Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-02-19

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DrOuyn d'Lhuys, under the date of the oh
of January have taken the presidents in.
structions and now proceed to give You hi
ideas upon the subject in question. 1t has been
considered with seriousness, resulting from the
reflection that the people of France are known
to be faultless sharers with lie An n. ma
tioT, in the misfortunes ohd caiamiti1N' ot our
unhappy civil war nor do we on this, any
more than on other occasions, forget the tra.
ditional friendship of the two countries, which
we unhcsitatingly believe has inspired the cou1.
sells that Mr., Drouyn dLhuys has impaired
He says "the federal government does not des
pair, we know, of Civ ny more active impulse
to hostiilies;" and again he remarks, The pro.
traction OF the struggle, in a word, has moi
shaken the confidence of the federal govern.
ment in the dcfniIiye success of its efforts
These passages seem to me To do uninlenlona
injustice TO the language, whether confidential
or public, in which this government has con.
stantly spoken ON the subject of the war. II
certainly has had and a,owed only one purpose
a determination to preserve the in,agrity oil
the country. So far from admitting any laxity
OF eilort, or beiraling any despondcncy, The
government has, on the contrary. borne itspll
cheerfully in all vicissitudes, with unvar,ing
confidence in an early and complete triumph of
the national cause. Now, when we are in a
manner invited by friendly power to review
the twenty.onn months history OF the conflict,
we find no occasion to abae tha: confidence,
through which, in an alienation of victories
and defeats, "s is the appointed incident of war
the land and naval forces Of the United State
have steadily advanced, recaming from The in
snrgentS the ports, forts and posts which the
had treacherOusly seized before the strife ne
tuaily began, and even before it was seriously
apprehended. So many of the states and J's-
tricts which the insurgents in cluded in the field
of their projected exclusive slave holding do
minion, have already been re established under
the Nag OF the Union that they now la,s<l only
the states OF Georgia, Alabama ahd Texas.
with half of Virginia, half of North Carolina,
o.thirds of South Carolina half of Missis-
sippi, and one-thrd respectively of Arkansas
and Louisiana. The national forces he'd even
this small territory in close bockade AMI seige.
This government, il required, does moi hesitate
to submit its achievements 10 the test Of COM
parison and il maintains that in no part of the
world, and in no times, ancient or modern, has
a nation, when rendered al ready for combat
by the enjoymenls of eighty years of almost
peace, so quickly awakened at the
alarm of srdilion, put forth energies so vigHr-
Gus, and achieved successes so signal and ef-
fective, as those which have marked the prog
rcSs OF this contest on the part of the Union.
NJ. Drouln d'Lhuls, | fear, has taken other
light than the correspondence Of this govern
mcnt tor his guidance in aSccrtaiug lis temper
and ability. lie has probably read of di,iSi0ns
OF sentiment among those who hold themselves
forth as organs OF public opinion here, und has
given TO them an undue importance.
1t is TO be remembered that this is a nation
nf thirty millions cirilly divided into forty.one
states and territories, which cover an expanse
hardly less than Europe, that the people are
peace democracy, exercising everywhere the ut
most freedom ofspeech and suffrage; thata great
crisis necessarily produces vehement as well as
profound debate with sharp collisions of ndi-
'idua local and sectional interests aud convic-
ions, and that this heat of controversy is in
'reased by the intervention of speculations in
erests, preiudioa- aud passions from every
other part OF the civilized world II is, how
ever through such debates, that the agreement,
ot the nation upon any subject is habtually at
aned, its resolutions framed, and its policy cs-
ablished. While there has been much indif
erence of popular opinion and favor concern
ny the agents who shall carry on the war, the
principles on which it shall be waged, and the
means with which it shall be prosecuted NJ.
Drouyn dLhuys has only to refer to the stat
ate book of Congress, and the executive ordi-
lanceS, to learn that the national activity has
hitherto been and yet is as effccuul as that of
my other nation, whatever its form of govern
ncnt ever was under circumstances OF equally
grave import o its peace, safety an welfare
lot one voice has been raised any where out of
he immediate field of the insurreclion, in ia
'or of foreign intervention, or mediation, or
arbitration, or Of compromise with the rtln-
lu;shmeut of one acre Of the national domain,
n the surrender of even one constitutional
ianchse. AT the same time il is manifest TO
he world that our resources are yet abundant,
md our credit adequate to the existing emer-
,ency.
Whet NJ. Drouyn d'Lhuys suggests, is, that
his government shall appoint commissioners
o meet on neutral grounds. commits Sioners If
he insurgents. lie SuppoSrs that in the con-
ercnces to be thus held, reciprocal complaints
ould be discussed, and in place of the accusa-
ions which the North and South now mutually
a>t upon each other, the conference would be
'ngaged with discussions Of the interests which
liN'e thcm lie assumes further, that TIE
will seek by means Of well or
Tered and profound deliberations, whether
heSe interests are defnitevcly irreconcilable. |
whether separation is an extreme that can no
onger he avoided, or whether the memories of
common existence, the ties of every kind |
which have made of the North and the South |
me whole federalve state and have borne
hem on to so high degree of prosperity. are
iot more powerful than the causes which have
laced arms in the hands of the two popula-
ions.
TIE suggestion is not an extraordinary one
nd it may well have been thought hy the EN-
,eror of tie French in the elrnestness of his |
benevolent desire tor the restoration of peace.
feasible one. But when NJ. Drouyn d'LtWs
hall come to review it in the light in which it |
must necessarily he examined in this country. |
think he can hardly fail to perceive that it |
mounts to nothing less than a proposition,
hat while this government is engaged in sup |
'ressing an armed insSurrection with the pur- |
'ose OF maintaining the constitutional national |
uthority and preserving the integrity of the |
ountry, it shall enter into diplomatic discus |
ion with the insurgents upon the questions
whether that authority shalt not be renounced, |
nd whether the country snail not be delivered |
yer TO disunion, to be quickly followed BY ever
Increasing anarchy, If it were possible for the |
government of the United States to compromise |
he national authority so far as to enter into |
uch debates il is not easy to perceive what
.ood results could be obtained by them. The
commissioners mnst agree in recommending,
ither that the Union shall stand, or that il
hal! be voluntarily dissolved, or else they must
cave the vital question unsettled, to abide at
ast the fortunes of the war. The government
las not shut out knowledge of the present tenn
er, any more than the past purposes of the in
urgents. There is not the least ground to
oppose that the controlling actors would be
ersuaded al this moment by any arguments
hich national commissioner could offer. TO
DlpuO The La II. |