The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-24
The Radical Cry for War with Eng
land.

school are beginning to clamor for war
with England as the most effectual means
of suppressing the rebellion. They have
had more than million men, and money
to the amount of thousands Of millions,
but have made such bad use of both that
the object of the war seems as far distant
as when it first commenced. The eman-
cipation proclamation, that was to have
made the "highways and by-ways swarm
with soldiers" and electrify every niger
in the country into hero for liberty, has
utterly failed and has been without any
other effect than to divide and distract
the North-and now as the time ap-
proaches when a dozen iron-clads and
rams, now being constructed in England,
ostensibly for the Emperor of China"
but really for the South, are about to
be launched against us, it is suddenly dis
covered that war with the greatest mari
time power in the world is all that is
wanted "to kindle fire which will sweep
the rebellion from the face of the earth"
The Press of yesterday says:
Let England put her little finger in the quar-
rel, and we shall begin to fight. Half mill
ion American soldiers fighting against the in
sOlent interference OF a foreign power, would
be worth a million fighting to settle a domes-
tic question. We are fighting now so as not to
hurt any body. Then we shall fight to kill.
We hail the advent of this British fleet then.
as we hailed the Copperhead mistakes of
Springfield and Indianapolis" and for the same
reason. 1t will unite, invigorate and exalt the
patriotic determination of the American peo-
pie. All the fleets of Europe will not save the
rebel Confederacy. They may break the block
ade and burn New York and Boston, and an
initiate our commerce. 1t will be sad, but it
will not help them. The first thunder ola
hostile cannon which is heard in New York,
will be the death knell OF the COnfederacy.
The noise may be heard in the North, but the
shot will strike the heart of the rebellion.
That first gun Of a rebel fleet which shall me-
mace Northern city, will be the signal for the
WAR to commence Heretofore we have been
playing at our leisure with the rebel power,
like cat with mouse, which, by and by, he
intends to devOur.
Such stuff as the above is scarcely wor-
thy of any one in his right mind. A war
with England just now, would seal the dis
solution of the Union; it is therefore to
be regarded as calamity of infinite i'm
portance, and every measure to avoid it
should be adopted. When the seizure of
MASON and SLIDELL aroused the people,
there was perfect unanimity of sentiment
in the country on the subject of holding
them, but the officers of the Government
felt that the fate of the Union was invOlv-
ed in the question of war with England,
and they sacrificed honor and pride to that
highest object of our political homage.
The people approved this course and for
got it for the time. Every reason ope-
rates now as then, to forbid the idea of
going to war with England.
That England intends to recognize the
Southern Confederacy, is most explicitly
contradicted by Earl RUSSELL in speech
in the House of Lords, on the 21st ult.,
as the subjoined extracts will show:
But after having listened to my noble friend,
I must confess remain in the same persuasion
as before at the present mOment-and speak
only of the present mOment-that there is no.
thing this country could do usefully and wisely
which would tend to the termination of hos
tilities on the other side of the Atlantic. x X x
Well then, in this state of affairs should say
that, looking to the question of right, it would
not be friendly act towards the United States
s. Gle II
country with which we have long maintained
relations of peace and amity-a great country
which says it can still carry on the war-it
would, l say, be a failure of friendship on our
part if at this moment we were to interpOSe
and recognize the Southern States. All 1 main
tain is, that it is our duty at present to stand
still and not to proceed to an act so definite, so
positive-an act SO untriendly to the United
States, as that Of the recognition of the South.
If we have taken part in interventions, it has
been in behalf Of the independence, freedom
and welfare of great portion Ofmankind. l
should be sorry, indeed, if there should be any
Intervention on the part of this country which
could bear another character. lCheers. 1 trust
that this will not be the case, and that no in
terests, deeply as they may affect us-interests
which imply the well-being of a great portion
of our people, but interests which may affect
also the freedom AMI happiness of other parts
of the glObe-will induce us to set an example
different from that OF our ancestors, but that
when we are bound to interfere, it will be au
interference in the cause of liberty and to pro-
mote the freedom of mankind, as we have
hitherto done in such cases. Hear. 1t is
with this conviction that have addressed these
few remarks as to what has been done by this
country in former days, and l trust that, with
regard to this civil war in America, we may be
able to continue our impartial and neutral
course.
The above declarations of the Govern
ment were made doubtless in good faith,
and should be received in the same spirit.
There is no doubt that the neutrality laws
of England have been grossly violated on
behalf of both the South and the North.
There is some reason to think that all ma
rhine nations have an interest in requir-
ing Great Britain to regard the Alabama
as either British vessel or pirate, since
she has never been in Confederate port,
and therefore never transferred to a 'bel-
ligerent in this war. But these ques-
tons can be settled in the ordinary course
of diplomacy, without the aid of shot and
L II 1%1n