, 1863-02-06

With increasing tOllcltEdP the t0Ertr OF The
during the past year, 1t waseepeeia1!F anxious to
concllnte the maintenance. Of friendly neutrality
with the duty Of protecting its own coan.Eynen,
It has not neglected any one Of the oppoFtuni-
ties which authorized it 10 e1paln its opinions to
tile Federal Government on tue dangers 4nd dini'
cnlsics of the situation: hut while epeakin; with
Ill sincerity, 1t careful to give its oaacrvations
the mot friendly form, and it II EaPpy to say that
as ce pceh having I'll onits reseat
confined its cpmnl nuiCat!ons with the Federal
Government to kind OF confidential exchange Of
ideas, circumstances induced it to believe that the
moment WIS come to tE5 q more decided step:
It thought that after two years OF 20 dieaa-
t:ous struggle the season when military opera
tions arc Of necessity suspended. could not be euf
fcrcd pass without some effort to turn 1t to the
advantage Of prace and compromise.
The Enpcror's government was deeiro1s not
and English gose1nmcnts to join it: 60 that 10.
Ecthcr they night bring about an armi ticc for six
months between the Federal Government and the
s:onfedeEates Of the South. The answer Of the
that they shared the feelings which had led us to
make the proposal, tl"'y declined coming to the
understanding suggested.
We certainly regretted this determination; Int
we were conscious of having obcycd thu dictates
Of humanity aud sound policy. We are convinced
have couributrd TO prevent useless i,oodshed IND
to hasten the Elonrnt Of reconciliation. the con-
ditions OF which we're Of tourse to be Icft entirely
to the free choice OF the htlligerents.
There lie evidently no sufficient ErounG for n6
to resume alone thr initiative OF project which,
as We thought from tho fret, ought to be under
taken with the concurrence Of our allies: Int we
have taken care TO let 1t he known ut Washington
that VIC were gGite ready. IL it should BE- desired.
20 facilitate, either alone or collectively. III any
form that might be INDICATED ths work ef peace III
join us.
Next we come to tile correspondence, which
extends over fourteen columns of the ~Nvni-
te7,r, and which our readers, to SAY the least,
,Sin pronounce extraordinary in many re-
Fpects. lis two topics arc Butler and McIja-
ton. or Mediation and Butler
4 dispatch Of NJ. Thouyencl, dated March
9Th, 1af9, inquiries Of II. Mcrcier whether, :lf-
ter the recent success obtained by the Federal
arms in Kentucky and Tennessee, the moment
has not arrived for the Washington Cabinet to
examinc if The exclusive method of coercion
Is, after al, the best for rcmcdying the evil
already done, and that which c:,u be easily
foresecD if the war he continued" All Eu-
rope will with satisfaction see the Federal
Government seeking itself The basis of some
transaction destined TO drive away {conin,rr)
Ill troubles, and avoid further complications,
which will too early arrive during the pre-
sent crisis If its prolongation would render
more heavy than they are already tile sacri-
Iccs suffered by commerce and industry In
Europe.
II. Mercier replies II n Thoyene1, March
81, 1862, that, according to his instructions,
he had held IN interview with Mfr. Seward,
and WAS awaiting thc the news Of the fate Of
New Orleans. The French Minister after
wards reports conversation which he had
held with influential pertonagcs, and who, in
answer to his remark tlat the war increased
South. said, I'VE donot expect 10 rcunite FRAT
farhtrl The South Will lis against its will hit NC
hope that. :.ft trr having relieved it from the in
iluencc Of its present leaders, and having Civ
IN it 4 severe lesson, 1t will return to the
right path. We are resolved to carry OIL the
test IL the end, and # afterwards the ,,njority
Uf the S1aies persist In separation, NC will Iet
them h;.ye it, n. Mcrcier believes that this
is the ruling opinion ii, the North; that the
mass Of the public is beginning to :..,s tired
uf the wAr, but that its conservative instinct
still binds 1t strongly IL the Union, and which
it hopes1o see preserved by Kl<{anyc Of vic
tories aud rouccesione.
4 dispatch, bearing date April 10, throws
little light upon the journey undertaken tt
Richmond by Baron Mercicr, and which created
sucli excitement at tue time. 1t appears tha
he undertook it at The s"lyr*tion Of -Nr. Sr'cars
hinasr .rlo then dr'iesyd il tie s1.fdy 1c4Stabfi1
5nrnf IF tie Union, and without having previous
uniformed theF nchgo:ernnent ofhis inten
tion. Before liz departure II. Mcrcercamc II
an understanding will Lord Lyons, and RI
peated to Mr. Seward that the object Of hi
journey was mt connected with the recogni
about an 0rrdHgrant TIE Secretary charge
him to xtate at Iiith,oA kdt TIC North .cds uetst
afol bYno scHtitlenf1tJ rt7~ngt, and that grea
satisfaction p>o"ld b. afforded TO the ishabitaat
1y, The sight Of such :StnsstVrs ds tie South ayI
cusl*t7tto ~eud.
