Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-31
The American question in France.

! The leading French Journals continue their
| controversy about American affairs, the COHsti-
tutiOnHsI, the Pays, aud the Patris (the semi-of-
| fetal organs of the govenment) showing their
! sympathies for the seeded States, while the
| organs of the liberal psr'y-the Steele, the
! Opinion Nati0Hais and the Journal des De5ats
openly advocates the cause of the North.
The latter journal is accused by the Constitution
nct of being so strongly in favor of the Union
only since the addition of two new aids de-
camp to the staff of Gen. Mcclellan.
| What right, says the Constitutional, has the
North to impose its government on the South
when the latter IS unwilling to submit to it
| When France was fighting for the foundation
| of the United States the principles cOntended
| for by the Americans was that governments
can exist only by the consent OF those who are
governed "
The Northern States call the SoutherneTs
rebels because they want to seceed from the
| Union but they should remember that out of
nineteen Northern States eight at least have
sustained the right Of secession. The seven
which are called New England States proclaimed,
in 1914 that they would leave the Union if pre-
vious to the Ist of April 1915, peace was not
restored with England, And the same remark
may be applied to Pennsylvania, where tax
on the distilleres was sufficient to raise the Sc
cessiOn fisg even under the Presidency of Wash
ingtOn, the Father of the country
We have, therefore, says the Constitutional,
the right to say to the Journal des Debats, you
misesd public opinion when you induce it to
believe that the struggle between the North and
the South is nearly at an end. We enlghten it
when state that such is not the case, and that,
even were the southern armies defeated, the
South would not be subdued
The Pays, after having repeated that slavery
was but a new incident, brought forward by Mr.
nrA rGeftfa Of tHa
its opinion that the producers of the South have
separated from the manufacturers Of the North
on account of the Morrill, tariff, which imposes
duty of nearly sixty per cent. on European
manufactured articles, thus placing the American
trade in the hands of the Northern States.
We maintain, says the Journal des Debats, that
if it is the duty and the interest of France to
main neutral in the American conflict, her pO
litical traditions cannot allow her to remain
Indifferent in the question of the principle in
volved in the struggle. The flag of the South is
the flag of slavery, and the flag of the North is
the flag of freedom now less than ever can this
be contested Between these two flags we feel
no embarrassment at all in making a choice
we have done so long time ago, aud persist in
it, without any necessity to Justify it, end less to
excuse it before public opinion.
THE OBJECT OF NJ. MERCIERs VISIT TO RICH
MOED.
From the Paris april 2 tn correspondence Of the Nord
Of Brussels.l
The question of who won the last battle is
not however, of most Importance for the present
it is in the excursion to Richmond of NJ. Mer-
cier, the French Minister at Washington. This
excursion has political bearing which cannot
be overlooked, and, if any final settlement does
not issue theTefrOm, the French Minister will at
least make some openings to the Congress of
Richmond. Every one Is aware Of the fact that
the hot season beng near at hand, the sTategi-
cal operations will soon become impossible IN
the Southern States; it is, therefore, the time TO
open negotiations and try TO solve anIcably that
great question, which for too long time already
they have endeavored 10 decide by war l may
be mistaken in my opinion, but / believe that
the end OF the war will be the result of that
trip, OF that 1t Is at least the beginning of the end
The Paris Opinion NatioHale OF April %, says
that the language Of the official journals and the
general tone of a correspondence published by
the MOHIteuT might lead to suppose that new
attempt to reconcile the North and the South was
the object OF NJ Mercier's sudden departure for
Richmond. f~