Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-04-07
EARL RUSSELL TO Mr.. MASON.
FOREIGN OFFICE,
August 9. 1862

August q 1862
Sir: have had the honor to receive your letters of
the oath Of July and LIST instant in which you repeat
the considerations which, in the opinion of the Governt
ment of the socaed Confederate States entitled tha
Government to be recognized of right as a separate
and independent power and to be received an equal
in he ag gSf ut m St 9H SR you represent as before
that the withdrawal of certain of the Confederates from
the Union of the States of North America is not to be
considered a revolution, in the ordinary accepaton
of that term far less act of nsurrection rebel
hon. but as the termination of Confederacy which
had during long course Of years, violated the terms
of the federal compact
beg leave to say in the outset that upon this ques-
ton of right of withdrawal as upon that of the pre-:
yous conduct Of the United States, her Maesys Gov
eminent have never presumed to form judgment. The
of the Constitution of the United States
and the character of the proceedings Of the President
and Congress of the United States under that const-
ton must be determined in the opinion of her Males
iva Government by the States and people in North
America who inherited, and have till recently upheld
that constitution Her Majesty's Government decline
altogether the responsibility Of assuming to be judges
in such controversy.
You state that the Confederacy has a population of
twelve mios that it has proved itself capable for
eighteen months of successful defence against every
tempt to subdue destroy it. that in the judgment of
the intelligence of all Europe the separation is final and
that under possible circumstances, can the late Fed
On the other hand the Secretary Of State of the
United States has affirmed in official DESPATCH that
large portion Of the disailected population has
been restored to the Union and evnces its loyalty
and firm adherence the government that the white
population now in instruction is under FIVE millions,
and that the Southern Confederacy owes its main
strength to hope Of assistance from Europe.
In the face of the uctuatng events Of the war; the
alterations of victory and defea the capture of New
Orleans the advance of the Federas to Corinth, to
Memphis, and the banks Of the Mississippi as far as
Vicksburg contrasted the other hand, with the fail
ue of he attack on Charleston and the retreat from
before RchmOnd-plaeed, too, between allegations so
contradictory on the part Of the contending Powers
her Maesty5 Government still determined to wait.
In order to be entitled to place among the indepen-
dent nations of the earh State ought to have not only
strength and for time, but afford promise of
stability and permanence. Should the Confederate
States of America win that place among nations it
might be right for other nations justly to acknowledge
an Independence achieved by victory and maintained
by successful resistance all attempts to overthrow
it. That time however, has not, in the judgment of
her Maesty's government yet arrived. Her Maiesty's
termination OF the present bloody and destructive con-
test may not be distant l am, &c,
RUSSELL.