Juliet signal., 1862-01-07
LETTER OF WILLIAM S. WBRIEy
American secretary of state.


of our common enemies. do not apprebend
that it will, by you, he considered intru-
sive. From the opportunities of personal
intercourse With you. afforded by your kind
hospitality in 1859, have formed too bigh
an opinion Of the magnanimity of your
character to believe that you would refuse
10 consider, with respect suggestions offered
in friendly spirit, from whatever quarter
they might proceed, aud still less when
they come from one who cherishes not less
than yourselves an unfeiyned regard for
the honor and interest of every section of
the American people.
By the recent seizure Of the Confederate
Commissioners on board of British mail
steamer, the government Of Mr.. Lincoln
has incurred fearful responsibility /
take for granted that this act will not be
disayowed! take for granted that it was
intended as deliberate affropt to the Eng
lish nation. take for granted that it vas
designed as bold and defiant answer to
the insol5nce which has been directed
against the American nation b5 every or
gan o. British opinich, ever since the civil
war broke out in the United States. How
ever this may be, it is assuredly an act
which Is fraught with consequences that
both the parties who are now contending
with each other. Unless England consent
50 forego all claims to manhood or national
honor, she must resent this seizure; and,
if the South be disposed to accept her CO.
operation, the successors of Washington
must be prepared to encounter hazards
more dangerous than have ever menaced
the Western Republic. United, the States
of America might defy the world, but
whilst they are divided, the interpositiuu of
powerful arbiter must rule their destines.
The navy of England, issuing from the
ports Of Halifax, St Johns, Bermuda, and
of the West Indies, and co operating with
land force which appears to be lit,le short
of half a million Of men, will n5t Unly
raise the blockade Of every Southern port,
but will sweep the american coast from
New Brunswick to the Potomac, burning
every town and city which les within
reach Of the formidable prcjectiles Of mod
ern artillery, and capturing every CONNER
cial vessel that may venture to quit the
prOtection of a Federal fortress. As for
Canada, the modern statesmen If England
care little whether it call itself British or
American but If an attempt be made by
the Federal States to Jorcs the Canadians
into AN incorporation with the Northern
section Of the Republic, they will simply
bring upon themselves an additional foe
They will be attacked on their Northern as
well as on their Southern frontier, and thus
overmatcbed, .hss will We compelled 10
yield to the dictates of necessity, and sub
nit to an ignOminOus peace. This is the
course of events which British opinion now
anticipates. Scarcely single Englishman
or Irish West BritOn is to be found who did
not rejoice when the civil war broke out iu
America, because the English people have
been made to feel that the o. s. were be-
coming power with whose ascendaney
they would be unable 30 cope. For the
same reason | am convinced that they
would now rejoicn 70 obtain an opportunis;
of destroying the Northern section of tht
Republic, by forming an alliance with the
Southern. They would thus acquire, with
! out i'm pediment, the cotton and other raw
materials with which the Southern State:
have been accustomed to supply them
whilst they would extinguish the political
and commercial greatness Of formidable
rival
In view of these contingencies. do ask
| you TO lower "the stars and stripes" and
to humble yourself to England? By nC
means but earnestly entreat you to re-
new relations of unity-if not Of affection
with those who are your natural friends
who ought to be your brothers in affection
I as they are your brothers by the relations
. of kindred.
/ Answer the British demands in the Ian
I guage of diplomacy. Quote authoritic:
, and precedents to show that you are iusti
| fed by the law of nations, and specially by
: the example of England, IN the seizure Of
these Commissioners. Snch discussion.
will give you time for deliberation and for
! preparation; but lose NJ: an hour in liber-
ating the Commissioners. Send them t.
the Confederate head-eusrters, and tel
them 20 return to Washington as plenipo-
tentiaries duly authorized to treat respect
ing the terms of an immediate suspension
of arms, and respecting an early adjust
ment Of the question at issue between tht
Northern and Southern States.
/ cannot persuade myself that the Con-
! federates desired that this quarrel shoull
/ be settled by the Intervention Of sn Euro,
| peau foe. When I was in the Southern
! States of the Union conversed on familiar
terms with many hundred persons, includ,
| ing the smiable and accomplished Vice
| PRECEDENT of the Southern States, Mr.
| Stephens, at whose house I was a guest
during two days. At Baltimore. at Wash
/ ington, at Richmond, at Charleston, al
Augusta, at Montgomery, at Mobile. at
! New Orleans, at Memphis, 1T Huntsvi le
at Nashville, at louisville, at Lexington,
and ut st. Louis, obtained every OPP Irtu
nifty that l could desire Of studying the
wishes ard feelings of the population oi
the slaveholding States. foun anougs
| them much exasperation-aE exasperation
which was chiefly directed against the in
habitants of the New England States but
when | asked them what they would do in
case q New Englander were wronged or
1 insulted by an European power, their un an
imous and unhesitGting answer was, "0ur
| intestine dissensiOns would, in such case
! be forgotten, and we would ar unite tC
vindicate the rights Of the humblest citi-
/ zen Of the great Republic to wh;ch we al
| belong" / cannot believe that this deplOr.
/ able war has. within the space of tx,
years, 30 changed the feelings Of the peopI,
| Of the 5 SJuthern States, a. that they wopl
| ndescend to initiate the feeble Princes %
| Hindostan, who, when disputing with eact
/ other, called in the all of u British fore,
and thus established the supremacy o
! Britain over the whole Of that vast terri
try. Nor can l believe that the Irish
who now form 50 large portion OF tht
Confederate army, will be contented to re
/ verse the hymn Of our national poet, ant
to march against their irethern, who form
q si.n larger portion Of the Northern army
singing
GThe green flag nutters DER us,
The foe we hate Is by side,
Aud the friend we love before u.s."
/ need not say that wish not less earn
estly than you that it were possible to re
unite, under one government, The Northern
and SJuthern States; but, even if this bt
now impossible, there is no reason rb,
/ these States should exhaust and destrO,
| each ether, aad humble themselves before
foreign foe. To US, who look at thi
struggle from afar, and contemplate j
| uithout sharing the passions which N haj