France and recognition.
The explanation of the Paris Moniteur, the official journal of France, of the conversation between the Emperor Napoleon and Messrs. Roebuck and Lindsay, shows that Mr. Roeback was too strong in his representation of the tenor of that conversation. Mr. R.'s speech was not at ail discreet, and was well calculated to damage his own motion. No one who properly estimates the sagacity and caution of the French Emperor could suppose, for instance, that he would make a grave charge of breach of ministerial and international courtesy against the British Government to a British member of Parliament, with authority, or rather request, that he would reject it on the floor of Parliament. He is hardly the man to do that. When he wanted to make a charge or a complaint of the kind public he would likely take some other course more consistent with his own dignity as well as with common propriety.It is probable that, in reporting the remarks of the Emperor touching the alleged breach of courtesy of the British Government in communicating to the Federal Government his proposition touching mediation in American allures, he gave his version of a misunderstood conversation, just as he did in stating that the Emperor said he had instructed his Envoy at London to ask the British Government to join him in recognizing the Southern Confederacy, when, according to the Moniteur, he only stated that he would instruct Baron Gros, the French Ambassador, to "sound the intentions of Lord Palmerston" upon this point, and to give him to understand that if the English Cabinet believed that the recognition of the South would put an end to the war the Emperor would be disposed to follow it in this direction. " A very different version, indeed!
Mr. Roebuck has obliged the Southern Confederacy with some very just views of its condition, and some warm praizes of the heroism of its people. Moreover be has afforded us some gratification by his scathing assaults upon our Northern four, but he is nevertheless, anything but an influential and prudent parliamentation. His evidently extravagant representation of his interview with Louis Napoleon, subjected him to sharp fires from the ministry and its supporters, and will not help his motion. Even Bright, the political ranter, was assisted by it to make a hit.
But after all, it makes very little difference what sort of a man makes a motion about recognition at the present time in the British Parliament it would most the same fate that it will probably have with Mr. Roebuck for its patron. Recognition will come when it can have little or not elect; and probably not before. We have learned to regard it with indifference, and the nations can take their time. We shall nevertheless, not forget our friends, come what will. In the meantime the evident justice of our claims to recognition continues to force the subject upon the diplomatists? They put it aside to day and declare that it is dead and in its grave, and yet to-morrow it rises like Basque's ghost and forces itself upon their notice. This will continue to be the case until the Southern Confederacy is formally acknowledged.
