Bright and beautiful, but
quite cold; skating in the basin, etc.
The departure of the
commissioners has produced much speculation.
The enemy's fleet has gone,
it is supposed to Sherman at Charleston.
No doubt the Government of
the United States imagines the "rebellion" in articulo mortis, and supposes the reconstruction of the Union a
very practicable thing, and the men selected as our commissioners may confirm
the belief. They can do nothing, of course, if independence is the ultimatum
given them.
Among the rumors now current,
it is stated that the French Minister at Washington has demanded his passports.
Mr.
Lincoln's message, in December, certainly gave Napoleon grounds for a
quarrel by ignoring his empire erected in Mexico.
Mr. Seddon still awaits his
successor. He has removed Col. and Lieut -Col. Ruffin from office.
Mr. Bruce, M. C. from
Kentucky, and brother-in-law to Mr. Seddon, is named as Commissary-General.
The President has vetoed
another bill, granting the privilege to soldiers to receive papers free of
postage, and the Senate has passed it again by a two-thirds vote. Thus the
breach widens.
Some of our sensible men have
strong hopes of peace immediately, on terms of alliance against European
powers, and commercial advantages to the United States. I hope for even this
for the sake of repose and independence, if we come off with honor. We owe
nothing to any of the European governments. What has Blair been running
backward and forward so often for between the two Presidents? Has it not been
clearly stated that independence alone will content us? Blair must have
understood this, and made it known to his President. Then what else but
independence, on some terms, could be the basis for further conference? I
believe our people would, for the sake of independence, agree to an alliance
offensive and defensive with the United States, and agree to furnish an army of
volunteers in the event of a war with France or England. The President has
stigmatized the affected neutrality of those powers in one of his annual
messages. Still, such a treaty would be unpopular after a term of peace with
the United States. If the United States be upon the eve of war with France and
England, or either of them, our commissioners abroad will soon have proposals
from those governments, which would be accepted, if the United States did not
act speedily.
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