Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-01-12
French Statesmen on the Rebellion.

Tae lowing is the reply of Count de Gaspa-
rim, NJ. Laboalaye, Professor Henri Martin, NJ.
Cochin and others, to the letter addressed to
them some time since by the Loyal National
League Of this city
! Gentlemen We would have thanked you
much sooner but iOr the prolonged absence OF
one Of our number. Ii would have been pain
iul to us to have lost the collective character oil
this reply for the blending Of our four names
is proof Of the great unity OF sentiment upon
all that concerns the cause OF justice, which, by
God favor, manliests itself here below iu spite
Of political and religious differences.
Yet we are careful NOT to oyerrate our per-
sonal importance The League does not address
as as individuals, itspeakslo France, who cher
ishes, as a national tradition, the friendship OF
the United States, l, speaks to European opin-
ion, which will rise up and declare itself more
clearly as it recognizes that the struggle is be-
tween slavery and liberty.
You have eomprehended, gentlemen, tlst
neither France nor Europe have been free from
misapprehensi9ns, Light did not at first dawn
upon the nature Of the salutary but p inful cri-
sis through which you are passing it was not
| Ilain to all, at the outset, that the work inaug
ur4ted by the election Of Mr.. Lincoln yielded
nothing in grandeur to that which your fathers
accomplished with the aid OF Lafayette and under
the guidance OF Washington.
Europe has had her errors, her hesltations,
Tor which we a'e paying dearly to-day on both
shores OF the Atlantic. hat blood would have
been spared to you, what industrial suffering
avoided by us, had European opinion declared
itself with that force which you had the right
to hope for There is protest Of the universal
conscience before which mankind necessarily re-
coils moral forces are, after all the great forces.
The reyolted South, which needed our aid, +,
which relied and perhaps slll relies upon us,
would not have long dared to afront the iudig-
nation OF the civilized orld.
l.
Why has this indignation been withheld ?
! Why mas u sort OF favor been gra ted to the on
IN lnsurrectlon which has haa neither motive or
pretext-lo the only one which has dared TO un-
iur the banner OF slavery What has beea the
merit OF this insurrectionl BY what charm has
1t conciated the sympathy ol more than one
enlightened mind? This is u question humllla-
ting to put, but uselu to solve.
la the frs; place, Europe doubted whether
slavery was the real cause of conflict Strange
doubt, in truth For many years slavery had
been the great, the only subject OF strife IN the
I]ni,ed States At the time of the election OF
Mr.. Buchanan the only issue was slavery. The
electoral platforms prove this iact the mani
lestoes of tue South were unanimous IN tins
sense her party leaders, her governors, her de-
Lucrative assemblies, her press spoke but OF sla-
very the Vice. President Of the lusurgent Con-
iederacy had nude haste 10 declare officially that
the mission oil tbe new state was to present 10
the admiration OF mankind u society founded on
the corner stone of slavery. Lastly, it
would seem that to all rejecting min 5 the acts
of Mr. Buchan and other presidents named by
the South were proof ienough OF this ruth. Tue
South thinks only OF slavery. In her eyes all
means are right to secure to slavery It's triumphs
and boundless conquests
But il is OBJECTED that Mr.. Lincoln aud his
friends were mt aboltOnsts. That is certain.
Their programme went no further than 10 stop
the extension Of slavery and shut II out from
the territories Was this nothingI Nasit not
in fact everything Who could have ioreseen
that, ON the sppea anee OF such programme,
Of a progress " unexpected, OF an attack so bold
upon the policy which was lowering and running
the United States, the friends Of liberty would
not all have fastened to applaud Was not this
the time to cheer and strengthen those who we're
thus entering ON the good plthY Was 1t not
due to urge them on III thtir liberal tendencies,
30 that, the first step taken, they should taAe
the second and 70 on 70 the endf Ought not
that which terrified and dismayed The champions