St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-07-11
From the Lonslon Times, JaA~ IL.
AMERICAN CONSISTENCY.

From the Lon.lom Times, Jsae IL.
AMERICAN CONSISTENCY.
Indignation is vexing the Americans Of
the North to IN extraordinary degree.
Their excitement with regard to the seces-
sionisis is a cool eierveseence, like one
Of their own erated drinks, in comparison
with the boiling wrath which shresieax- =
0vefwhelm our own country. Happily
there are many vents for this ferlnenta-
tion. and We may hope that not only will
there be no explosion. but that public opiu-
ion will be eventually cleared and purified
bv the process.
The secret Of the disappointment Of the
Northern. rs and Of their strange display Of
teaper is to be found, We think, ia that
eo,l.tant disregard Of international courte-
sy which has distinguished successive gov
ernmcnts for many years. Llatcd by the
rapid growth of their wealth and popula-
tion; 6y their successful attempts on the
territory Of their neighbors. aud BY the
knowledge that England depended OH them
constantly for cotton and periodically for
food. the American people have acquired
habit Of petulance. aud almost Of inso-
lcu,c. in their dealings with foreign pow
ers. which uow affects their judg gmcnt-
usually clear and souud-in questions Of
constitutional right. 1t is the old failing
Of despots. whether on throne or in
private life that they look on those who
disagree with them as qucstioning their
veracity or insulting their character. So
With the Americans. 1t seems to US, from
all we eau hear and read, that they real
ly and truly believe that England is conf
nitting nost hostile act by refusing to
treat Southern privatccrs as pirates, and
that the English press takes AN unwar-
rantable liberty when it discusses the
possibility Of an ultimate disruption, or
even speaks Of Mr.. Davis as President
Of the Confederate States" 1t has been
represented that the violence and captions
ness Of American diplomacy during the
last twenty years have been the work Of
Southern politicians; but, whoever planted
or watercd the bad seed, it has certainly
grown up to full luxuriance in the North;
for the opiuions expressed ON every side,
and reported to be held oy the Cabinet at
Washington, are as unjustifs /: 40 any
ever advanced in the palmy days of the
Union. The Americans, accustomed to
make their own interest and feelings the
standard Of international law, to rcpudiaae
whatever was inconsistent with their
claims to universal dominion in the New
World, to support at one time the claims
of authority, 1t another the indefeasiblc
rights Of existing majoritics, to cite pre-
cedcnts or to DEFY them, as it suited the
Cause they favored. are now, in all inno-
cence aud With full belief in their own
consistency, hnlding within six months
two opposite ihcori.s of their own Consii-
tuition. ana expecting Englishmen to
change their views just as popular feeling
in the States has changed +
The government aud people of this
country have retained for the most part
the opinions which the Americans them
selves held aud taught us, up to the 18th
Of April, the dag before the New York
fireman changed themselves to Zouaves,
and the Ueraid was forced to reconsider
its principles by the appearance Of mob
in font Of its Office. Ii, before that
date, amy English member of Parliament.
or any English newspaper had vcntured to
suggest that the new President should or
gauize large standing army. blockade,
5000 uliles of coast, aud invade a -four
ishing region at the head of $50, 900
men, what an outburst of indignation
would have met the Machiavellian coun-
sci. How VIC should have been reminded
that republic rests Oh the consent of
the governed, not, like the old British
Empire, On tyranny and taxes; that the
Southern States were not Hindostan, TO
be reconquerel in twclvemonth; that the
people Of New York and other seats Of
commerce were not likely to make them
selves catspaws to carry out England's abo-
lition schemes. BY invading the planting
States and encouraging lazy niggers to
rebel against their masters! In short, it
would have been triumphantly demonstrate
ed that our sympathy for the federal au-
thority was ouly affected with the diaboli-
cal purpose Of embroiling the two sections
Of the American people. Yet because,
from sudden excess Of patriotic feeling.
the Northern populations are organizing
a descent ON the South, we arc expected
to forget all the dccency aud prudence of
international intercourse, and join in
bounding ON the invaders! That the
people of the North should be unable to
control tLeir anger at finding that an in
dependent foreign power does not COM
init itself TO demonstrations of hostility
against ten millions Of civilized men with
whom it has no quarrel. aud whose rights
to independence. though now denied.
were admitted by the North itself few
weeks ago. shows to what point Of ir-
ritability the Americans had been brought
BY years Of prosperity aud success.
~ An ignoran. but quick -wittcd per-
son was taken to task BY FREUD for his
bad spelling in letter be had just fin-
ishcd. ''k.d spelling. is itI' said the
first. ''look At that. holding up stump
Of quill to him. '.how can q man spell
rigLt With such peu as that =