Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-02-26
THE sELFcoNDEMNATIoN OF SECESSION.

4
matte correspondence between the Richmond autho-
rites and their European agents. which we published
some weeks ago, could have failed to be struck
with the inconsequence Of so much of Mr.. j. p
Benjamin's despatch to Mr.. SlidelI as related to
the alleged intrigue set on foot by certain French
Consus for the dismembeIment of the "Southern
Confederacy" by detaching from it the State of
Texas.
Having, on grounds purely conjectural, ascribed
tins imagined "intrigue" to the authorship Of the
French Emperor, Mr.. Benjamin can find no better
explanation of its motives than that furnished by
the following suppositions
That the Emperor has determined to conquer Mexico
ana hod y as colony. and wishes to nterpose weak
rover between the new colony and the States
In order that he may feel against any interference
with bis designs Mexico
~ The French Government ia dssirous of securing for
an independent source of cotton supply to Offset that
possessed by Great Britain n India and designs to effect
TINS purpose by taking under bis protection the State of
exas which after being acknowledged independent
hePuoc would IN its opinion be dependent France
and as subservent to French interests as if French
| colony"
Commenting on these clumsy hypotheses to ex-
plain an imaginary fact, Mr.. Everett in recent
paper on the intercepted dispatches, exposes the
fallacy Of the argument on which they seem to be
based, He proceeds, however, to cite some his
torcal memoranda running back to the period of
the annexation of Texas, in which, perhaps, may
be found more reasonable explanation Of the
sensiblty confessed by Mr.. Benjamin in the pre-
sence OF facts SO slight in themselves and SO base
less In their conceived bearing. We quote from
the recolections of Mr. Everett as follows:
is no secret that France we'll England was op-
posed to the annexation Of Texas Mr. Polk his first
annual message commented with great severity upon their
interference But the conduct Of France was open and
above board. M Guiz0t than one occasion ex-
pressed himself strongly the subject in the French
the goth OF January 646 maintained reply that the in
erest Of France were subserved by every thing which
to promote the strength and power Of the North
| American Union.
49, however, most true, not only that NJ Guizot and
hs Government desired promote the separate ndepen
dence OF Texas, but that powerful party in that State
was IN favor OF the same policy 1t unfOded to
by of its leading supporters was to have been aid
ed by the cooperation of uneasy and ambitious spirits
from the nelghborng Staes, especially Louisiana which
had from the first warmly sympsthzed with the fortunes
Texas Mr.. Benjamin, who it seems, was so entirely in
the secrets of the French Charge dAres Texas as to
be allowed to read M. Guzots confidential letters in
which project was urged regarded by the South emf
nenty hostile to the interests of the United States could
probably throw more light than he has thought proper
do on this magnificent intrigue. Magnificent call it, for
was not coLhned to the establishment Of the ndepen
dence of Texas 1t extended to the conquest of all the
Mexican territory lying west of Texas up shores Of
the Pacific, including all the Northern States Of Mexico
California among the rest as far the boundary Of the
United States on the forty second parallel Of latitude
Whether Louisiana to be invited State to ion the
grand enterprise, am unable to say. This notable doc
trne that every State has the right Of leaving the Union
at pleasure though secretly cherished had yet been
openly taught at the South 1t s however by no means
Improbable that the more advanced ambitions had adopted
IT. and that Aaron Burrs prematurey attempted plan Of
uniting the territory of Louisiana with the Northern States
OF Mexico in one grand military empire may have been
favor the world with full report of his confidential inter
views with M. dc Salgny they would no doubt throw
much light on this subject.
But the project miscarried The hero of San Jacnto
did favor He did not choose to tre ad in the foot
of Aaron Burr and be preferred the chance of being
President Of the old Union to that of ruling over the dis
membered fragments of the United States and the Mexi
can Republic such was the narrow chance by which the
intrigue of 1914 defeated The reader will perhaps
see IN thee facts the not before apparent of the
unbecoming precipitation with which it's supposed reyya
IN 1862 is resented by the Confederate Government II
there any foundation for these suspicious they may well
De anxious for The fate which mpends their ephemera
Conederacy, II they could succeed in establishing it."
1t would thus seem that Mr. Benjamin, in pen
ming the despatch to Mr.. Slide, was the victim Of
his own enchantments, and started like Prospero,
at spectres of his own creation" But the in
consequence of his representations does not end
here. 1t appears more prominently, perhaps, in
the resentment he processes to feel at the supposed
proceeding Of France in nos attempting to seduce
Texas from her allegiance to the "Southern Confe.
deracy." For the Emperor of the French has never
acknowledged any such "Confederacy," or recog-
nsed the allegiance of Texas as due to it under the
political system which the Richmond authorities
are attempting to found on the ruins Of the United
States. But if he to recognise that allegiance,
in what respect could he be said to wrong the
Southern CoDfederacy" by seeking to detach
the State of Texas from the Confederation into
which, according to the secession theory, she has
entered with the acknowledged right to resume her
independent position, and make other alliances at
her sovereign pleasure? The insurgent authorities
after having precpitated the country into fierce
and desolatiDg war, are now waging that war +" to
maintain the inalienable right Of each and every
State to assert its separate independence. This
right according to the secession school is so
sacred, SO nscparable from the very conception of
Independent sovereignty, that even on entering
the Union and adopting the Federal Constitution
and laws, whose paramount and exclusive authori-
ty over State constitutions and laws is expressly
provided for, the right Of seeding from it is, not
in terms, but by necessary implication, reserved"
Il