The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-05-14
The Netherlands and she Confederate S,a:c:

J
! bic struggle Of the United Netherlands with
Sp1inr which sIrikingiy resemble these OF
our own contest for independence. Odds
even more gigantic, IN enemy equally he
.so.ied and ferocious, Discrimination and he
roism in defence as stern and inexhauss;ble
hope re never MAJ be--.o such Z trial OF
human coustancy as ;ila.! whic!, fellow ei the
murder Of the P.ince Of Orange, waon =
medal struck at The period, represented the
strnggiog ship of state a5 "a dismaatad
hulk, with the motto, "iHce.ti.i' gao J9ta fs
rand" Blu: the mariners on boaru that sub
merged and almost sinkina, vessel, had souls
that, like the 4fsoiian harp, gave forth liercer
blasts rs the tempest increased in strength,
and with one heart resolved, in the language
of Il erie, the English eiaissarg, in letter to
Queen Elizabeth, "to revenge the iauiHess
of the act committed on the Prince cf
Orange by the tyrant OF Spain, and to defend
tlaeir liberties advisediy against him and his
adheren.s By all means that God has given
them, TO the uttecInost portion Of their
substance, and the last drop OF their blood"
But, it is not alone in this parallel that
''history is repeating ITSELF" = phrase which
has been repeated" SO often that We ere al
most ashamed to nse it. In their sore dis
1ress the States locked round, like the States
of the South, for foreign intervention, and
with results quite as di6hearteniug Nay,
they looked TO the very countries whose re-
cognition We have been SO eager to obtain
France and Eogiand. TIE sagacious Prince
Ct Grange had himself long entertained
! hopes OF assistance from France. He was
partly Of French descent; he had associated
much with the French Huguenots /; bis title
Yves French. The King Of France, weak and
iaithiess as he proved hinseii, would not, If
was believed, be able to resist the Influence
Oh the ebivalfc head of the Uaguenots, and
OF the House Of Navarro The proposition
made to France was one which we have never
yet, and we hope never Kay be reduced 10
make; nothing more nor less than tender
CT the sovereignty to The French King: TO
offer hira the allegiance OF some OF
the most heroic and fourishing pro-
vinces OF Europe. Bat the men bear
Ing such a proposition were treated
quite as superciliously by the French Court
as Mi. Mason by Earl Russell. The King re-
fused them On audience. Nevertheless, like
our agents abroad, they found plenty Of dig
tinguisl.fd eympathizers, who assured them
shat all the best heads OF France were in
favor es French intervention Many OF the
first uen in France declared themselves
ready TO venture their lives aud their for
tunes, and to use all the influence they pos
sessed at Court to bring about this res ult.'
Encouraged by such demonstrations, the
State Government sent another aud solemn
sy to make an offer OF their sovereign
~. This embassy Jared worse than the first.
The Kasg triaed with them from beginning
to ena, and kept them dangling about his
Court for eiglt long months, bat refusing
the oftr OF unconditional sovereignty over
the most enterprising and independent peo-
pie In the world, an offer which he never,
from first to last, had any intention OF &C
ccptiag. The ENJOYS we're feasted aud ban
quoted like CUR own Confcdcrates and
then dismissed with q flea in their ear. Is
MOT history repeating itself" with q ven
keance, Wheng.ye remember that while the
ambassadors OF the Netherlands we've hear
Ing and making oyations, reading and writing
protocoia, aDd witnessing rcvels OF s'stu-..
psndous friyuiIty," the Inhabitants of tho
principal cities which they represented "were
sa1'ng saas, and cats, and dogs, and the weeds
from the payements, ana The grass from the
church yaFds, and all the time pressed BY fhes
relentless genias Of Fsrnese, the greatest
captain Of tho ages I.
Dsshearteaed n last Ia their heps of
French intervention the United Provlnces
looked t1wads England, The same oiIrr Of
|ssvereIenty WAS made 70 her that had been
tpdefsd % the King cf Francs. Dnt though
xlLzabeth saAde courtly speech II reply,
~ proniaea seaiatsacs. vseclnteiy declintsg