Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-12
EUROPEAN OPINIONS ON AIIEBE-
can AFFAIRS.

Ea.HA ~ .AN A~H"a ". H"~ a
country. IL readily Acknowledges that for once
fortune bas deserted the southern arms; and il
refers their double misfortune to the extension OF
the national line IF defense over too long a tract
of country 20 be In keeping with the resources
a. the command of the COnfederscy. It holds
chat IL was impossible for the southern legions to
be at once strong on the Cumberland river In
Tennessee, strong on the Potomac and strong
upon the whole of their vast seabOard. There is
no doubs that this is but the truth. Armies On
the offensive and armies on the defensive each
have their advantages. 1t requires greater
strength to subjugaEe a country than 1t requires
20 defend it; and, so far, the position has been
In favor of the South; but, on the other hand,
the attacking power has, 80 far as geography
viii allow, its own choice of the quarter %
which it shall direct It's assault; and there the
advantage lies with the North.
These circumstances explain why President
Davis is still able to declare with probability
that the guilt States can never be trampled down
by the enemy. and why the North has been al
most invariably victorious on the seab0ard. In
penetrating the far interior Of the Southern Con
federacy the northern armies would be subjected
TO almost every conceivable disadvantage. but
in the maritime attacks made by the North
against the South, the former has its choice OF
nearly the whole hostile seaboard, from the coast
Of Virginia to the mouth of the Mississippi. IL
was ueedful. therefore. for the South to be as
strong at every point on the seabOard rs the
North could render itself at any one point.
President Davis, however, takes no comfort nom
this reasoning; ne acknowledges the fall OF RO-
au1ke Island to be extremely humiliating to the
South. But he looks. nevertheless upon this
disaster and that OF Fort DOnelson as merely
exceptional defeats, aud speaks only the Ian
guage of encouragement and confidence.
The financial side of the Southern President S
picture Is certainly the most cheerful lie shows
that the annual expenditure Of the Southern
Confederation has not exceeded Sl10,UOO,UUU.
Nj. Davis may boast with reason that this does
not amount to Oue-half Of the annual expendi-
tura OF the Northern government. tie points
out also that it is inferior TO the annual value OF
the cotton crop. But, unfortunately, the cotton
crop yields. no profits, owing to the desperate
policy on which the S0utheTuers resolved at the
outset of the war. Il is quite true, however,
that the relation of the expenditure TO the value
of the cotton crop, if sslable, has a direct bear
ing on the capacity to dsiray the Interest, in
years of peace upon the public debt that they
NAV accumulate during war. Mr.. Davis APP
p-als. also, to the increasing production OF the
implements Of war Ia the Southern States as
evidence of the Increasing capacity OF the South
TO continue ifs resistance. be observes, with
unauesHouabla truth that, when hOst!lities be-
gan. the advantage inTesPect Of attainable mg-
terial of war was greatly on the side Of his al
v~erssr.es. The North had nearly a monopoly OF
the artizans and workshops required for warlike
purposes. 1t was, Therefore, LETT with the South
eruer 90 make bricks without straw or to rely
upon import IRON abroad. But the blockade
derived them of al but an incidental supply
from other countries.
The great part of the southern army has since
taken tile h-ld with equipments Of native manu-.
facure. Mr.. Dayis has, therefore, reason to
maintain the position asserted in his previous
message, that his country was becoming more
aud more iudeI endent Of the blockade, aud that
It was gradually producing al thatwas required
both tor peace and for war.
Nevertheless, it appears impossible that the
contest can continue very long. 1t is quite
sufficient for one of the two COnie5er8cies TO be
unable to fight further in order to insure its ter
mination. Whether the South can continue hos
Hities for an indefinite period or not, it seems
very clear that the North cannot. Victorious in
Tennessee, great prospects open before the more
ambitious politicians in Boston ans New York,
who think they see in these successes the fall OF
the South. But public men at Washington, let
taem say what they will, probably know better.
They know that the farther they go tue more
they viii be extending their operations from the
brss of them and th- greater also, vii be the
opposition they will receive: They are in a fair
way 10 rgp1ssess the border States. But they
see that nothing can be more different than re-
claiming Tennessee and retaining the Gull
S.s.es. Tennessee, like Kentucky, has been
luzewarm aud divided. From their own uu.
contested territory they have made at last some
thing approaching TO an acquisition of these two
Waverers.
But IN penetrating the gulf States from Ten.
nosses they would not only have a TAR more ser.
GUS opposition to- euc0untar-they would aisc
ruu The danger of Tennessee rising against them
i'm their rear. There is NO d Hubt that it make,
an immense difference 90 the North whether Vw
GINA, Kentucky aud Tennessee belong to then
c5uf.ieTacv OF that of the South. The impress
sion is said 20 be gaining ground in the North
also, that this is the utmost limit Of Fedora
acquisitions tina. is possible. The recent sue
cesses, moreover, appear TO have been popularity
construed IN the North as implying the close o.
the WAY. They could only imply this on the
supgus.uCu of a compromise being imminent for
HEY certainly do not shake the gulf States
The WashiuaRu government might now close
he struggle with credit 10 themselves, If they
chose, on the basis Of the status gao. OF st any
rate after g few fresh encounters should have
more clearly established the extent Of the terri
ritory they held. But there cannot be much
doubt that if they DO not the struggle must, be
fore long, close Of itself by the collapse Of north.
EN- resources and the impTacicabilijy of north.
eTu conquest.
TEE AMERICAN QUESTION IN FRANCE
The order Of the day was the adjourned discus
sion on the address.
N. Baroche, president of the council of State,
Nm. Billault and Msgne, ministers without port
folio; and General Allard and N. Vuillsfroy.
presidents OF section IN the c0uHcil of State,
were present as government commissioners
Paragraph five was brought forward. It is
thus w0Tdsd
The civil war which is desoisting America IS
a great source of injury to our industry and COM
merce, and we desire srdently that those dissen.
sions should come to a speedy end. The legis-
Iativs body highly cOmmends your majesty for
having 10 this crisis, and above all, IN the recent
difference between America and England,
thought only Of causing the rights Of neutrals to
be respected. a government which takes right
aud Justice as its invarIable rule viii soon be-
come the arbitsr of the peace Of tAe world"
On this the following amendment was pre-
sented by MN. HORN, LemercieT, GuysT1-
Delaiain, the Marquis a'Andelarre, and A.
Jubinal
The civil war which desolates America is a
serious injury 10 French manufactures and CON-
WeTCr We DItI up the must dlhttb WISHES Ludt
those dissensions may speedily terminate, and
that the great principle Of the abolition of slave
ry may come VIGOROUSLY out y the struggle
entered into that subject (Ihe remainder Of the
paragraph Is in the address
N. Calvet-R OguOit inquired, if some other
amendments spoken of were to be withdrawn
NJ f. Olivier wished to give an explanation
Of the amendment proposed by him and others
on the paragraph relating to America. The
amendment expressed two ideas-trst, that
there were grounds for causing the principle of
non-intarveuti0n 90 be respected in the war be-
tween the North aud the South, and, secondly,
THAT as it was a question about the abolition of
slavery, it was the wish of France to see the
cause of humanity, represented By the Northern
States, come off triumphant. The first part
needed no Development, as the government had
strictly followed the policy Of uou-intervention )
and, with respect 70 the second there was a
somewhat similar amendment presented by some
Of his colleagues. He should therefore demand
that both Gnendment5 might be discussed
together.
The Presidential Nogent-Ssin tLaurens de-
sires to oppose the first amendment.
NJ. Olivier said that I'm that case he should
L-aH-. H..