Year: 1861




The Washington R6pu5licnl, of the Goth ut pub
lshes several interest extracts from private let,
ter written By g gentleman in London to geutle-
man in Washington, from which we extract the
following: .... ............


The news of the disaster at Lexington has Just
reached US, | will not stop to say what Won hnOvy
already that it has deeply afflicted me- l send you
the Times Chronicle and Telegraph, with leaders on
the subject, that will let you know what is thought
of that defeat over here But now, / must tell you
what will be the effect Of it. Unless the next few
days brings over the rews of brilliant and
decisivs victory gained by the Federal Govern
ment over the Conederates, England will certainly
at once try 70 ralse the blockade of the Southern
ports. told you she was on the fence. You will
see it announced in the Times Of this day. which l
send you, that Lord John Russell has said he ''Will
consider of the propriety of sending out shps-of-
war to raise the blockade" But do you know /
think that is partly insincere? Ships-Ofwar have
already left these ports, sailing Westward under
sealed orders. From all that can gather between
the half condolences of the press and the cautious
gossip Of John Bull at his dinner table, think that
there is no doubt that the destination of those shps


is to the Southern ports, where they will cruise to
wait further orders, to be carried out to them by
some fast sailing war steamer. What those fur
ther orders will be, you may easily imagine. ]
tell you; if we do not sstonsh England by such.
decisive victory shall entirely destroy the Con
federate army on the Potomac, we shall have her !
down Ia aid of the South. | am breathing |
out all my soul in hoping, praying longing for this
victory.


In another letter, the same writer says:


The English Government don't like the letter of /
mediation sent by the Emperor Of Russia to the |
President of the United States which, as they so
much desire the end of the war, seems a little in
consistent. But they are certainly jealous of the
interference of Russia. Since that Russia has sent
a special envoy to France upon some errand, of |
which this Government is very suspicious and pros
foundly ignorant. And now observe. You will re-
member that in the late Crimean war the people of
the United States certainly sympathized with
Russia, a Christian nation should for, after all,
Russia against Turkey was the Cross against the
Crescent. You know also that the present Czsr is
one of the most enlightened and hberGl-minded
monarchs that ever sat upon the Russian throne.
He has abolished serfdom in his own daminions.
think Russia bears 8 grudge against England, and
would set her at variance with France if possible
And have hope and presentimant that if Eng.
land and France do help the rebels and thus make
world g war Of it. Russia will come to the aid of
the Federal Government. There was more in that c
letter of mediation than met the eye, especially in
that part of it which reminded the President that
Russia and the United States were the two great.
est powers of the Eastern aBd Western hemispheres
hate monarchs, but my heart warns to the Gar. r
And yet know that there is precious little mag '
lanimlty left in Europe, and whatever any nation {
nay do for against the United States will be done
primarily for self interest We must not rely upon s
my help from that quarter-we must rely only il
lpon God cur cause and ourselves.