Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-11-25
RICHMOND WHIG.
EXTRACTS FROM ENGLISH
FILES.
tFrom the London Times
LIE InNnnN TIMEs ON AMERICAN AFFAIRS.


THE LONDON TIMES ON AMERICAN AFFAIRS
When the Americans can fad leisure for reelection
they will sure be disposed to give the people OF
ths kingdom credit for fair feeling and honest wishes to-
wards them and their country. They will discover in
cooler moments and on more sober thought that Our
opinions have been shaped by events and that II our
81 mpathies have occasionally wavered there wss good
reason for the oscillation. If they wish even Eow to
track the variations of feeling this eide OF the Allan
tic VIC help them in doing So aud we here place be-
fore them, without disSmuation Or prejudice, an outline
OF British opinion.
At the frss intelligence of the rupture between North
and South there but one feeling in this country
ard that feeling OF regret at the dismemberment
of kindred aud friendly State and a. the contemplated
approach Of var between sectcns Of prosperous 4ud
DO Serul Union. Ifin any quertersf was thought st
the partition Of donineerag or ovcrgroWn Republic
might be not unattended with advantage 10 It's neigh
bora the idea was considerably suppressed and il was
evident from tie unapity of the pross and the tone OF
Parliamentary debate that the one preponterang SEN
tment that OF good will TO the American people
md sorrow for the troubles coming upon them. AT
that time too ns far any pTepessessons existed
hey were certainly in favor OF the North. We were SO
resouely ren!ral in the matter aud our neutrality was
based sueh obvious principles Of wisdom, that aVoW
lie OF plr,iay rarely made; but there was, un
doubt dy nothing 10 the Southern cause TO attract our
symplthes, while there much to repel them. The
Southernets were save-owners, and savery--the
very aboniIaton Of Englishme1-was then con
ctivcd TO he the sole cause Of war The con-
iuet again, Of the Seeessionists offended all our
,aonal ideas OF political fair play. The Southern
party had b,en beaten in an open constitutional efc
on with which they did not so much as pretend 10 fnd
any fault except tina. they we're left at the bottom OF
be poll Il might have been said that 1t was their
urn to lose for they had long enjoyed almos: monop
oly of Office and power. When, therefore, upon the
success OF their opponents they threatened to secede
rom the Union, they appeared Ike men who could not
take beating ard who willing TO sacrifice the in
teress of great nation 10 their vndctiye resent
nenis Moreover, they were in 10 great sVor with u.s.
% begin with We knew full well that when the policy
OF the American Government had been ruiest and most
arrogant that Government administered by South.
,n statesmen and the disgrlcefu system OF repudia-
ion il not without examples in the North, com.
uorly identified with the principles Of the South. II,
hereiore our overruag feeling had not been agains,
var altogether, very large minority Of the public
would have wished TO the North successful in the
strife.
In short time however, certain change undoubted.
" came the spiri. Of opinion, and 1t proceeded ia
he frs. place. from the conduct oil the NOrtherress them
selves. Their behavior toserds us was 20 unwarants-
DE- their mensccs 80 insolent, aud their exlctoas
10 fierce and Irrational that 1t became impossible TO
gard them with the disposition as before. Because
" would not abruptly stigmazs as rebels and pirates
he very men whom but few days previously they them
elves had been treating brethren sill they threatened
I, with eternal ermty and suggested that all Americana
ing war upon England. Thoy required that shouli
hold ten millions OF people hshns ior Independence as
worthless insurrectorary rsbble ard that VIC should
not recoguiz, as belcerent Power a Confederation
which was holding the Supreme Government in check
with two hundred thousand soldiers. All this while, toe,
nc South partly by the accidental operation Of EVENT.,
nd rars psrtaps, through the policy Of its leader,
vas ou,ving its original dscredt ald winning Way
osomethng like favor. Toe very silence and secrecy
a which Its proceedings were wrapped had the eh.ci
al of scandal parhana ~ he
usrs at Richmond had been loud tongusd and DEM
lnstriye the rulers at Washington, they would have
exposed themselves to the same kind Of criticism tut
3 il was their sayings and dongs escaped notoriety
md censure together When therefore, the Southern
ers without buster bombAst bu. starn and qniei
determination took their position in array against the
,or,herp invaders and whep, though the weaker and
ne less pretenlious party they succeeded in replspg
the Grand army OF those who would not ALLOW them
the title of begerents il not In human nature to
view such an achievement without certain amount OF
admiration The check indeed, thus administered 10 the
,.....u.ng spirits OF The North was calculated TO do
hem gooi service, and the defeat at Manassas has
| already proved useful.
But tle great fact which swayed English opinion
| ,as the decided and multiiorm anagonisn between
North ard South which time and combine to dis
close As the contest proceeded, it became perfectly
lain that President ncolns election had served as the
ccasion but not the OF the quarrel The rupture
lad originated, not in single political reverse but in
ncOmnability oil temper ict OF
4 Institutions and such other differences as have al
tended to the disruption Of heterogeneous States
nnwieldy Empires The sec1 sson had been contemplate
ed and threatened for some thirty years past 1t was d.
ended by arguments as good as have been usually ad
ancad for national instructions, and II II was in opp0
on 10 the dictates OF political wisdom it in
Eormiy with the passious OF human nature. The States
If the old American Union would perhaps, have been
aore prosperous at home, aud certainly more formda
ls abroad IL they had remained united but the same
r o. r Ill IL. E.,.g-.. Iii. -.
.yer fallen to piecea. Union is strength, always and
yerywhere aud the larger the population that can be
,etaped under these conditions, the greater will be the
.esult But it happens that these considerations
,lowJd 10 prevail against influences OF more mmedi
,,e kind The vision OF Independence is more attract
va than the vision OF POWER The people of the South
,rn States are only doing what the people OF hulired
,,hcr States have done before them Thy may be short
sighted but they are determined. They may be mi1ak
a, out lhey know their own mlnds TGey may be wrong
but they are ten mllions The Federalsis, themselves
dmit right Of insurrecton but deny that insurrecoI
-en be justified in the presentinsance That argument
however can never stand. I is absurd to say that
,eon is sacred popular privilege but that it can opl
DC exercised with the assent OF those against whom
would be directed The Emperor of Russia might ad
nit the doctrine az thus stated II people have iigh
70 rebel against Governments Ii must be when thel
think fitting, and not when the Governments will al
low it. 49,
so long as the rsurrecon Of tho South seemed
spit, ful rebellion agans the results o particular elec
ton we we're compelled 10 regard il as utterly uruBf
able If Il meant only as has been asserted, bullet
against "ballo" should look upon il ss wicked
reasonable ac for could the North be charged
Notwithstanding its commercial bias with Of con
,ierstion for the institutions Of the South. II again
he question could be argued pure grounds Of expe
Iiepcy we shou'd here also, though not decidedly
pronounce gainst the resolution taken by tue South
iiyorce itself from the North. But the fctual is dill
feren, The last twelve months have sho that North
and Southerners are as rrcoueiible IS Greek
and Turks, or Germsns AID Magyars This war vii
but intensity and p'rpetuate amino tes which the
nature ofthings long ago created. Sectional snrs
thies have proved stubborn national antpa.hes
u They could not be assuaged by compromise, and the
will assuredy be abolished by conquest The al
mics of the Norh may oserpover the armies of III
South but South and North never be expected :
amalgamse again. II Is for this reason, and becaus
errtores prodgioua these of the Southern State
can never be retained by armed occupation, that "
,ho n,l;cv nf The Federal Grvsrnusn. wrono