Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-05-15
OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.

/
Ii any citizen of this Republic entertans a
doubt as to the position of the Administration
ana the policy it intends to pursue in refer
! ence TO the Secession troubles, that doubt
| VIII be removed by perusal of Secretary
oeward's letter of Instructions to Mr.. Dayton,
| the newly appointed minister to France. As
State paper it juStifes every expectation we
may have entertained of the distinguished
Secretary, and as exposition of the views
OF the Administration it will be gladly hailed
oy every friend of the Union and the Const-
tuition.
The letter of Mr.. Faulkner, our late minis
ter at the Court of France, detailing his official
interview with NJ. Trouvenel the French M in
lister OF Foreign Affairs, to which the Secreta-
ry OF State replies, is an insdious and cum
nlng production, and compels us to express a
feeling of qualification that his mission is at
an end. He volunteers his opinions on mat
ters of domestic policy in a manner which
must have exceedingly astonished the French
diplomatist. .'The new tariff he tells the
Minister, sswas adopted with view, although
PROBABLY mistaken one, OF sustaining the cred
it of the Treasury, as much as of reviving the
protective policy !" and on account of the dis
content which had been manifested in CON-
merclal circles, he had no doubt but that next
Congress would modify it. Again. he informs
the Minister, when speaking of the seeded
States. that $50 great is the respect for the ac
posing forms Of State organization and State
sovereignty, that he did not think the employ
ment Of force would be tolerated for mo-
ment," and that our Government, in ssdefer-
ence to public opinion would either be COM
PEELED to bribe the South to remain in the u
Mon, or permit it to dissolve its relation of al
Iegiance, and assume the powers of a sepa-
rate Government. We do not wonder that, af-
ter listening to this view of the case, present
ed in a manner which would have done credit
to Mr.. Yancy himself, NJ. Thouvenel should
have expressed the opinion that the employ
ment of force would be unwse, as tending to
further rupture of the Confederacy, and
leading to future complications in American
affairs.
The Secretary of State answers these perni-
clous arguments of Minister Faulkner ir
mastery manner. Among other things, he
impresses on the mind of the Imperial Gov
ernment the fact that the Administration is u
nited, and that in the breasts of the President
and his advisers every emotion has been eX.
tinguished but those of loyalty and patriot
ism. As to sscoercion,'; the Secretary says
that the insurgents have instituted open, fla
grant, and deadly war, and that the ssUnted
States have accepted this civil war an inevi-
table necessity The Administration of Mr..
Lincoln has not the least idea of sssuffering a
dissolution of this Union to take place in any
way whatever 20 and the Secretary concludes
10y declaring with emphasis that the thought of
such dissolution, peaceable or by force,
has never entered into the mind of any can
did statesman here, and it is high time that it
be dismissed by statesmen in Europe
In thus removing from the minds of Euro
pean Powers any fear they may have enter
tanned OF the fidelity of the Government to
the Constitution, the Administration accepts
the confidence, which the nation bestows. and
proceeds rapidly to meet the inevitable neces-
sity which treason has forced upon it. We feel
proud of the position which our country as
sumes among the nations of the world and we
feel sure that every citizen will echo the elo-
quent words of the Secretary, when he says:
'.There will be here only one nation and one
Government, and there will be che same Re-
public, and the same constitutional Union
that have already survived dozen national
changes, and changes of government in almost
every other country. These Will stand here
after, as they are now objects of human won
der and human affection.''