Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-02-20
Am ARICAN AFFAIRSIN FRANCE

Am ARICAN AFFAIRSIN FRANCE.
! CorreSpondence Of the Neo York Times.
The Sufferings in the Cotton Districts
An Extract from the Ministerial
Organ-OyeFsight of the Press, & C..
Psms, Jan. 23.-The attention of the
French people is to-day almost exclusive
ly disected to the suffering from the cot
ton crisis. The Emperor has given an
other hundred thousand francs from his
private purse, and he has decreed q gift
from the State Treasury of five millions
of frsncs, one-half of it to be distributed
as charity by the Minister of the Interior,
and tle other half by the Minister of Ag-
ricultare and Commerce, as salary on
public works, to be created expressly for
the employment of men out of work -
The contributions from public charity are
immepse in number, but small in the to-
tai amount, owing to the fact that in
France, more than elsewhere, there are
an immense number of persons capable
of giving small sums. Thus, in all the
shops, in all the corporations, as such,
even in the different corps of the militia
and the army, five and ten sous subscrip-
tions sre proposed, aud generally acqui-
esced in by the whole body But, as
said before, the total of these is but a
small sum, and the number of large sub
scriptions is limited-the fact is, that of
the Emperor is about the only one; for
between his subscriptions of forty thou
sand dollars, and that Of the Prince Ma
poleon Of six hundred dollars, there is
not one.
So persistent have been the efforts Of
the Ministerial press to throw the blame
of all Mis- suffering upon the blockade Of
the cotton ports, that no explanation has
now any chance of being heard, and the
result is, that most people have been
brought to believe that the South is not
only the richest part of the Union, but
the one which is the most important TO
France in a commercial point of view. -
From this to the opening of the blockaded
ports the step is very easy, and to this
argument the Government is now direct
ing all its energies, through the columns
of the Ministerial press The campaign
has been an able one, ably planned and
ably carried out to the desired results. |
cannot keep you better advised of the
progress Of this scheme than by again
quoting from the organ Of the Emperor,
In Nmion. This paper, after reviewing
the diplomatic correspondence Of the year
between Paris and Washington, and az
ter showing how constantly the French
Government has been trying to control
the internal policy and proceedings Of the
American Government, continues thus (:
"The diplomatic documents stop at
the date of December IL, 1862, only a
few weeks ago. Notwithstanding oil the
efforts Of Cancellation, made under all
FORMS aud with zeal and a perseverance
which are well set forth in the diplomatic
correspondence which precedos, the
American war, confirming the anticipa-
tions of the French Government, far
from diminishing, has only increased in
magnitude, and the arbitrary measures,
from which no pressing demands have
been able to turn the North, hold the
commerce Of France under the influence
of an ntolerable crisis.
Now, two things grow out Of these
permanent protestations Of the French
Cabinet, urged since the commencement
Of the war to the present day:
A." The first is that the quality Of bellig-
erents cannot be denied to the South --
The Northern States themselves accord
the South this character for they sign
with them cartels for the exchange Of
prisoners And, as every one knows,
prisoners are only exchanged with bel
ligerents, and never with rebels
:" The second is the case in which the
war, becoming ruinous for US, uW bring
about necessarily exterior complications,
has been forseen, aud declared in the
clearest manner TO the Cabinet Of Wash.
ington
- From all which We conclude
That the situation to-day more than
justifying our anticipatioDs and our warn
ings, there remains nothing for us to do
but to present ourselves to the people Of
the South to buy the cotton which they
only consent to deliver into our hands,
and with the gertrude thatt will not fall
into those Of the Federals. To present
ourselves with money and cannon; the
money to pay, and the cannon to force
our way, if any one should pretend to
bar the passage--that is the solution"
Lately the surveillance o<er the press
has become Eore severe than for long
time; the liberal press are informed dai-
ly what they may not say, and we, there
fore. may take IL for granted that the