M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1863-09-24

with stirring against us the Gulf o
Mexico, the Antilles and the Latir
race, entered upon work Of differen
character 9I1e invited England anC
Russia to unite with France in tend
ering to the two belligerents (such |,
the equal designation Of our Republic
and the embryo slayemopger mock
erky y their joint mediation to pro
cure ian armistice for six months,
idurihg which every act Of war, direct
or indirect, should Professionally cease
on sea as wsllas on laad, to be re.
|newed IL necessary for a further pc.
Eriod.n TIE cabinets Of England and
Russia, better inspired, declined the
Invitation, which looked to little short
of recognition itself. Under the
armistice proposed all our vast oper.
ations must have been suspended
the blockade itself must have ceased
while the rebel ports we're opened on
the one side to unlimited imports oi
supplies and military stores, aud on
the other 10 nnlimlted exports Of
cotton. g n"r .. OIL ,..
Trade for the time would have been
legallzed in these ports. and slavery
would have lifted its grinning front
before the civilized world. Not dis.
heartaned BY this failure, the Emperor
alone pushed forward his diplomatic
enterprise against us, as he had alone
pushed forward his military enter,
prise against Mexico, and he proposed
to our Government the unsupported
mediation Of France. His offer was
promptly rejected by the President.
Congress, by solemn resolutions,
adopted by both Houses, with singu-
lar upspimity, and communicated
since to all foreign Governments, an.
nouncsa that such. q proposition could
be attributed only ITO a misuader.
lslanding OF the true state OF the
question and the real character Of the
twar in which the Republic is engaged:
and that it was, in ito nature SO far
injurious to the, national interest, that
Congress would be obliged to consider
its repetition an uniriendly act. !"
This 10 strong language, but it frankly
states the true position of our coun-
try. Any such offer, whatever may
be it's motive, must be an encourage
ment to the rebellion. In an age
when ideas prevail, land even words
beco ome things, the simple declars'
tions Of statesmen are OF incalculable
Importance. But the head Of a great
cation is more than statesman. The
imperial proposition tended directly
to the dismemberment Of tbs Republic
and the substitution ofa ghsstly slave
monger nation. ...0.a.. ys.t
Baffled in this effort, twice attemp'
ted, the Emperor doss not yet aban,
don its policy. We are told that "it
is postponed at a more suitable op
portunity;' so that he too was to
strike-if the Gallo cock does not
sound the alarm in an opposite quar-.
ter. Meanwhile the development Of
the Mexican expedition shows too
clearly the motive of mediation. Ii
was all one transaction. Mexico was
invaded for empire, and mediation
was proposed in order to help the
plot. But the invasion must fail with
the diplomacy to which it is allied.
TherErench Emperor is againss US.
In an EN- hour, neutrality-suspicious.
which should be scouted, he forgets
the precious tradition of France whose
blood commingled with ours in a
common cause; he forgets the sword
OF Lafayette and ROchambeau flashing
by the side of the sword of Washing
ington and Lincoln, while the lilies of
the ancient monarchy Aoated together
with the stars Of our infant flag ; he
fcrgets that early alliance, sealed by
franklin, which gave to the republic
the assurance OF national life, and
made France the partner of her glory;
Hsu pistas, hen prisoa tdss-mani-
bus daie lila plenis; and he iorgets
still more tha obligations ofhis own
name, how the first Napoleon sur
rendered to US Louisiana aud the
whole region west of the Mississippi,
saying, "this occasion of territory es-
tablishes forever the the powers Of the
United States, and gives to England
a maritime rival destined to humble
her pride !" and he forgets also how
he, himself, when beginning his in.
tervention for Italian liberties, ,6oasted
proudly that France always stood for
40 idea :" and, forgetting these
things, which mankind can not forget,
be seeks the d:sjunction Of the Re
public, with the spo.ia.iou OF that
very territory which had come to US
from the first Napoleon, while Franco,
always standing for an "idea," 10
made under bic auspices.to stand for
the "idea' Of welcome to a new evan
! gel Of slavery, With Mason and Slidell