the Government ITSELF 1t is
earnestly hoped that this protest may be suffi.
| cient to relieve this Government from the ne.
cessity of an action in the unpleasant subject
| to which it related.
Secondly-The United States cannot for q
moment allow the French Government to rest
under the delusive belief that they will be
content to nave the COnfcderate States recOg.
nized as bellgerent power by States with
which this nation is amity. No concert of &C.
tion among foreign States so recognizing the
insurgents, can reconcile the United States to
such proceeding, whatever may be the con.
| sequense of resistance.
Ihirdly-The President turns away from
these points of apprehended difference of
opinion between the two Governments, to no.
tice other and more agreeable SUBJECTS.
| The tone of Mr.. ThOuvenal's conversation is
generous and cordial, and this Government
feels itself bound by new ties to France when
her Emperor avOws his desire for the perpetual
union of the States. Especially does this
Government acknowledge that it is profoundly
moved by the declaration of His Majesty, that
he would be willing to act as mediator in the
civil strife that unhappiy cOnvulses our coun-
try. These expressions of good will are just
what have been expected from the Emperor of
| France.
This Government desires that His Majesty
| may be informed that it INDUCES not the least
apprehension of dissolution of the Union in
this painful controversy. A favorable issue is
! deemed certain.
MIR. Dayton writes to Mr.. Seward, No.
vember Z:
Yonr dispatch, No. 6s, informs me of Mr.
| Adams' communic alton of an intended cOuuter.