Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-06-30
4 COOL PROPOSAL.

The latest abstract of EnglSlt news bring
Us the information that Il certain Mr.
Cunningham member of Parliament, had u
troduccd Il resolution "to open negotiations TO
snpprcssin" the slave trade in the Southern
States"
I There is no ,i6reiga slave trade in the Con
fcdcracv: and il may, therefore, be concluded
that Mr. Cunningham's resolution means TIT
opening Of negotiations for recognition upon
the terms of our prohibiting the sale OF ne
rrocs from State To- State. Mr.. Cunningham
has no reason TO doubt that this condition
would be gladly complied with at once: Tor all
our ..fricu,ls" in England arc possessed by the
fixed idea that The recognition Of the Contedc.
racy Us England (Which must soon come at
any ratc) would hc It .g"od opportunity 10 INF
pose conditions regarding slavery, looking to
! Its present amclio-ati"n and ultimate cNtlnc-
ton" Mr.. Spence. our notable "hnanciaF'
agent. and the writer of Il book which they
all consider sanctioned and authorized by us.
has assured them that this may he done: and
accordingly we tinl Mr.. Rpcbuck, 1T Shct-
field, and our Jealous advocate, Mr.. Hops.
advocating recognition on the express ground
Of hostility to orr Institutions: and several
months ago. another champion Of ours, Mr.
BeresGorl Hope NJ. P in . public speech
ur~cd the recognition upon the favorable CON-
,i,.cratcn Of his hcarcrS because, he. said, tine
al La, RI
ready and willing to give /" foreign powers all
desirable guarantees about slavery.
THIS is what our agent has done for us.
We regard it as a rather serious matter that
the Confcderacy should be placed in this false
and damaging position: and, as we have Il
very able organ at the English Press-.namely,
the '.1udex"-wc would suggest to that jour
| nal that the matter ought to be set right
The chief writer in the Index" Mr.. Henry
llotzc. of Alabama, is q gentleman Of high
culture and thorough Confederate principles
we'll acquainted with the institution as it eX-
lists in these States, and, also, with the powers
of the Confederate government and OF the
State governments. He has made the In
lcx' Il really influential exponent Of the Con-
fedcrate cause; and could undccciyc our zeal
Gus friends who arc advocating recognition
under a dclusion. That book Of Spence has
been long published; it is known 10 have inn
pressed its views far and wide upon the Eng
lish mind and, certainly, there can neither
be good faith nor good policy in allowing it to
20 unContradictcd.
Let the Index tell our friends who de-
sire to open negotiations with us about Slavery.
that this is precisely the subject on which we
can never negotiate with them atall:
That the whole matter of. slavery belongs
Government, our agent for foreign affairs. has
no power to give them any guarantees or pro-
misses, or even to listen to one word they have
to say on the subject.
That far from restricting, abating, or en-
croaching upon the institution of slavery it
is our purpose to give it Il fuller development
and frmer basis, if possible.
That, instead of being disposed to take any
English dictatinu in the matter Of our social
and industrial system, We feel ourselves cna-
blcl and entitled to teach that country many
| important principles which it has either never
| known, or has forgotten.
That, finally, the sole ground on which we
demand recognition from the other nations as
an independent power, is that we are an III
dependent power, and mean to continue 50.
The "IndcX" might point out-and none
could do it bcttcr-how the bcncticcnt insti-
tuition of slavery relieves these Confederate
States of that terribly urgent social question
which is always keeping European empires
uneasy at the feeling that they are stand.
Ing upon ground pregnant with the
'elements of volcano and earthquake how thc
sounduess Of our industrial system, to wit
Sarery-has given to us-only five millions Of
us-such apower ofrcsistancc to aggression and
invasion rs no European empire has ever yc,
exhibited, since Greece hurled back the myriads
of Persia; how England herself with all hcl
compaetness and insular position, and might,
naval and military organizations, could never
hope to resist for three months an invasion o.
.Such magnitude as we have now kept at bay
for more than two years; and that, bccaus,
she has vicious and unjust industrial system
and Il vast mass Of diScontented and disfran
chisef white labor-thc pariahs of her civil!
zation-who would be glad to welcome an,
change.
Not that these lessons, no matter how abb,
insisted on, would cure the British people o
their prcsumptuous habit of offering advice
or even demanding guaranties-about othc
peoples affairs but they would at least SHOW
to all our friends" that We can accept III
friendship under mistake; and that we hav
no mind to suffer any European power t.
touch those sacred institutions, which we ar
now enduring all the horrors of q dreadful
war to preserve and to exalt.
l. the Southern ILLUSTRATED NEws."-Th
sNcws" commences its second volume i'm
proved in appearance, both with respect t
letter press and engravings. The names O
John r. Thompson, Hugh r. Peasants ant
DR.. Geo. Bagby in connection with the edito
rial department, is advertisement sufficient Q
the excellence of its literary feature Tn
proprietors have almost insuperable obstacle
to contend With in their efforts to enlarge tn
illustrated department, but we feel assure
they will accomplish in this direction all tina
energy and capital are cspahls Of, under e.
J listing circumstances,