New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-18
From France,

From France.
| From Our Own Correspondent.
! PARIS, Feb. 90, 1863
| The naval action before Charleston has greatly
exLiarated Soul herlers aud their friends in Europe
Its bearing upon tie Blockade question attracts
larger attention. You will observe that Lord
Paluerston, when questioned the other evening in
the House Of Commons, declined giving au opinion,
on tie ground that Government had no Information
in the case beyond the American telegram report
Of it. Bat you will also observe that Tie Tunes
and The Pest have taken pains to argue from that
same information that the blockade bad not been
legally raised. This is as was to be expected. The
effectiveness Of Jockades is the last question that
England is ike 10 60 10 law with us about. Size ID
quite TOO well aware that may he her bull 10
any next war she engages N. France with con-
sisteucy might be more exacting, aud insist upon
echnicaltiee, if Davis can prove that Beauregards
proclamation was true for twenty-four hour. The
Government press here hiss not yet been told what
opinions it should have on the subject a writer in
| la Presse, journal generally favorable to our
cause, the author OF remarkable series OF articles
Oh International Maritime Law, claims that tho block
Gde was really raised by the sortie Of the Conied
crate vessels. II is fit to remark, however that he
claimed tie blockade already ~ have been only tc
lions one and draws from the American newspaper
reports Of the naval action in question only an Gddl-
toual argument in favor oi BIS previous concusOns
Il is fit further to say that this writer il no Nc more
iimIelled by hostility to the Union than are tie
writers of The Times and Post by friendly feelings
TO our cause. They wrte from the point OF view Of
the traditional policy and probable future nercsts
of their respective netiona. Per CONTRA writer III
the Gazette des Trl5unaax, whose opinions, am
told hayo for them the authority Of special studies
ana sound judgment, argues that even according TO
the Southern account Of the naval battle aud Its re-
sults, the port OF Charleston ia az effectively BLOCK
AIDED as ever before. That IL effectively block
AIDED before ID plain, he saysi else why did not
ships Of commerce 20 in and out Of il IL is not
the duty Of neutral powers to punish their subject
merchants for go doing, ana II would evidently not
be in the power OF the United States Government
TO punish them for attempting 10 do II the block
ade were fictitious. Ana the Uni'ed States could
found no claim upon their 10 dong for damages OF
apologies from the nsiiOns under whose nag they
sailed IN and cut. The views OF this wrier are 30
clearly in accordance with common sense, that an
provoked 70 doubt the informant otherwise trust
worthy who rays thai ne IL learned ia international
law.
! One result, however, Of that sea fight before
Charleston is objectionable. Its moral effect Oh
European opinion In better worth Tor Tue south Than
a dozen speeches Of Mr.. Gladstone, to persuade TIE
world thai it has made sef baton, and IS making
itself navy. Nor VIII rcalns OF jaunty diplomatic
| dispatches however hetltIOusly magnificent, nor
the sranng to parallel with the Of eOmetbin
essentially different i'll the history of British mari
time cieGsters, DC away with that effect. The taking
Of Charleston would. When shall We ever rid our
selves OF this mischievous passion for magnificent
fctious," and for crooked parallels drawn from
English bisory2 They have the double dement,
apart from the moral One) OF deceiyng OursClTcS
ana not deCelying any one else. The very ingenious
and, am sure, perfectly sincere author of pamp
let, entitled " How Free People Conduct Long
4 81
hes been me- siIkingly illustrates in hs person
the force Of THO passion. In HE forced comparison
! of the Penin6uiar War and The Euglish conduct
Of II With our pretent war and our conduct Of
it, he constantly Omits slur5 qualifying facts
whose Weighty consideration ID essential to fair
comparison, though ii wOuld destroy the parallel.
Having referred 10 the financial among other dill
cuiiies OF EDl laild In that war he says: How
England survived all this complication o! troubles is
Of the maryels OF history, but it is not our pur
pore TO discuss that question" The very question,
above al others, for us to discuss in our present
crisis " The great fact that the money required was
somehow raised is all that We have to do with al
present. On the contrary II IL immeasuTably more
Important for TO know how il was raised than
that it was raised somehow" And the documents
That would give that knowledge are at hand. Why
not learn that the money wab raised as money only
can be raised, by working vigorously, unihchngly,
uhPoPuldriy, the taX.pump, and not papeI-inill.
Why pick out from the documents here and there
~ WI IiVm t"Gif "VNOb P"ugIhb 'VHIicH' I'"il
facts and figures dat WW lie apart IRON cOmplemqp
tary calculations and arrange them az 10 mask the
ruin Aud this under preteXt Of giving oucour-
cement ana keeping up hole! Are we really 80
weak That we cannot look whole truth in the face,
because 1t Is disagreeabc Are not our knees strong
enough 10 sustain as Oh "A solid working ground Oi
reality, between idle hope and idle despair?
faIdoh me Tor taking my text from al American
pahphlet LOT European letter. There is only
seeming irrelevancy IN the case. Nothing is more
nohced here, nothing more regretted by our real
friends, ana more maiiciously commented on by our
enemies, than this our American tendency To- seIf
deception. "Aud her prophets have daur,ed them
with unemperedi mortar, seeing vanity md OWNING
lies, TIE maenincenGe Of which looks like the
Not that nope Is not go2,l and faith. but founded
deep on solid oonyetic.ls not floating sIpeId,sIv
on wih1 pags' WHi0- are hot pfeservers OF naonis
me. Hear T@,ner from Old soptagonaIign Guizo,
iookp. oack over :sfee generations Of revolution,
OF storm and partial wreck that often seemed for The
moment total, and forward over the present false
calm Of the despotical.y stilled waves. to surely
rising liberty II tao future Of Frsgce. Neither /