The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-01-23

constitutions OF States, and there was OBJ
vious propriety in giving prompt assu-
rance Of our desire TO continue amicable
relations with all mankind. IL was I'M
der the influence OF these considerations
that your predecessors. the provisional
government. took early measures for send
ing to Europe Commissioners charged
with The duty Of visiting the capitals OF
the different powers, and making arrange
ments for the opening Of more formal di-
ploma,ic intercourse.
Prior however, TO the arrival abroad of
these Commissioners, the United States
had commenced hostilities against the
Confcderacy 10y dispatching a secret ex-
petition for the reinforcement of Fort
Sumter. after an express promise to the
contrary, and with duplicity which has
been fully unveiled in former message.
They had also addressed communications
to the different Cabinets Of Europe, in
which they assumed the attitude Of being
sovereign over this Confederacy, alleging
that these independent States were in re-
bellion against tine remaining States of
the Union, and threatening Europe with
manifestations OF their displeasure if il
should treat the Confederate States as
having an Independent existence. IL
soon became known that these preten-
sions we're not considered abroad to be as
absurd as they were known to be at home,
nor had Europe yet learned what reli-
ance was TO be placed on the official state
ments of the Cabinet at Washington
The delegation of power granted by these
States to the Federal Government to rep.
resent them in foreign intercourse had
led Europe into the grave error of sup
posing that their separate sovereignty
and independence had been merged into
one common sovereignty, and had ceased
to have distinct existence. Under the
influence of this error, which all appeals
to reason and historical fact were vainly
used to dispel, our Commissioners were
met by the declaration that foreign gov
ernments could not assume to judge be-
tween the conflicting representations of
the two parties as to the tire nature of
thr previous mutual relations. The gov.
ernments of Great Britain and France ac-
cordingly signifed their determination
to confine themselves to recognizing the
self-evident fact of the existence of war,
and to maintaining strict neutrality du-
ring its progress. Some of the other pow
ers of Europe pursued the same course of
policy, and it became apparent that by
some understanding, express or tacit, Eu-
rope had decided TO leave the initiative
in all action touching the contest on this
continent to the two powers just named,
who were recognized to have the largest
interest involved, both by reason of prox-
ii &c tha md ,nt nf
their commercial relations with the States
engaged in war.
1t is manifest that the course of action
adopted by Europe, while based on an ap-
parent refusal to determine the question,
or to side with either party, was in point
of fact an actual decision against our
rights and in favor of the groundless pre-
tensions of the United States. 1t was a
refusal to treat us as an Independent gov
eminent. five were independent States,
the refusal to entertain with us the same
international intercourse as was main.
tanned with our enemy was unjust, and
was injurious in its effects, whatever may
have been the motive which prompted it..
Neither was it in accordance with the
high moral obligations of that information.
al code whose chief sanction is the con-
science of sovereigns and the public opin-
ion of mankind, that those eminent pow
ers should decline the performance of a
duty peculiarly incumbent on them, from
any apprehension of the consequences to
themselves. One immediate and neces.
sary result of their declining the respon.
siblity of a decision which must nave
been adverse to the extravagant preten.
sions Of the United States, was the pro.
longation of hostilities to which our enc
mics were thereby encouraged and which
have resulted in nothing but scenes of
carnage and devastation on this cont.
nent, and Of misery and suffering on the
other, such as have scarcely q parallel in
history. Had those powers promptly ad-
mitted our right to be treated as all other
Independent nations none can doubt
that the moral effect ofsuch action would
have been to dispel the delusion under
which the United States have persisted
in their efforts to accomplish our subjuga-
ton. 70 the continued hesitation of the
same powers in rendering this act of sim
pie Justice towards this Confederacy is
still due the continuance of the calami-
ties which mankind suffers from the in.
terruption of its peaceful pursuits, both in
the old and the new worlds.
There are other matters in which less
than justice has been rendered to this
people by neutral Europe, and undue adj
vantage conferred on the aggressors in q
wicked war. At the inception of hostil-
tiles the inhabitants of the Confederacy
were almost exclusively agrculturists;
those of the United States, to a great
extent, mechanics and merchants. We
had no commercial marine, while their
merchant vessels covered the ocean. We
we're without a navy, while they had
they possessed for inhicting injury on our
coasts and harbors was thus counterbal-
anced in some measure by the exposure
of their commerce to attack by private
armed vessels. 1t was known to Europe
that within a very few years past the
United States had peremptorly refused
to acceGe to proposals for abolishing pri-
Watering, on the ground, as alleged by
them, that nations owning powerful fleets
would thereby obtain undue advantage
over those possessing inferior naval forces.
GU HO SOOneI WAS war ldBianO OeIWCell
the Confederacy and the United States,
than the maritime powers Of Europe is.
sued orders prohibiting either party from
bringing prizes into their ports. This
prohibition directed with apparent impair
TALLY against both belligerents, was in re.
ality effective against the Confederate
States alone, for they alone could find a
hostile commerce on the ocean. Mere
ly nominal against the United States, the
prohibition operated with intense severi-
ty on the Confederacy, by depriving il Of
the only means maintaining, with some
approach to equality, its struggle on the
ocean against the crushing superiority Of
naval force possessed by its enemies
The value and efficiency of the weapon
which was thus wrested from our grasp
by the combined action OF neutral Eu-