Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-02
canada and the american neyolu.,on.

1
| From the Toronto (Cauada) Leader.
Oanada is q part of the British empire and no
;ss -.sr Wnat our Rympathies may be, we have no
rsn' % do anything that would in the remotest de-
80" s sSnmlt England to side or the other in
he rero;.eS civil war Nor will any such thing
70 Pe.eu. .t The predominant feeling IN the North
r. 10" Ihat war has broken out that the Federal
Uos must make its power felt; but there ia
no oesre " enange the character of the government
anu % ,.I s'1 SoSt9 to military despotsm As
the oouuerh Oonlederacy is, by almost universal
admission sure at last to take Il. niac o. .Sa
nations of the earth, there is no reasoD - CJ -
should give 1t cause for entertainino barj S.i;
against Us. The instincts Of our population lead
them to sympathze rather with the North ,ba,, a.
South; but that sympathy will not bstrsv ~, ;, r,e
breach of that neutrality which our posr;on Or
inclinations and our interests impose uuon us W.
are now told that the Federal Administration ahopt
month ago, notified the European governments NJ
its adhesion to the declaration of the Paris Confer
ence against prlvateering. But at that time the
Montgomery Government had declared its intention
to issue letters of marQue. The repentance Of the
Federal Government seems to have come too late to
be of any to it.
England has not long played fast and loose" on
this question. She has taken the STEP long ago pre-
dieted by this journal, and acknowledged the South
ern Crntederacy as a beligerent power, having a
separate national existence. No other course was
open to her; and nothing could argue greater ig~
norance of international law than the pretence that
Government cause of war. There is no principle
OF international law better established and on which
there is more universal agreement than on this If
any direct aid were given by England to the South
ern Confederacy, that would be just cause of war
But this is not the case; and nothing of the kind will
be done.
Though we have no idea that declaration Of war
will result from the determination Of the British
Government TO recognizs the Southern Confederacy
as belgerents and 10 treat legal the letters of
marque issued by that Power-though no British
subject will be allowed TO act under them-it has
already been announced that the Ministers at Wash
iDgton Of the Governments which recognize the
Southern Confederscy will receive their passports
This is q practical protest which is often made
when the circumstances, whether Of convenience or
right, do not justify declaration Of war But the
recognition Of the South belligerents will hardly
be made a cause for the dismissal Of the British
minister by the Federal Government There is an
other cause Of danger more serious than this. An
English feet, sent to protect the interest Of British
commerce in the American waters, may come into
collision with solitary Federal ship-of-war.
This is by no means improbable; and no one may
tell what nsy follow such an occurrence Who
shall, in that case, even if war be not the result
save US from msrsudng expeditions the frontier?
Nor is this the only danger. Suppose the war over
-snd 1t must sooner CT later cone to an end-Ell |
the vast bodies Of men Whs have been enrolled IS
soldiers return all at once, to the occupations of
ordinary industry? Is there not danger of msraud-
ing expeditions the frontier from such bodies Of
men whom no government established at Washing !
ton could control The signs of the times warn US |
to be prepared for the wort. In a short time we \
shall probably have in the Province 6ftJ thousand
Mimic or Enfield rifles; q mostimportsnt acquisition
nc doubG. But this is not enough. We shall have |
to do more. Our militia requires to be placed upon
better footing, and the this is set about the
better.