The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-05-16
Letter from London.
To Ike Editors Of the Richmond Enquirer:
Innpo., 1QAL March 1860

To Ike Editors Of the Richmond Enquirer:
LONDON, 18th March. 1862.
The news of our recent disasters in the
West has demonstrated the fact. which
each successive Federal victory from the
battle at Somerset to the occupation Of
Nashville, has only served to place IN
clearer light, that no considerable por.
ton of the British people desire or con-
template our subjugation by the North
These Federal successes have, indeed, pro
duced an effect here which surprises me-
ny. The journals vie with each other TO
demonstrate that tnese successes bring
the North no nearer to its object than 1t
was after the disgraceful route at Manssa
sas, and that the real difficulties Of the.
campaign are only just beginning .lrt
show more intelligent comprehensive
Of our resources, and many already pre-
dict decisive overthrow of the Northern
forces so soon as, allured by deusive sue
cesses, they shall have hostile territory
in their rear. Such an overthrow, they
argue, must be far mere disastrous than
was the Bull Run route where their own
capital lay within easy distance of the fu-.
gitives. Not one respectable English pa.
per has made our calamities n theme for
rejoicing or for taunts. Even papers sup
posed to be in the Northern interest, such
as the "Daily Telegraph have contented
bo o,eolt,oO t,,itI fl,a l,o,1a bof tha Nnrtn
would seize the opportune moment 10
proffer an honorable peace. AT first this
hope was very generally entertained, but
further advices from the deluded section
have dissipated it from most minds.
But the most remarkable effect of the
late news from home is the prediction
made few days since by Earl Russell in
the House of Lords, that peace would be
made within three months, perhaps soog-
erin manner consistent with the hap.
piness and freedom OF both continents;
! that the North-here are Earl Russel's
| own words--"w whatever may be their mill
tary successes, whatever may be their ma
val victories, whatever positions they may
occupy, will at lost consent to peaceabie
separation of two States which might both
be mighty" Considering that the for
eign Secretary has been the open apollo
gist Of all the outrages of the Washing
ton Government, that he dealt the hea
West blow he could deal by declaring the
blockade effective when the concurrent
testimony of British consuls and nava
commanders had declared i sham il
contrav euiiou of international law, thu
forcin z t,rezrs-r~t,essts of tt1o tieoizafis &
the alternative of silence or of an oper
war against the Ministry for which they
were not ready-considering that Ear
Russell is believed to be almost the onl,
serious obstacle to our recognition, this i
surely most remarkable and signifcan
declaration. 1t is not less significant tina
the Ministerial organ, the Morning Post,
publishes a series of letters, with Ear
Russel's prediction for their text, in
tended to prove that this prediction cal
only be fulfilled by the immediate re
cognition of the Confederate States.
This morning the POST comes GU
"fat-footed," as we say at home, and ed
torially declares "the fact is, the ult
mate and final separation between Mort
and South has been incontestably accom-
plished. Each new phase OF the campaig
makes this fact only more and more al
parent. The successes of the Federa
arms, few though they have been. have
more than anything else, tended to rer
der the fusion of the belligelents into
single nation impossible. How long ii wi
be before this truth acknowledged in tn
Northern States it is not easy to foretel
but in the interests of the world at large
in the interests of humanity, and especla
ly in the interest of the now irrevocabl
divided portions Of a great and industr
Gus people, we sincerely pray that ths
time may not be far distant"
To enforce the impossibility of re-col
struction upon the British mind, paper
of all shades Of opinion have Dorrowe
/, comparisons near home. The attempt {
. the North is compared to an attempt {
France to subjugate England, and OF ii
! two impossibilities the latter is declare
!. the less.