The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-17
Confederacy

/ nation and must needs suffer a positive
royal Reputation In her dismissal from
the semi political post she had so lons
| adorned The Southern ConfedefacJ
nevertheless had already taken the
most advanced step open to 1t against
an indefinite expansion of the institu.
I ton of slavery. The secession con
vention of Alabaam had led In tht
movement which eliminated in a pro.
yiso of the federal Constitution forever
forbidding the introduction of slaves
into the Confederacy from any foreign
country whatsoever.
But the Palmerston ministry re-
solved from the outset upon an I'M
| friendly policy toward the Southern
Confederacy. The powerful Tory
party, dividing almost evenly with
the wings. met the ministry on the
issue. The London Times earnestly
supported the Tories and the South.
At Liverpool. Manchester and in Lon
don voluntary associations of the
higher classes were formed to express
in practical methods their sympathy
with the South. Rich men offered
money to army hospitals of the Con-
| federacy, competent writer's published
paragraphs and authors wrote bound
volumes arguing for the South, mem
bers of Parliament from their seats
prodded the ministry for its Sinking
policy toward the South. The Tories
were as much our friends as II they
had been of US. on the land.
While the Southern sympathizers in
England were thus busy in practical
ways at home, they did not fail to APP
proach Napoleon III in their urgency
of the Southern cause. The Emperor
of France was willing listener. He
fnnh m he of he
formal channels of diplomacy with
England. He held interviews with
English members of Parliament COM
hitting himself to the most advanced
suggestions of cooperation with
their own government for the. recogni-
ton and support of the independence
of the Confederacy. He urged them
to force the British ministry to IA
vorable action.
Robert Barnwell Rhett, deputy from
South Carolina, had given tho subject
of government for the South the study
Of an acute and philosophic mind for
more than the life of generation. He
took his seat at Montgomery well pre-
pared with an outline of foreign policy
for the young Republic, which no had
done so much to make possible. Mr..
Rhett's suggestion was founded upon
certain accomplished facts of daily
experience in the relations OF the COM
merce of the slave States to Euro
pean trade. The export commerce of
the slave States in raw material was
the richest in the world. The official
report of the fiscal year ending June
80, 1859, gave the exports initiating in
the slaves States at $1SS,693,496 and
the exports initiating In tha free States
at $5,2S1,091. England was both the
chief carrier q
ufacturer of the main subject OF South
ern commerce, cotton. The industries
of France were also largely Involved
in the carrying trade and tho manu-
facture of Southern raw material.
Upon, the demonstrated value of
Southern commerce and the historical
record of Southern civil and military
character, Rhett's project of a foreign
diplomacy rested. The Rhett scheme,
was, to proceed without a moments
delay to assail the well known anti
slavery prejudice and fanaticism of the
Palmerston ministry on the moral as
pect of Southern slavery with an
irresistible temptation of treaty stip-
ulation in the interest of English COM
merce and manufactures known to be
generally controlled by Wings and
abolitionists. The Rhett scheme would
pledge the trade or England and
France special advantages and priyf-
leges in Confederate ports, for exam
pies a tariff rate for twenty years. not
to exceed 20 per cent ad valorem and
certain fixed port charges not to ex-
coed the cost of maintenance. 1t was
not pretended that the suggestion of
special and compensatory terms of
commercial treaty in the premises was
original On the contrary the terms
were recommended as proven by the
treaties OF the United States with
France and England in the revolution.
The policy of Rhett was a practical
confronting of an emergency: the re-
fusal of his policy without a substi-
tute in any degree was a sentiment
without an apology
Did the rejection of Rhett's scheme
of foreign alliance give promise of anv
uncommon exertion of vigor in the
Confederate Government within the lin
its OF its own resources? The fnexplica-
bic situation was laid open by the act of
rejection, the diverting of the Federal
government of seeded States from con-
troll of the political school that had
contrived 1t to the school that had long
resisted the invention. Secessionists
had called the Government into exist
ence upon an argument all their own:
Unionists Immediately rose to the ad-
ministration and held 1t firmly until
the end. Perhaps an intrepid spirit for
hazards revealed itself In the conduct
of the men who had been 10th to the
last moment to enter upon so daring
an enterprise as the erection of the
new Republic. 1t is enough to say the
leading secessionists of 1S60-61 lost
control of the Confederate Government
at the ouset. If dIscernment was to
be used, If opportunity was to be seiz-
ed IL influence was to be reckoned