Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-10-21
coNFEDERATE STATES DIpIoMIcy


With vast market for the consumption of the
manufactured commodities of foreign nations, and
with most valuable agricultural staples needed by
all the great civilized patons Of the world most
brilliant field for successful diplomacy was open to
the Confederate States. No people possessed such
vast resources for the control of the interests and
sympathies of the world, And yet ge. bslsHs no
effort has hitherto been made to bring them into
operation. Alludiug to these resources, the Rich
mond papers speak despondibgy Of the statesmen Of
the South. They have done nothing to indicate
their reputed wisdom in the great contest in which
we are engaged. The whole contest has thrown into
.prominency only the President and the Generals
This is apparently true. But if the sessions of
Congress bad been open, this would not have been
the appearance of things Efforts were made--poE
icies were declared in the Provisional Congress- we
are informed, which, if known TO the people and
the world would have shown that there were those
in the Provisional Congress who did understand the
true interests of the Confederacy and did persist
emily urge policy which would most probably have
secured to US commercial treaties with foreign ma
tons, and the recognition Of our independence 1t
was not wise to send Commissioners to Europe and
and to expect recognition of by foreign pations
without Offering to them commercial Advantages
These, whilst they would permanently benefit other
nations, would at the same time secure them from
dangers incident to a reconstruction of the Union,
and compensate them for the hazard of war with
the United States. With the knOtoLedge foreign
nations undoubtedly possessed they feared, should
they run the risk of offending the United States by
recognizing our independence, that the union be-
tween the United and Confederate States might be
reconstructed, and they would be left to meet war
against both combined They, therefore, deemed
it the better policy to let the go on until either
the Confederate States had won from the United
States their independence, or until the Confederate
States make it worth their while to defy the power
hoeS 6 81 TTr;t ol
Aware of this state of things members in the Pro-
visional Congress did strive to induce the Admin
istration to authorize our Commissioners in Europe
to propose, as the basis of commercial treaty, lOo
duties for ttoenty gears on foreign commodities i'm
ported into the Confederate States and free access
of shipping coming directly from European ports.
With stipulation, also, to lay export duties on
our agricultural productions, 4 powerful appeal
would have been made, by these combined propo-
sitions, to the interests of foreign nations Propo
sitions to carry out such policy were, We learn,
submitted to Congress. They had not been adopted
voluntarily; by instructions to our Commissioners
sent to Europe. They failed to be adopted by Con-
gress, and, might be reasonably expected our
Commissioners have failed in their diplomacy. Their
diplomacy has consisted in begging and the want
OF our cotton has alone redeemed it from positive
contempt The true course of diplomacy, required
alike by our interest and independence was under
stood and pointed out but it was opposed, and by
the secresy thrown over the proceedings of Con-
gress neither the efforts to enforce it. the eff
forts to defeat it, have been known to the world
We see it stated that distinguished diplomat has
been sent with additional powers to address foreign
nations. We trust our Government at last has seen
the wisdom of using the tariff in advantageous COM
mercial arrangements with foreign nations to kill
the apprehension of reconstruction and at the
time, give them vast and positive interest in our
independenfe as peopIe-Char. Mercury.