Year: 1863




The Approximations OF Foreign War.


There has been for some time past growing
feeling OF uneasiness in the public mind that
ehis country was drifting inevitably into wal
with either France on Sngrand, or perhaps win
both these Powers, and that apprehension has
had great influence In keeping up the price oi
gold. We do not believe that there is cause
for any such uneasiness; not because we think
there is any very friendly feeling entertained
towards US by the governments Of either Of
those countries but because the risk Of making
war upon us is too great. The French Emperor
is well aware that the initiation by him Of a war
| against the United States would be attended
| with the utmost danger to his throne and dy-
nasty. There is now, as there always has been,
most friendly spirit existing between the two
peoples. The French are gratifed by the re-
| 6ection that they have played a considerable
part in the attainment OF American indepen-
dence. They are in love, theoretically ct least.
with republican institutions, and would not
patiently submit to the national power Of
France being used for the overthrow of the
great American republic. Finally, they are
animated by sentimental antipathy to negro
slavery, and nothing would be 80 repugnant to
them as to find their navy and army employed
in the work OF propping up that decaying insti-
tuition. We hold, therefore, that for these
political reasons at home, if not for still
wcight;er reasons connected with the cost, the
chances and the international results of such
war, Louis Napoleon will be no more anxious
to precipitatc it on lis side than we
will be on ours. We certainly will not
perpetrate the folly Of fmaking the Mexican in
yasion and change Of government casus be'H
so long as there is q rebel army in the field or
the remotest fear that rebel confederacy may
be established as in the latter case the exist
ence Of strong, stable monarchical govern
ment in Mexico would be an advantage to us,
by acting as breakwater to the waves Of
Southern fibusterism. II, then, it is SO clearly
opposed to the interests of France and of the
United States that there should be war between
them, there need be little fear that there will
be.


So, too, with England Her government has
really given us the strongest provocation to re-
sort to hostile measures; but yet, acting on the
sound doctrine of tone war at a time" we have
borne with her treacherous hostility in the mat
ter Of Auglo-rcbel pirate ships until endurance
ceased to be virtue, and we appeared re-
Gently to be on the very threshold Of war
with her, dependent upon the question of
whether the iron-plated steam rams built by
Laird for tie rebel pirate service would
be permitted to leave a British port. That
would probably have been Immediately fol-
lowed by the issuing Of commissions to one or
two hundred American privateers, who would
have soon squared up accounts and made things
even by clearing the seas Of the English mer-
camille marine. But the latest news from
Europe indicates desire on the part Of the
English government to avoid that peril by put
ting stop to the sailing of the iron-plated
pirate vessels; and il that is done all danger
from that quarter wilt be at an end.


II is therefore apparent that neither from
France nor from England need there be any
apprehension Of foreign war. We have quite
as much on hand in the military and naval lines
Of business as we can attend to, and it Ia so
! clearly o,r policy to avoid further complica-
| tions that there is no fear Of our government
| committing the gross mistake of making or Of
provoking another war.