Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-01-28
THURSDAY, JANUARY 2s, 1864.
A HAsTY ACCUSATION,

of Mr.. Seward as just submitted to Congress, ad-
ventures the expression Of the opinion that with
the exception Of Mr.. Dayton's report of his con-
versatious with M. Drouyn de lhuys, in reference
to the rumors of French Intervention in behalf OF
the. rebellion, and despatch or two relative
to Mexican affairs, there is nothing in this vast
mass Of State papers which need stay the reader
from the current news Of the morning"
The remark may be true in the case Of the read
ers for whom the conductors of the Advertiser are
called to write 1t is we'll known to all that the
denizens of a.busy commercial city like New York
are, perhaps, of all men in the land, the most in
competent to appreciate the merits of any State
paper which cannot be digested at the breakfast
table while slipping cup of coffee, or in the ON
nibus or rail car while riding from their homes to
their respective places of business, The condi-
tons Of their daily life do not admit of any thing
like careful study of elaborate expositions de-
voted to the formal statement systematic defence
Of the course pursued by the Government in mat
ters Of disputed public policy. 1t is no reflection
on their intelligence, but only one of the penalties
they pay for the preoccupatioDs of business, that
they must needs content themselves with only the
most frsgmentary knowledge of transactions in
volved in protracted controversy. Unable to re-
trace sll the preliminary steps which have conducted
the Government to any position on vexatous topics.
of debate, whether occurring with political oppo-
nents at home or with foreign Governments, they
must accept results as they are found, and rely on
the com piatons or condensations of others for in
formation as to the drift and purport of the dis
cussions that preceded them.
And we feel bound to say that the readers of
the Commercial Advertiser, in taking at second
hand from that journal their knowledge respecting
the position of the Government announced by
Mr. Seward in regard to the military operations of
the French in Mexico, are in danger of receiving
impressions which would not be sustained by
perusal of the documents transmitted to Congress
by the Secretary Of State Especially is this the
case when il afirms that athe most striking point
in the correspondence relative to Mexico is Mr..
Stewards formal Reputation of the Monroe Doc
trine and when it finds the justification this state
msnt in the fact that Mr. Seward on the 2Sth Of
NJ Drouyn de Lhuys that
The United States hold in rgard TO Mezico The same
principles that thy hold regard to all other netions
They have neither right disposition to intervene by
force ia the internal affairs of Mexico whether to establish
and maintain republic even domestic government
there or to overthrow imperial foreign one, if
Mexico chooses to establish accept it. The United
States neither the right the disposition to inter-
vene by force either side in the lamentabe which
10 going between France and Mexico On the contrs
rv hey practice in regard to Mexico, in every phase Of
that war the nonneryenton which they require all for
egn Powers to observe in regard to the United States
In view OF this representation the Commercial
Advertiser complains th,t Mr. Seward has "repu-
dated" the principle of President Monroe, and in
d,ing so has substituted for it n doctrine which
"throws away the best argument we have to offer
against French interference in our civil war, and
leaves Napoleon III logically competent to inter
yene.o Such. it adds, is the most important SER
vice the Secretary Of State has done the country,
If we are to trust his own massive record.
The conductors % the Advertiser make it plain
by this allegation that they nave written with The
same preci pitatioR under which their commercial
patrons are doomed to read for, if they had
had time to read the whole despatch from which
they tear this excerpt, they would have found the
following passages an Immediate connerson with
that above cited:
But notwithstanding this self this Government
knows full well that the inherent normal opinion of MeI
GO avors Government there republican in torn and do
estc in its organization, preference to any chi
cal institutions to be imposed from abroad This Govern
ent also that the normal opinion of the people OF
Mexico resulted largely from the influence of popular
opinion in this count and 10 continually by It,
The President believes moreover. that this popular
opinion of the United States ia just itself and eminsny
esseoal to the progress OF civilization the
cont nant which civilization 1t believes can and will if
eft free from Europesn resistance work to-
set1er with advancing refinement the other continents
Tha oyerpment believes that foreign resistance or at
tempts To control Amelicao civilization must and wi fail
before the ceaseless and activity Of
ri A. moral and poltics orces, which peculiarly belong
the American continent Nor do the United States deny
G. at, their opinion their safety ard the cheerful
destiny 10 which they aspire intimately dependent
the continuance Of free republican institutions throughout
America They have submitted these opinions 10 the EN-
peror OF France proper occasoDs s worthy OF his
serious confederation in determining how he would con
duct and close what might prove successful war IN Mex
Nor ia it necessary to practice upon the point
that IL France should upon dns consideration determine
to adopt policy Mexico adverse to Il American opic
ions and sentiments which have described that policy
syoud probably scatter seeds which would be fruitful Of
iealousies which might ultimately ripen into collision be-
France aud the United States and other American
kRepubl,cs
81 On the 23d Of October Mr. Seward wrote
WI Happily the French Government has not been left
unniorned that in the opinion Of the United States the
permanent establishment OF foreign and monarchcal