The New York herald., 1862-02-11

Among the Southern rebel newspaper ex-
tracts which we publish to-day, an editorial
and Richmond letter of the Charleston Mer-
cs~y, in reference to the position and purposes
Of England upon American affairs, will be
found extremely interesting, and suggestive of
The impending collapse Of this hopeless rebel
lion.
In tho editorial in question our doleful
Charleston contemporary frankly opens his
mind in the declaration that "the people of the
South have never comprehended the odium
which is increasingly attached to their inssitu-
tions slavery in England" But then they
are consoled with the assurance that mot all
England will approve the brutal and wanton
assault upon Messrs. Mason and Slidell by the
London Times" but that a large portion of the
English people are open to conviction, and that
the government may possibly still be made to
recognise the power Of cotton. The Mercurys
Richmond correspondent also fatty confesses
that the British journal referred to, in contemp-
tuously designating Mason and Slidell as "those
fellows," and in putting them on the same level
as ''two negroes, 'has given US blow between
the eyes which was not expected" but then, on
the other hand, "Punch is heaping endless ridi-
cule on Yankeedom" Upon the whole, how
ever, our Richmond rebel philosopher con-
siders the Southern confederacy a. enveloped
IN very dubious English fog. "We look to
cotton" he says, but English statesmen look
s'to the vast movements on the continental chess
board of Europe, and are therefore afraid to
move to the relief of JEFF Davis until they can
see their way little more clearly before
them
In the next place, from the standpoint of
this Richmond Southern confederacy apostle,
this Spanish invasion of Mexico, with the CO
operation and under the management of Eng
land and France, and the designs of England
upon Central America and the Isthmus of
Panama. are decidedly alarming. They foro-
shadow transatlantic balance Of power on this
continent which spoils the programme ofa great,
progressive and expanding South
ern rro-slavery confederation, and which posi-
bly, may bring about combination of the United
States with the Southern confedcracy to check
these European encrOachments on this side of
the water, and to prevent English domination
on the isthmus of Panama. 'sIThe possibility"
of this thing, it appears, sis. .studiously con-
sidered in the closets of Downing street." Ac-
cordingly, English Intervention in behalf of
JEFF. Davis becomes a matter of very question
able expediency and is not to be counted upon
at Richmond.
But we have very important item OF infor-
nation touching the desperate extremities to
which jeff Davis and his ruling confederates
are driven to secure the Intervention of Eng.
land. They have tried cotton. and ali the
blessings Of free trade in every shape and form
best calculated to influence English cupidity
but they have failed The sodium which un-
ceasingly attaches to Southern institutions" in
England stands in the way. And what then
Simply this, that in their desperation the ennis
saries of our Southern rebel government have
been making overtures for the Intervention Of
England upon the humanitarian equivalent Of
the gradual abolition Of Southern slavery. In
other words, the leaders who conirived, or
ganized and precipitated this rebellion against
the government Of the Union, to save, protect
and extend the institution Of Southern slavery
under an independent filibustering pro-savery
confederacy, are now ready to sacrifice the
whole South to England slavery and all. in
order to save their villainous necks from the
halter.
Let this fact which has not yet been ven
tilaied by the newspaper organs Of Davis, be
made known to the shareholders of the South,
and the delusion that they are fighting against
the Union to save their peculiar Institution will
vanish. As the matter now stands, the Euro.
pean armed Intervention TO settle the affairs of
Mexico utterly destroys the Southern con-
federacy projected by Yancey, Davis, Toombs,
Mason, Sldell and company. Their confedera-
cy comprebended the rapid absorption Of Mexi
co. Central America and the West India islands
and the monopoly of their tropical products
under slave labor in the markets of the world
This dream is ended, and now the question re-
ours what safety will there be TO Southern sYa-
very out Of the Union, overshadowed by the
anti-slavery power Of the North on the one side,
and by European anti-slavery protectorae
or sovereign Governor General over Mexico on
the other side We answer, that henceiorward
the peculiar Institution of the South is doomed
outside the Union. under any European agree
ments whatever for Southern independence
Our aboitionist disorganizers understand this
thoroughly in their cry Of emancipation OF
sepsration;" for they have carefully studied ii
out that the separation Of the South from the
Union will not stop short Of the abolition or
extirpation Of Southern slavery.
The only alternative, then, Of safety TO our
revolied States is to return al once to the ark
Of the Uniou. The federal constitution will
protect them and their domestic institutions
against domestic disorgauizers; and the two
sections of the Union reunited will at once be
strong enough 10 enforce the Monroe doctrine
of European non-intervention in Mexico, Cen
trail America and the West India islands, and
in Canada and the adjoining British provinces,
too If necessary. At all events the rebel