The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-17
The American Crisis in the British House
of I,0rdS

of Lords.
In the House of Lords, on the 2sth of April,
the Earl of Maimesbury, adverting to the
state Of affairs in America, said
beg leave to put To my noble friend, the
Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, a ques-
tion of which have given him private no.
tice, in reference to n subject which deeply in
terests this country, and, l may say, the
whole OF Europe. Almost all your lordships
have, no doubt, read the accounts which ar
rived this morning from America, and must
nave learnt with pain, As well as some aston.
ishment, that civil war had broken out be-
tween the Secessionists in that country
ana the other States OF the Union. For
tunateIy, up to the date of those accounts
hardly any blood had been shed and too much
praise cannot, think, be bes towed upon ths
commander of the fleet engaged in the trans
action to which l refer, for abs tanning from
ntsriDg on useless contest. II is impossi-
bic, however, that a struggle such that
which seems now impending i'll American
struggle so unnatural and calculated, may
add to prove so fatal to the par ties concerned
IN it-should not produce Il reyerberation
throughout the rest of the world
may fur ther observe that no country on
this side of the Attain tic is perhaps more likely
TO suffer from the civil war which threatens
the United States than our own; for, altoge-
ther apart from those feelings of regret with
which we must witness the breaking out of
strife between persons belonging 20 the same
family rs ourselves, and kindred to in Ian
guags as well as in blood, our political and
material Interests are deeply involved in this
unhappy schsm. That being so. cannot but
believe that Her Majestys Ministers, feeling
upon this question with all Her Majesty's
subjects, have already done their utmost by
oitcious means to bring about some arrange
ment by which so dreadful 4 calamity as that
OF which am speaking may be averted. L
therefore wish 10 ask nv noble friend what
steps the Government have taken with that
object; whether they have made any attempt
10 prevent the quarrel between the different
States nh frnr
bloody issue; what hopes they en- tertaiu of
succeeding in so iaudable an endeavor and
whether they have invited, or are in cores
pondence with, any other European Govern
ment with the view OF obtaining their assist
ance in seeking to put stop at the outset to
civil war, of which, if once fairly commenced,
1t viii be impossible to toresee the end. Hear,
hear.
Lord Wodehou SCI need scarcely assure
my noble friend that the Government, in COM
mon with him, and feel confident every one
of her Maiestys subjects, have learnt with
the deepest regret the intelligence OF the dis
seDstons which have taken place in the United
States. We have also received with the ut
most concern the accounts to which my noble
friend has alluded, informing that these
dssensons have brought that country to the
brink OF civil war, if, indeed, civil war may
not De said TO have already broken out within
her territories; and in answer TO the question,
what steps have been taken by her Msjastys
Ministers to avert this great caltmity-for a
great calarnty it undoubtedly must prove to
be not only to the Americans themselves, but
TO Ling land, which is closely connected
with them by the ties OF kiudred-l have to
state that after the most mature deliberation
the Government came TO the conclusion that
IL was not desirable that this country should
lntrude her advice or counsel on Tho Govern
ment of the I nited States. Hear, hear.
However great the iii teresL which we may
feel in the welfare Of her people, aud however
anxious we might be to rescue them from the
misfortune which appears to be i'm pendinfover
their heads, We yet thought that great and
independent nation might not welcome advice
given with respect to her internal affairs, il
that advice were profered without being soli
clted. The instruct tions therefore, given TO
Lord Lyons We're, that he should, on every
lifting occasion, express the earnest desire
lertained by her Majesty's Government that
the differences which prevail between the
Northern and Southern States of America
should be arranged. He has not, however,
been instructed to give, either "officiously'' or
officially, any counsel or advice 10 the Ameri-
can Government, unless such counsel or ad-
vice should be asked for by the conteuding
parties themselves. That 3 the ans w-r have
to give To the question of my noble friend. 1t
naturally follows that her Majesty's Ministers
have not been in cofnmunica tion with any for
eign Government as to any steps being taken
OF the nature of those TO which he has allu-
ded. Hear hear