The New York herald., 1861-12-30

originated was left unsettled; but it has now
received its quietus for at least the present
generation.
is the entire neutrality Of England and France
in our domestic strife. They are now both
nailed down to their own avowals before Eu-
rope and the world. We are thus left free
from doubt and difficulty in the prosecution OF
the war for the Union, and will be enabled to
put forth the undivided energies of the nation
in crushing q rebellion which was only for
midable because we were not prepared for it,
but which will, ere long, be swept away before
our advancing armies, like the grass of the
prairie before the devouring fame.
The BACKBONE OF THE REBELLION BROKEN
Mr.. Seward was right in his opinion communi-
Gated to our Minister at London, that this South
ern rebellion lives upon its hopes of European
Intervention, and that with those hopes destroy
cd this rebellion would collapse in ninety days.
The settlement Of our difficulty with England,
and, according to the friendly suggestions Of
France, in putting an end to the calculations Of
help from England and France, or from either,
breaks the backbone of this rebellion.
The seizure by Captain Wilkes of Mason, Sill
dell and their secretaries from the British
steamer Trent was universally approved by
our loyal people. They were ready to sus-
tain that act to the extremity of war with Eng
land, and there was some danger at first of a
| popular reaction against our Cabinet had it
hastily ventured upon the surrender of
said rebel emissaries back to England. In
taking the ground, therefore, in advance of any
positive knowledge of the state of the case at
| Washington, that our government, If required,
would and should deliver back Mason and Sill
dell to the protection of the British flag, we
claim that the New YORK HERALD has done more
than all the other public journals of the country
put together in preparing the public mind for a
cordial acquiescence in the settlement which
has been made. We think that we may justly
put in this claim from our immense circulation
and our hundreds of thousands of intelligent
readers in both hemispheres. In showing Eng
land that we were not afraid of war, we feel
satisfied that this journal has had no inconsider-
able influence there in creating powerful
peace party; while, on the other hand, in lead
ing off in support of the restitution of Mason
and Slidell, we have done our share of the
good work in securing the public approval OF
this adjustment and in strengthening the hands
Of the administration.
We were first in the field last April with Mr..
| Stewards initial diplomatic instructions to our
new ministers abroad, and we have kept ahead
of our contemporaries, as usual, in foreshadow-
ing The views and purposes Of the government
to this crowning achievement of the peace OF
the Trent. In this achievement we have the
| right to rejoice with our readers that the back
| bone of this rebellion is broken.
| The ENGLISH Press ON AMERIcA.-It has
been frequently asserted by the English
press, and especially since the affair of the
Trent has engaged public attention in Europe,
that our press and government are under the
control Of the mob and that by that mob we
pEhould be driven into war with England on
this question. 1t was represented that the popu-
lar feeling in the United States would be SO
| strong against the surrender of Mason and Sill
| dell that the administration would be power
| less to oppose it. How well the result has dis
proved British calculations and assertions
those who made them will soon know.
The fact is that our government and press
have displayed more craftsmanship and been
less under control Of the mob than those o.
England 1t was the mob that induced the
press Of England to utter its scurrilous abuse
of this country, and to sully its reputation by
Incorporate discussions and invcctive which
eclipse the efforts of the American press in thai
direction 1t was the mob that made it clamol
for war, and the mob. too, that urged the gov.
ernment to assume the attitude it did. The press
of this country, and especially the New YORK
HERALD has, on the other hand, instead of TO
menting popular passions, been very instrument
| tai in promoting this peace and on that accoun-
| has earned the execrations of the pothouse
press Of England and its pothouse correspond
| ants. The government has acted with diplo.
matte nicely, uniniluenced by the mob; and that
mob, as it is called, has acted with tempe
| rance and discretion which put to shame the
| great mob Of England.
! The English press had, therefore, in future
better remain silent upon the subject of the
mob and open its eyes to the fact that we
have government which is less at the
mercy of popular caprice than its own.
Let it remember, also, that the American press
has at least had the merit of counteracting the
injurious effects which its own bluster and war
cries did SO much to produce in England, by a
dispassionate treatment Of the question at
issue 1t is now settled, and we fatter our
| selves that we have come out Of the difficulty
with considerable more credit to ourselves than
our contemporaries across the water. Indeed,
the government and people, as we'll as the
press Of England may profit by our example.
The WAR ON THE REpuBLlcs-The repub-
lies Of the world are at present entering
upon crisis in their history. 1t is only
a few months since Spain blotted out the
republic of San Domingo; she has since COM
bined with England and France against Mexico,
and threatened the republics Of South Ameri-
ca, and now we learn that she has commenced
| hostilities against Liberia When, in addition.