Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-16
ENGLAND AND TIE coNFEDERACY.

WEpN EtsDAl MOlS1NN, WI. A1' Acoo.
ENGLAND AND TIE CONFEDERACl.
Itou-:,s to have been known here from the
first, !. w4s not, that England could be no
friend 10 the Confederacy or it's cause al
though sufficiently an enemy I" the oh''e'
States to desire the final disruption OF tue
Union. We have been long in finding out Tue
truth. and before we would admit II, have en-
dured some humiliutions and insolent airs on
the part Of that Power, which surprised us
very rucb-but ought not 70 have done So
At last the thing has become too clear; when
it came to pretended "Consuls' OF England,
(pcrmitted t. live here by our extreme courte-
sy,) publicly cxhorting Il portion OF our militia
10 throw down their arms in face of the enc
nv, rather than abet Il civil war, our au-
tborities arrived at the conclusion that we had
enough of it. 81, Immediately on tne heeis
of Mr.. Mascn's recall from London, comes the
order for all British .'C!nsuls" TO quit the
Confcderacy.
We shall not examine in any cap'iouS spirit
the letter of Mr.. Benjamin TO Mr.. Sildeil,
announcing the gratifying fact; nor inquire
whether the numerous small grievances and To-
cal pretensions Of this and the,other Consul"
set forth so carefully in that document, 10
really form the true and governing motive Oh
the Presidents order. We have ascribed, and
do ascribe to our chief magistrate, a broader
view ard a loftier position. lie has borne
with the anomaly Of the ''consuls' thus FAR
because be was reluctant tn see, in their small
blurders or imper,inences. an Intention OF
deliberate affront on the part OF their govern
mcnt. and tolerated the false position rather
than seem too eager TO create or seek offence;
and he has at length percmNtorl!y dismissed
tho whole crew Of them for the same reason
that caused him to recall Mr.. Mason, las we
presume,) aud that is reason enough; name
", that it is now evident the British govern
ment has no wish to enter into friendly rela-
tons with tho Cunlederacy, nor to receive a
minister from Richmond. Here is the true
and sufficient and acrmNstcriDg reason.
But it is natural enough that Mr.. Benjamin
should seize tie occasion 70 write q long diplo-
matte letter from his Office. 1t is always well
10 make believe that that office has some bust
ness going forward in it and 50 tie simple
and obvious course Of ordering away the con-
suls is made TO appear rs arising somehow out
of certain petty and personal COMPLICATIONS
between this consul and tina: consul on the one
side. and our important Department. OF State
on the other. As there j. TO British. minis
ter, however. who would receive the Sccrcta-
rvs diplomatic note, q difficulty occurred
TO whom was it to lie addressed ? Even Mr..
Mason had ceased TO sit like Mordccai at the
gate Of Lord Russell and, though he were
still cooling his heels on that post, and the
Secretary's letter had been sent 70 him,
(which would have been more like a real d!p!o-
matte communicative we presume that Mr..
Mason could not have S"t access to Lord Rus
sell in order to read it to that ncbleman-and,
if he had sent it to him in an envelope, Lord
Russell would certainly have said, What is
all this to me Who is this So-called Secretary
of State, playing at diplomacy"
Yet tho State paper must be written, and ads
dressed to somebody. To send it straight to the
.'EnquiIer'' would have been undignified So
the Secretary betllinks him Of directing il to Mr'
Slidell at Paris, who has got nothing TO do with
it, or the subject of it, at all. No matter, it gets out
into the newspapers tnat Way and as 1t covers FIVE
columns, mankind will see aud acknowledge
contrary to the generally received opinisn-that
there is wiring going on in the State Departs
ment.
Be i. SO: we are content that the right thing
is done at last in this most provoking matter.
We pay our compliments also to the Secretary for
The clearness and precision with which he has
set forth what he thought it material to place on
record; and though some Of his views. about con.
~tinuing and revoking cTsqHoi~rs, aud the like,
are liable TO exception, there is no occasion to
coutrovc,t them any further on the present oc-
casion. Practically, the right position with re-
gard TO tue British Government is now reached.
At any rate, seeing that the chief points of diff.
ference between tn. "Enqlirer' ard the Depalt-
ment of State are now adjpstei in Il manner salts.
factory to us-Spence relieved, Mr.. Mason re.
called, and the English Consuls dismissel-wc
have the honor to present TO that Office assn.
RANGES of au.icablo relations, and place it on the
footing of the most favored Departments.
We may now expect, ere long, to see a British
Minister at Richmond, and british Consuls ask
ing ercqucturS from Mr.. Benjamin for England
never neglects her subjects, nor leaves them
without the shadow Of her wing and the guard>
iauship of her flag. The sooner the better we
do no, want to hurt either ler or her subjects.