The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-02-22
OTTAWA ILL.,, SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY o. 1862
France and the United states.

France and the United states.
The relations of the French Government
with the United States are thus referred
to In the report on the General Situation
OF the Empire laid before the Legislative
bedy;
The serious internal complications which
have taken place in ihe United States have
not disturbed (aAere) the cordiality Of our
relations with that country. 1t was i'm
! possible however, that the conflict, the
outbreak Of which we beheld with pain
should not inteSefere, when it assumed SC
/ large proporfions, with our ordinary trans
/ actions with the United States, and that il
! should not affect, to certain extent the
security OF our commerce. The Govern
/ ment OF the Emperor has therefore, had
! to take into serious consideration, from the
very first, those inevitable consequences Of
the American crisis 1t conld not hesitate
as to the attitude winch circumstances
made imperative. lsr
| Having, On the one hand, the duty OF
seeing that the interests placed under its
protection should suffer as little as possible
from the struggle which was going on
! desirous, on the other hand, to show it's
respect for the internal rights and indie
( pendence of another country, il could only
pursue one line of policy to attain the
double object 1t had in view-the strict
observance of neutrality. Consequently,
while maintaining wishes for the main tain
ance Of the American Union Oh those
conditions which had until very recently
appeared best calculated TO secure its pros
perity; while being disposed, If it were
solicited to do so, to contribute by its good
Offices, to put an end to deplorable strug-
.,ts ~ H., IL
its subjects of the duties imposed upon
them by that neutrality, the benefit of
which it (the Imperial Goyernment) claim
ed in their behalf; and, on the other, to
lay down the principals which il expected
the belligerenis to respect
We have obtained in this latter respect
satisfactory declarations, and, if it did not
lay with the Emperors Government to do
away with all the embarra-smenis which
state OF war on any part OF the globe al
ways involves, the principles the applica-
ton OF which the belligerents have admit
ted viii at least have the effect of preventing
those injuries which otherwise must have
aggravated the snfierinss caused by the
present state of things.
Touching the case OF the Trent, the Blue
Book says:
The Imperial Government has acted in
conformity with those same views and
sentiments, with respect to the recent
incident, which for time gave reason to
apprehend still more serious disturbance
OF the peace of the world Faithful TO its
political friendships, as well as to the
traditions OF France, the Gov ernment
thought itself bound to express, officially,
but frankly, its opinion in an act which
appeared TO place ia question the rights
and guarantees Justly claimed by neutrals,
and which, at the same time, might bring
about collision between Great Britain
and the United States While congratu-
lating ourselves, in the interest of all
parties, on the settlement which has
taken place, we are, as far as we ourselves
are concerned, happy at the assent with
which our opinion has been received in
all quarters. and at the feeling which the
step we had taken has called forth at
Washington and London.
The Paris correspondent Of the London
Star'and Dial writes:
ihe allusion to the civil war in America
has been touched upon in a manner wor
thy the actual policy of the French Gov
erDment This moment. before | could
return from the scene Of to days ceremony,
or before the Discours d Emperor has
been posted, find that a member of the
Imperial Household has sent TO me note
containing that particular paragraph,
which, while depiorine the consequences
the war between the North and South
have in compromising the commercial
interests OF France. emphaticaliy declares
that II is the duty of neutral powers 10
abstain from interfering by armed force
TO put an end TO its evil results on foreign
commerce This bears out fully the state
ments which it has been in nv power to
make lately in relation TO the tendencies
OF the policy of the Emperor and the fall
lacies OF the hopes held out to the South
erners hy some of the English and French
newspapers, .hat France had decided upon
aiding England TO break the blockade.