Year: 1861




SoGTHERE PoLITIcs in EURopE.--If the
Southern Confederacy were country in the
Moon, instead of a part of the planet Earth,
the European public could not be more igno
rant than they are of Southern politics or of the
true character Of Southern institutions The
imperfect discussions of Southern affairs that
have occurred in Europe eince the war; have
tended somewhat to relieve the Baotion dark
ness that prevailed in regard to our entire af.
fairs. Until this unexpected and startling
event burst upon the old world, it knew us
only through the literature Of the North, or
through the bedlamite decamations of itine-
rant Yankee Abolitionists in Exeter Hail.
The complete surprise with which Europe was
taken by our sectional war, though it was a
war inevitable, which had been brewing for
thirty years, affords some indication of the ut.
ter ignorance which prevailed throughout thai
continent, of all affairs in the United States
concerning the South. Not only was the for
eign public ignorant of the South, but it de-
sired to remain ignorant; and neither sought
nor would tolerate information concerning the
true state of Southern affairs. The South was
a tabooed subject, except as a butt for abuse.
Her rslavs-dlivers, and slave institutions, were
standing themes Of execration We were the
dete nor, the pet abomination of the popular
mind, "a subject of conventional obloquy and
execration. They knew lis only through Uncle
Toms Cabin, through reviews of Summers
speeches in the Edinburgh Quarterly, and
through extracts and choice quotations from
such Infamous publications as Helpers Crisis.


But for this deep-rooted prejudice, which
had been planted long and firmly in the Eu-
ropean mind, the cause Of the South would
have been more popular in Europe than any
that has ELECTED the popular sympathies for
half a century. AS the case stands, bitterly
as they hate, and profoundly as they loathe
the Yankees, yet their long-standing preju-
dices against the South compel them to look
upon the contest going on here as struggle
between bear and dog, between loathsome
Yankees Oh one side and a degraded and de-
based community of shareholders on the other


The only avenue to public opinion in Eu
rope is through the press-througb the popular
and independent press rather than the semi
official or political and it viii be the subject
of constant future regret that our Govern
ment did not send to London and Paris, at the
outbreak of this war, few able, discreet, and
practiced writers, charged with the exclusive
duty of putting forth through the independent
press continual articles imparting correct
views of Southern affairs and politics.


Our forefathers did not commit this lamenta.
hla nvarsiohf Tbov sun,l;oJ 4. lou,-a c...l =.
their Commissioners in Europe for this pur-
pose. At the head of that Commission they
placed BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, a printer and
editor of long experience, acquainted with
the means of shaping and creating public
opinion. The art of forming public opinion
is known thoroughly only to men long appren-
ticed to service in the press. To the rest of
the world, the currents taken by public opinion,
seem as accidental and caprieious as the course
of the wind is eccentric it is the experienced
editor only who can shape their courses as
readily as skillful driver his vehicle, or a
praeticed helmsman his ship. One of the
most remarkable features of the Revolution f
T76 was the strong support of public opinion
that it ELECTED in Europe, not excepting even
boeil Iuc tutlluSldSIu WHICH our
Commissioners managed to inspire in its be-
half was shown by the conduct of LAFAYETTE,
DEkALB, KOscIUsKe, PULASKI, Tom PAINE,
and the hosts of other strangers, who gene
rousiy left their native countries to volunteer
in the service of struggling America


The South has well nigh let it's cause go by
default in Europe, in the present crisis. No
thing has been done except from individual
impulse and by individual effort The intel
hgent classes of the old world are anxious to
sympathze with u.s. from their disgust and
abomination of Yankeeism; but, with the lights
before them, they find it impossible to over
come the preudices that have been indus
trously promulgated to our injury for half
century. The intelligent mind of Europe has
long long ago grown sick of the cant of Exc
ter Hall, are thoroughly convinced of the folly
of British and French emancipation in the
West Indies, and are ready to reject the whole
theory and practice of abolitionism at the mere
color of an argument. Some few good ar
ticles and papers have been written in Paris
and London during the last few months, which
have powerfully ameliorated public opinion
on Southern affairs; but these have only been
occasional papers by men having world of
other business on their hands; and much of
their good effect has been lost by the failure
to follow them up with papers of the same
character. One of the grand secrets of sue
cess in indoctrinating the popular mind with
ideas, consists in the judicious and timely ite'
ration of the arg ument, III varied forms of
speech and from various points of view. This
can only be done@by men whose profession is
that of the pen, and whose experience has
taught them the subtle art of intellectual in
incubation.


One or two able writers on Southern poll
ties, resources, and Institutions, sent to Lon.
don, would effect more in forming favorable
public opinion in Europe towards the South
than many ship-loads of formal Plempotenta-
ries and Dirlomatists. These latter are only
useful as the outward emblems of nationality,
and as the formal vehicles of red-tape inter-
communication. The real work of forming
public opinion must be done, if done at all, by
more Industrious, more active and ntelli-
gent, and a much less ostentatious set Of per-
sOns. -


There 10 no doubt of the fact that public
opinion IN Europe on the subject of slavery is
very much il the condition in which it was in
the South thirty years ago, and continued
to be among the great majority of the Southern
people until the last ten years. Within the
latter period tire whole argument has been
made de moro in favor of the morality,
righteousness, necessity, and beneiieence, both
social and political, of the institution. That
argument has vet to be made in Europe It