Of the many conversations which n. Me,
cier mentions having had at Richmond witt
seEcral important pcrsonagcs, that with Mr.
Benjamin deserves to he nutcd down. Tia
gentleman eaid that the South had reckone,
too much upon Europe and the power of tn
commercial interests in suspense: bu
that, nevertheless, tho whole population
was unanimous In desiring separation
The South had suffered much, hut was rcSo1y
cd to suffer still moretu reach t1le goal. "W'
do not disscmblc from ourselves" added Mr
Benjamin. THAT the FedcEilsts are Possessed
Of resources much ,nore considerable thar
ours, and that they may in the cnd gam pos
Session Of all our ports: but If they take ou
cities they will only find therein women, chill
dren and old men. In the War Of 1udepend
cnce the English were at one time III posse:
sion Of all tile citics situate On the eeaboard
but for all that they did not succeed in carr,
ing the day. The situation l. precisely th
same. The North combats, as England di
formerly. to preserve her supremacy, aud W
to conquer our independence Nt.
Bnt VIC give the actual words:
Itold Iii; ben}amln {writes II. Mc7eicr) tia
self the real siatr of attairs and that came
ask hIs aid in attaining it. lie replied that i,
@ would assist me with the eTeates' pleasure, an
which. according to all he could catac. appear.
to be little known In the North.
give ycu summary. II. le Ministre OF wis
Mr. nen5an'in raid to me; and what have lcArae
nond: We havc, ! ~as told, relied too 1nuc
interests; but. However i!'st any be. ron viii
convinced lint we are determined to conquer OF
Independence at all hazards On this point. Il,
scntimtnts Of our people are unanimous. The
have already eufE.red much, but they will cnlur
We do not diegHise from ourrcltcs that the Fcde,
hle possess !n1nitcly superior resources. nnd Il,
ruu, make themselves 1na>tvts of onr posts. Ii,
In capturing our citics th"y will end only wo,ne
old men EEd calitrrn- Tie whole popnls,io,
terror. beyond thr reaci, of :,unboat- and in pre-
cnce Of such rs-:stancc, the North Will he obli
cd to yield. We remember that In lhc war Of i
dependence. the En:lief1 nlomcntarily held pos &c
eion Of nearly alltEr cities on the eoast. bat 81
cnmbed. notwithstanding. The same result "
now Thn psefst t't1at:on cxsstS G i,
North fights to retain ita power and wcslth. at
nc, like the Americans, light for indcpsn':cue
Our people arc to-day animated by un,n!>takat
erptincute Look ut tho women: tlry aFe iot
mort in urging their lu-ban:ls. thci. soas. the
brothers, to take up arms. By their habits 2
people gro BITTER prepafct{ for & military ~ u
terms, our troops have alyaye had thr advanta2
Our measures are takc,, to hold Rlchmond as ID;
Us possible, ard If at last we should be fofcrd
abandon Virgins. It woClI be certainly q hea
loss to us, hut VIC should not diepalr. Aoreort
We can, i absolutely necessary. defend 0urse!vt
hut the Nn1th cannot attack Us without none
On the other hand, VIC will not hes'tate an
etant to burn our cot.on aud onr tobacco, rath
than permit them to fan into the hands Of t.
have met here cvery ircnort,nt nnb1ic nj
sonaGe and all have held tic rnme ia,rrnrc, a1
caprcsted 10 me thc rnnc scptImcnta An1o,
Of their character and for shcir m ~
cefs;on at the out+vt Of the quarrel. Thc ~ an
ton now as'ees whether the dct.r,ninat5onHea S Ha'
to resist crcry trinlt cannot atter,nt 10 d.,is
but ece many reasons for hot dou,A;ns t}eir n
feet sincerity At this momcn,. How, ottcrwii
could be explained tho entire eatrni~.io., ~
which the people accept all the n,iEcrlc. to VII
circumstances condemn tlcm:
In tho following dispatch, dated Julv
1862, NJ. Thouvcncl shows himself still IN
cxrited {e53,u) by tisc Curation Of the war,
Affections Of which had for Europe just b
aggravated By the adoption Of the new ta
which was almost equivalent to closing
United States market. France has pcrsis
In maintaining the stHctest neutrality, bn
is impossible 10 diskinulate thai no g"vt
ment can remain Indefinitely deaf to tho c;
plants arising around 1t, when these q
plants arc the echo Of the general scntinl
Of the country. Now It Is easy to perez
saye the Minister, thai the necessity Of the
luton Of the American conflict appears {
day more pressing, while at the samc t
tho clcarest minds Of Europe tend more
more to doubt the possibility Of rc-cs
ton. I Itwouli i>c an c
TO suppose that an nnfavorable spirit TIM
ti'neht 1su MenteiIlan) towards the Fed
Government Ut all induces this opinion.
oae cts..s. s"nacc!:oH, but conrincce 'a1f