Year: 1861




ment) has the following editorial


The intelligence brought from America by the last
mail bears complexion so perplexed and confused as
almost to defy explanation and commentary We
know fact that the North and the South have large
armies in the field and we infer from existing circun-
stances that natural and excusabe desire to avoid the
inevitable and desolating evils of civil war has, up to
the present tme kept the two contendng parties COM
pletely at bay


The British Government will not permit American
menowar or privateers to bring their captures into
British ports The government of his Majesty the EN-
peror OF the French, acting under old ordinance of
1851 is prepared to enforce the same prohibition and
therefore both countries unanimous ia their deter
mlnatlon TO give practical effect to the declaration
nexed to the treaty of Paris that prvateerng is and
remains abolished" Mr.. Lincoln processes his inten-
ton to adhere to the declaration but how he can
without the assistance of prvateers maintain blockade
from Chesapeake Bay to the Rio Grande de Norte.is
matter which must appear more than doubtful.
But II we revert to the question of interference which
the New York papers and Messrs. Cassius M. Clay
and Burngame incorrectly assert is about to take
place on the part of England, naturally led to
examine the American doctrine with regard to the
cogntion of de facto government.


We all know matter of history that the indie
pendence OF the thirteen States secured by the aid
and assistance of France. If England and France
should now apply precisely the rule to the South
ern Confederation, the North would certainly have no
right to complain. But these threats on the part of
Government which has rebellion and civil to quell
utterly idle end futile 1t is the policy of this cOun


try to abstain from interference and if the declaration
of neutrality recently issued by the British Government
is misnterpreted by the jealous rrtabty OF the North
ern States we in this country afford to laugh and
despse the folly of Government which, at such time
would strive to supplement the horrors of civil by
the disasters of foreign contest. Mr. Seward may think
that the loss OF the mouth of the Mississippi may be
compensated by the annexation of Canada and the COM
mand OF the St. Lawrence.


We regret to see amongst the items of news brought
by the last MAIL that Mr.. Lincoln has accepted the
services of a Canadian volunteer regiment. During
the Russian war; when the sympatLes of the Cabinet at
Washington were all with the enemy of England and
France, the enlistment of few wretched Germans with
in the territory of the United States considered
offence grave to justify the severance of all dplo
matte relations between this country and the United
States. So, in the present instance If Mr.. Lincoln
should carry out the wrongheaded policy expressed by
MIR. Cassius M. Clay and Mr. Burngame at Paris, the
same result of the cessation of diplomatic intercourse
might again occur. But who would suffer %? The
sympathes of this country would be aenated from the
North the evils of Southern slavery would be forgotten
and any inconvenience to British commerce would
speedily be remedied by the presence of British feet
which would sweep exery American armed shp whether
cruiser or privaeer from the In the present
dtion of the Federal Government, Spain
afford to laugh at the threats which Mr. Lincoln is said
to have uttered with respect to ST. Domingo but that
the President his satellites, for the first time
oHudrhlup I'D ulpouaCy, snoulu enueaFor 10 IuSu anu
outrage England is act of folly to which the
history of the United States affords parallel.


We have hitherto been silent on the possibility of
Lord Lyons being ordered to depart Lord Napier
ceived notice to quit few years ago. But if the Fed
eral Government should provoke war; Canada in spite
of the few dsconeDted who have volunteered for the
service of a foreign State, would remain staunch and
true. She would not only maintain her own, but she
would parayze the action OF the North with regard to
the Secession States. Mr.. Seward, who at one time
stated that Canada ought not to be nterred with be-
cause the time of annexation would surely come may
possible imagine that by subsequently courtng the
sistance OF France the inhabitants of the Lower Pro-
vince may be seduced to diSoyalty and insurrecton-
He will find himself egregiousy deceived for far as
observation extends, the Canadian people, without dis
tnction of race devoted to the British crown and
it may be said that to their hands destioed be
transferred that balance OF power the American
tinent which both the democratic North and the south
have SO wlfuHy and so needessly surrendTed to Eng
land and happy, contented prosperous and monarchca
Canada.