Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-08-12
English Pecksniffs and the Peace
Party.

The Pecksniffs of England are never
tired of bewailing the sufferings which
humanity has to bear in this country, be-
because the United States government
and the loyal North will not allow the
rebels to have their own way without
further struggle. A deputation from the
"Society for obtaining the cessation Of
hostiities in America" lately waited on
Lord Palmerston "to urge upon her
Majesty's Government to take steps to
bring about cessation of hostilities be-
tween the beligerents." OF course, they
said they looked upon restoration of the
Union as impossible, and the indepen-
dencce of the Southern Confederacy a
fat accompH," and they were sure that
! if Her Majesty's Government would
avail itself of its friendly relations with
the Federal authorities, to propose ces-
sation Of hostilities, "it would stimulate
and embolden the large peace party in
the North" and be very generally ac~
ceptable to the majority on both sides.-
Besides "the saving of many thousands
of valuable lives"-which, of course, the
Pecksnlffs were very anxious about
they said peace would be of great adj
vantage to England and to all other Eu-
ropean governments interested in the
cotton cloth business. Mr.. Spence
thought it an awful thing to contemplate
such an amount of woe as the war was
causing in America. He said that the
deputation lelt it christian duty to urge
that some effort should be made, what
ever might be its form, to influence the
termination of this deplorable strife
Mr.. Marsh, NJ. p, wished to call His
Lordship's attention to the fact that the
opinion that an attempt at mediation
would be attended with good results,
"was not confined to England, but was
shared by the whole of the South and
peace party of the North, and by the ma
lions of the European Continent"
Others talked in a similar strain. 1t
does not appear that any one thought it
worth while to urge upon the confeder-
ates the expediency Of throwing up their
rebellion. The efforts which the dele
CATION wanted the British government,
associated with t he governments Of
France, Belgium and Spain, to put forth,
were all to be on the United States gov
eminent alone, aud all for the interest of
the confederates. Mr.. Spence says:
The question now before the North
was whether or not to continue the dsas.
trous effort. There was peace party,
and it was growing-but it had no raj
lying point. The action now urged
would give them a piv o t on which to
form, not indeed, the action Of England
alone, which was to be deprecated alto
gether, but that taken conformity by sew
eral leading Powers. With such assist
ance the peace party would very rapidly
gather strength and numbers, and thus
we might reach the issue all desired"
Lord Palmerston, in reply, said that
two facts were abundantly clear-yiz :
that the war was cruelty destructive to
the Americans themselves, and the in
convenience caused by it TO other ma
tons was excessive. The question re-
manned whether the government bad
any rational ground for supposing that
the Federal government would listen TO
any proposals of mediation at the pres
ent moment. There was an old couplet:
They who in quarrels interpose,
| VIII often wipe bloody nose.
/ LauB hter) He was not afraid of a
bloody nose, but he feared that prema-
ture efforts would only have the effect of
exasperating the North and making it
more difficult, when the passions were
little Gained, to effect the object all must
have in view. The government was lead
to think, from all accounts that reached
1 them, that this was not the moment at
which any mediatory proposals could
be usefully made. Each party was
equally confident Of ultimate success, and
the North especially jealous of interfer-
ence. II, however, at any future time
reasonable ground could be shown for
suppoSing that any friendly suggestions
would be listened to, Her Majesty's gov
ernmen. would be happy 10 use their eff
forts to arrive at such desirable result as
that of terminating this unhappy war;"
1t is quite true that our "peace party
yet lack rallying point" but any one
which their friends over the water pro-
vide will not help them much with the
patriotic portion of their countrymen.
WAR ITEMs.-Twenty Vermont sub