The Placer herald., 1862-08-30
Smith O'Brien on the American War.

VIM. Smith O'Brien to Mr. Richard O'Gor.
man, appears in the Dublin Nation of June
81; my Dear German common with
all true friends of the American people,
continue 10 regard with horror the internel
cine war which is desoating the States OF
America. The brutal and disgusting proc,
amalion which has recently been promul GA
ted 10y Gen. Butler, at New Orleans, realizes
to our imag!naions the worst features Of
this Struggle. Have you and your friends
at New Yok calmly asked yourselves when
and how this contention is to end? | i'm
lore you in the name Of humanity to cas-,
aside the illusions with which an occasional
triumph fills the minds of the Nouherners,
and to co, si,!er whether it is possible that
YOU can sul,jucate the South, and whether,
if it were possible, such sul}jngalion ought
to lie desired by the lovers Of free insliu,
tions. You know that l am not an ad,
vocate of slavery-you know that deeply
depIore the Secession and condemn those
who pro, oked it. may add also, that |
would have rel iced if the Secession could
have been put down at it's commencement
10y the authorities Of the Repub ic-in case
they had been supported and assisted bv u
majority of The inhabitants Of the Southern
States; but ever since the battle Of Bull
Run, have felt lhai for good or evil, the
Secession has been an accomplished fact (un
tot dccompN) and that an attempt to bring
together again by force the discovered mem
bers of the Republic, would only produce
disasters greater than those which would re
suit from breaking up The Union into several
sections. The progress of the war has com
firned these convictions. Triumphs have,
irdced, been won by The FederaIs as well as
by the Confederaies; but what evidence can
be brought forward to prove that any lm'
preston has been made in support of the
Union upon the minds Of the Sonherners
by these triumphs? will not call them
ronquests. because he Federal armies have
conquered no ground except that upon
which they stand. The war has brought to
all parties The most costly sacrifices, bat it
appears to have left the minds Of the con,
tending sections of the population in state
of more intense evaporation against each
other than existed at the commencement of
the sirugo Ie. Nor ought you to forget
that many of onr countrymcn in America
are, at this moment, violating those rights
Of self government which they wish TO apply
in Europe, not only TO Ireland, but also to
Poland, to Hungary, to Veneiia, and even to
the Ionan Isles The statesmen of England
say that hese islands governed by England is
infinitely better than any government could
be which would depend upon Greece. Yet
the Ionan Islanders continue to declare
year after year, that they desire to be ncor'
porated with the Kingdom of Greece rather
than he protected 10y England; and all the
friends OF freedom think they ought to he
allowed to choose for themselves in regard
TO such question. In like manner the
Southern States Of America may or may
not act very unwisely in desiring 10 re estab'
lish for themselves an independent Confede
racN; but no one can now doubt that such
is their deliberate choice, and, this being
the case, to attempt to coerre them against
their will into connection with the Northern
States is a violation of the right of self
eovernment-is, in fact tyranny. Has not
the time arrived when calmly judging men,
such as YOU, can exercise material inHu.
ence? The authorities at Washington are
compelled to follow rather than to lead pub
he opinion upon this, as upon all other ori
casons. You, in'lividullay, could render no
greater service to humanity than that which
You would confer Ivy convening a mediateri'
al committee at New York, and ly suhse
quenlIy inviting mass meeting to prorl lain
lis opinion in t"cr Of an amirable adjust
ment of differences on terms which shall be
consistent with the honor and security of all
IA hnvo
and beyond all other considerations, beware
of foreign inteivention.' OF course YOU
understand that mean by this term armed
intervention, not friendly mediation. rom
the dav on which foreign arms shall bc
brought to compel parifiraIion, the pres
ii e and dignity Of both the Confederate
and Federal States will he lost forever.
Believe me- my dear friend, yours most
sincerely WILLIAM = ObEIEN'
Il ' ItI,