Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-10-22
CONFEDERATE STATES DIPLOMACY.

With vast market for the consumption OF the
manufactured commodities of foreign nations, ano
with most valuable agricultural staples needed'y
sill the great civilized nations Of the world, most
brilliant field for successful diplomacy was open 70
the Confederate States. No people possessed such
vast resources for the control Of the interests and
sympathies of the world. And yet we believe no
effort has hitherto. been made to bring them into
operation Abiding to these resources the Rich
mond papers speak despondingy Of the statesmen OF
the.South. They have done nothing to indicate
their reputed wisdom in thegreat contest IN whlch
we are engaged. The whole contest has thrown INTO
preainency sonly the President and the Generals
This is apparently true. But, if, the sessions OF
Congress had been open, this would not have been
the appearance of things. Efforts were hade-pol-
icies were declared in the Provisional Congress- we
are informed, which, if known to the people and
the world, would have shown that there were those
in the Provisional Congress who did understand the
true interests of the Confederacy, and did persist
emily urge policy which would most probably have
secured to us commercial treaties with foreign ma
TONS and the recognition of our independence. It
was not wise to send Commissioners to Europe, and
and to expect recognition of US by foreign nations,
without offering to them commercial advantages
These, whilst they would permanently benefit other
nations, would at the same time secure them from
dangers incident to a reconstruction of the Union,
and compensate them for the hazard of war with
the United States. With the knowledge foreign
nations undoubtedly possessed, they feared should
they run the risk of offending the United States by
recognizing our independence, that the union be-
tween the United and Confederate States might be
reconstructed and they would be left to meet war
against both combined. They, therefore, deemed
it the better policy to let the war 60 on, until either
the Confederate States had won from the United
States their independence or until the Confederate
States make it worth their while to defy the power
or hostility of the United States.
Aware of this state of things members in the Pro-
visional Congress did strive to induce the Admin
istraton to authorize our Commissioners in Europe
to propose as the basis Of commercial treaty, t0W
duties for twenty gears on foreign commodities i'm
ported into the Confederate States and free access
of shipping coming directly from European ports.
With stipulation, also, to lay no export duties on
our agricultural productions, a powerful appeal
would have been made, by these combined propo-
sitons, to the interests Of foreign nations Propo-
sitions to carry out such apolicy were, we learn,
submitted to Congress. They had not been adopted,
voluntarily, by instructions to Commissioners
sent to Europe. They failed to be adopted by Con,
gress, and, us might be reasonably expected, our
Commissioners have failed in their diplomacy. Their
diplomacy has consisted in begging; and the want
of our cotton has alone redeemed it from positive
contempt The true course of diplomacy, required
alike by our interest and independence was under
stood and pointed out; bat it was opposed, and by
the secresy thrown over the proceedings of Con-
gress, neither the efforts to enforce it, the ef
forts to defeat it. have been known to the world
We see it stated that distinguished diplomat has
been sent with additional powers to address foreign
nations. We trust our Government at last has seen
the wisdom of using the tariff in advantageous
merclal arrangements with foreign nations, to kill
the apprehension Of reconstruction and at the
time, give them vast and positive interest in our
independence as people.-Char Mercury