The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-27
The Folly of Dependency.
Our War Discouragement and
Precedents from History.
NJ EDWARD EVERETT.

Inc government anu loyal pcop'o VI sHS
United States, are now engaged in war of
almost unexampled magnitude. Lord Pal
merston is reported to have said in h's late
speech on Intervention, that the Thirty
Years War IN Germany could not be COM
pared with the present contest in North
America, meaning, ofcoursc, in the numbers
actually engaged in the struggle, and in the
extent of country over which it is carried on.
The whole civilized world necessarily suffers
from the effects Of such contest we who
are directly engaged il it, from the heavy
weight of the financial burden and the more
cruel loss Of precious life which it occasions;
and the other nations from the interruption
of the peaceful pursuits ofcommerce. While
the supply Of the great staple of the South,
so important to the manufacturers ofEuroPe,
is almost cut off, the consumption Of foreign
fabrics at the North, an element quite as es-
sential to European prosperity, has been
greatly reduced by the general retrenchment
of unnecessary expenditure, and by the en-
hancement required by the wants of the
Treasury, Of duties on imports. These cir
cumstances produce no little impatience at
home and abroad, at the prolon CATION ofthe
war. Before it had lasted twelvemonth,
the British minister of Foreign Affairs init
mated that ii was time for the Christian
people Of America to consider whether it was
q q -
not their duty to put on end to the contest,
and the press Of England, almost without
exception, is crying out upon the barbarity
of prolonging the struggle. Many urge, at
every temporary reverse of the Union arms,
that it is high tine for foreign powers, with
out the slightest grievance Of their own suf.
fering interests, but out Of regard to the
general cause of humanity, outraged, as
they say. by the unreasonable prolongation
Of hopeless contest.
But why hopeless, and in what respect
unreasonably prolonged +? The British Pre-
mier compares our struggle with the Thirty
Years War in Germany; but there is anoth-
or war, and thatin the last generation, which
affords much more instructive points of COM
parison. The wars, or rather the war of the
French revolution, for 1t was continuous
contest, with an epic unity Of council and
action on both sides, may be considered as
commencing in 1902, with the Prussian in
vasion Of France, and as terminating in 1915,
with the second restoration of the Bourbons,
period of twenty three years, interrupted
but for eight months. by the, peace Of Ami
ems. This war was waged, with the greatest
variety of fortune, between revolutionary
France on the one side, and the rest of Eu-
rope, under the lead Of England, on the 9th
or. It may be lkened in many respects to
the war now waged by the South, under an
insurrectionsry government, against the
Government Of the United States of America.
I, of course. intend no comparison in respect
to the substantial justice Of the cause on
either side, between the parties severally in
volved in this tremendous struggle. But it
may be maintained (what candid persons In
England will find no difficulty in admitting)
that tho Goyernment and people Of Great
Britain could not and cannot possibly be
more thoroughly convinced of the substan-
tial justice Of the war waged by herself and
the other powers of Europe, under her lead
against revolutionary France, than the Gov
srnmsnt and loyal people Of the United
States are convinced Of the Justice Of the
war they are waging against the aggressive
rebellion Of the South. II England and her