Year: 1862

The New York Journal Of Commerce
makes these iudicious comments on the
hint thrown out by some English iourn-
ais, that proposition 70 mediate will be
made by their Government to the United
States and the Rebels No mediation
will be accepted.


Mediation,


Intervention is sometimes claimed bv
nations as right TO be exercised. Me-
diation is another affair altogether, and
can only be offered for acceptance. It
amounts to nothing unless accepted or
invited. 1t must always be between two
powers, In those cases in which il has
been exercised heretofore, there have been
generally two definite and established
governments between which the medi-
ating power has come TO settle quarrel
about fixed question Of difference. In
the present case of the United States and
their rebellious subjects, there is diff
Guilty which Europeans, not fully Appre-
ciating the situation OF things with us,
do not properly understand, and which
renders the idea of mediation practical
ly impossible. The difficulty is this.
Conceding for the purposes of the case
that the Confederacy is sufficiently a
government to be a party TO a question,
the very questions to be decided are of
class which cannot be decided by third
party The will of the people concerned
ought not to be, and cannot be overruled d
by any such mediation. For example,
lot us take the case of Tennessee, where
already strong Union party is found,
and that of Virginia, where part of the
State is loyal and determined never TO
leave the Union. Suppose mediator 70
attempt drawing a line between the
Northern and Southern Confederacy, and
giving Tennessee and Virginia to the
South? Is not gross injustice done to
the people Of those States who do not
desire to go with the seceders The
American Union has no power, like
monarchy, TO refer to any arbitrators, the
| integrity Of the Union, or place in the
hands Of any power the right TO exseind
a people who do not wish to be exscinded
The very instant that the United States
Government places in the hands Of a
foreign power the state bond, with per-
mission to sever ii as that power may see
fit, that instant the Union is abandoned
by its own act, and the Constitution is
handed over to foreign modification
Such principle cannot be recognized in
our government. We cannot in any man
ner permit the outside world 10 become
the judge of our mutual velations as
States or as a people. II question Of
Interpretation of the Constitution itself
were the subject Of dispute, then il might
! possibly be arranged that foreign power
should be accepted as the interpreter, and
all parties agree to abide by the decision J.,
it being distinctly understood that the
| question was TO be decided under the
Constitution and not to the detriment Of
that instrument, But to decide that the
Constitution itself shall cease TO exist, TO
place in the hands of foreign govern
ment the right TO separate the original
thirteen States and leave part Of them in
= Union 70 which they never consented,
and remit anOtherpart Of them TO a Union
which some of their people abhor, is
neither more nor less than bowling down
the glory Of America TO a foreign Judge,
and permitting a stranger TO annihilate at
one blow the Union and the Constitution.
The impossibility Of accepting such me =
diation is plain TO Americans, however
possible it may appear TO European
minds. We must settle our own affairs
in our own way, and says "hands of"
to Europe,


New York never agreed to a Union
without Virginia and the Carolinas
Maryland will claim the right to choose
for herself if the Union is to be dissolv-
ed, and no one could then deny it. Once
cut the cord, and there are no obligations
left.