The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-22


inst, have a peculiar significance, il
( view OF the present position of Franc
{ on this continent, and IS illustratin
the contrast between our principles AM
those that govern too many Europeal
} Powers. Having replied to the sent
: ments of friendship for this countr,
| that the Minister expressed on behal
, of his sovereign, and referring to tn
, little that the United States can do t,
reciprocate benefits with European
{ States, the President said -" Indi
rectly, however, all those States MAJ
derive advantages from the practice OF
: our part of wise, just and liberia
policy. He then indicated in few
words the points in our. national con
duct most likely to affect Europe =
ave endeaVor to respect the rights o.
sovereign States to be exempt from
foreign Intervention or dictation. We
seek to illustrate how people can bE
free, and yet by their own strength
maintain their independence; how
they can extend their commerce. and
yet abstain from agressions how, with
out forming entangling alliances, a free
people can cooperate with other ma.
tons in advancing the great interests
OF civilization, and how nations may
from time to time become persuaded
to bring within the reach of appeal to
just and peaceful arbitration contro-
Versies that otherwise must necessarily
be referred to the trial of force" That
is, we do all that the great powers of
Europe do not do. Our system of Gov
ernment includes all the ideas that have
been omitted from the European sys-
tems-that are directly antagonistic to
the plans of operation by which Eng
land, France and Austria have grown
great on the misery of their populations,
and at the expense of all tranquility
1t is by the constant pursuit of this op-
posite plainly demonstrating its supe-
riority to the European system, and so
leading its adoption in Europe also
that the practice of "this wise, Just and
liberal policy" will best affect nations
across the Atlantic Mr.. johnson, in
this simple speech, holds up the Empe-
ror Napoleon's Mexican expedition to
the reprobation of mankind as one of
the worst instances OF the national
policy most opposed to our own. That
Is case in which the right of a sover-
eign State ito be exempt from foreign
dictation" was not respected-a case
in which great nation did not, while
extending its commerce, "yet abstain
from aggression" And these words
will be sufficient evidence that, though
the Presidents message was compare
lively silent on the Mexican question,
it was not because the President did
not fully see the great wrong that had
been done in that country. The Presi-
dents reference to the settlement of
national disputes by arbitration is also
especially significant. We seek to illus
trate "how nations may from time to
time become persuaded to bring within
the reach of appeal to Just and peace
| full arbitration controversies that other
wise must necessarily be referred to
the trial of force" The last few words
may be pondered particularly in Eng
land Indeed, we may send the whole
of this short speech across the Atlantic
as a simple and sufficient compend of
true American thoughts on our foreign
policy.-N J. Herald
The following is the speech spoken
of above:
BARON belgium is chiefly known in his
! tory as country which has continually
| suffered by being inVoluntarily chosen for
| a battle-ground on which foreign States
have maintained the conflicts of irrecon-
cilable ideas and ambitions. For that rea-
son | never meet a representative of Bel
| GUM without feeling desire TO eongratu-
late him upon the repese, the tranquility,
| the prosperity and the dignity which his
| country at last attained under the sway of
her sovereign Leopold. | trust that the
history of the times in which we are living
will show that the government and people
of the United States duly appreciated the
friendship with which We were favored by
the Belgians during that reign. l am pro-
| toundly affected by the good will and kind
ness which moved the new King TO give us
an assurance, at the beginning of his ad-
ministration, and in so marked a manner,
that he entertains for the United States the
! same sentiments of sincere and affectiOnate
! friendship, by which his predecessor was
| inspired. It's little that the United States
can do directly to reel iprOoate benefits with
/ European States. Indirectly, however, all
those States may derive advantages from
| the practice of wise, Just and liberal policy
I
to respect the rights Of sovereign States, to
| be exempt from foreign Intervention or die
tation. We seek to illustrate how people
can be free, and yet by their own strength
maintain their independence; how they
can extend their commerce, and yet abstain
| {. ON aggression; how, without forming en-
tangling alliances free people can co-ope-
rate with other nations in advancing the
| great interests Of civilization, and how ma
lions may from time TO time become per-
suaded to bring within the reach Of appeal
| to just and peaceful arbitration eontroyer-
sizes that otherwise must necessarily be re-
/ ierred to the trial of force. l reserve for
| some other occasion, and a more conven-
/ tional manner, a special answer to the let
ter Of His Majesty which you have deliver
| ed to me. In the meantime | viii thank you
TO inform him that it will be the desire of
this Government TO preserve and cherish
the most friendly relations between the
| United States and Belgium.