The New York herald., 1862-02-20
} Sober Second Thought OF Enslsnd-
The Queens Speech.

The Sober Second Thought OF England-
The Queens Speech.
Tho Queens speech to the two houses of the
British Parliament is the most interesting fea-
ture Of the European news which we submit to
our readers this morning.
Bearing in mind that these royal messages
touch only upon few of the leading govern
mental questions of the day, and in the fewest
possible words, the reader will appreciate the
Importance of her Majesty's statements in refe-
renee to the United States. She says that the
Trent affair, (which might have led to very
serious consequences" (meaning worldwide
wary "has been satisfactorily settled" and
''that the friendly relations between her Majes-
ty and the President of the United States are,
therefore, unimpaired." She might have said
they have been very much improved; but sun
impaired" will do accepting the word in its
broad diplomatic sense, and satisfied, as we
are, that her Majesty's sympathies in the matter
of this American rebellion have been with our
government from the beginning.
The change which has taken place upon this
subject in her Majesty's Cabinet, and in the
leading Ministerial and tory presses of Eng
land, since the settlement of the Trent question,
is very remarkable. From the bombardment
of Fort Sumter down to the seizure of Mason
and Slidell by Captain Wilkes, the proclama-
tions of the British government and the edito-
rials Of the British press were so manifestly
and indecently hostile to our sacred war for
the restoration of this Union In its territorial
svS<o 10 ~:v.o :,~
this country that the Palmerston Ministry, in
stigated by the British aristocracy, were ready
to pOunce even upon paltry bubble as
sufficient pretext for war against us. But the
lofty craftsmanship and magnanimous conces-
siOns of Mr.. Secretary Seward upon the Trent
affair, and upon some other questions touching
the neutral rights of England, have swept
away all the groundwork of those preceding
malignant misrepresentation of this war,
which had carried the British Cabinet to the
very verge Of armed Intervention for JEFF Davis
and his model proslavery confederacy.
The British public are now satisfied that this
country is not governed by mob, the ruling
passion Of which is a war with England; that
our government, on the other hand, is guided
by the principles of international law and good
faith, and that, instead of war with England to
please an imaginary mob, the government and
the loyal people of the United States desire
peace for the sake of peace, and upon any terms
within the limits of justice. Mr.. Seward has
made short work of the malicious and distorted
secession views of American affairs which, down
to the Trent correspondence, had done so much
to poison the public opinion of England and the
European continent against us. Hence we
may now regard tho act Of Captain Wilkes in
the affair of the Trent as most opportune and
fortunate event; for it has resulted in definite
understanding with England, whereby one Of
the main props of this Southern rebelion-the
hope Of Eugland's intervention-has been taken
away.
Nor is this all. Those leading representa-
tives of the liberal masses of England, Messrs
Golden and Bright, have been emboldened to
take higher ground than heretofore in vindica-
ton of our government. Mr.. Golden declares
that ii has become matter of "vital necessity
to England ''to 60 forward and agree to the
American doctrine of exemption in war re-
specting private property at sea, even against
akmed government ships;" and Mr.. Bright has
bravely "refuted the idea that the American
blockade is ineffective, and has stated that he
believed it could be demonstrated that there
never was in the history of Europe blockade
at one time so effective throughout so long a
line of coast" Furthermore, "he ridiculed the
idea that America (the United States) was in a
position to be trampled upon, pointed out the
danger Of any interference, and concluded by
strongly urging policy of neutrality
Such is the prevailing tone of our latest news
from Europe, beginning with the Queens
speech 1t extinguishes the last glimmering Of
English or French Intervention for the benefit
Of JEFF. Davis and his confederates; it leaves
them in their rebellion to help themselves; and
as this rebellion is now clearly within the
powerful grasp of our encrcling fleets and
armies, we again admonish the suffering people
of the South to save themselves and their do
mestic institutions from further decentralization,
by rising up at once and putting down this
Davis despotsm in a general Southern revolu-
c,,f fba rpin