If instead
of declaring by resolution that the second, third, and fourth
articles of the Declaration of Paris were principles which by their
own voluntary action they would adopt as rules for their own
government, the Confederate States had, with an astute policy which
the invitation itself seems intended to suggest, demanded that they
should be allowed to accept the Declaration in the same method in
which it had been accepted "by every other nation," it is difficult
to see how their demand could have been refused; and if it has been
admitted, what would have been wanting to perfect the recognition
of the independence of the Southern Confederacy?

THE PARIS CONVENTION.

The motive of England and France in this extraordinary negotiation
with the Confederacy is plain. The right of privateering was not
left untouched except with deep design. By securing the assent of
the Confederacy to the other three articles of the Paris Convention,
safety was assured to British and French cargoes under the American
flag, while every American cargo was at risk unless protected by
a Foreign flag--generally the flag of England. It would have been
impossible to invent a process more gainful to British commerce,
more harmful to American commerce. While the British and French
consuls were conducting this negotiation with the Confederate
States, the British and French ministers were conducting another
to the same purport with the United States. Finally Mr. Seward
offered to waive the point made by Secretary Marcy many years before
at the date of the Declaration, and to accept the four articles of
the Paris Convention, pure and simple. But his could not be done,
because the Confederate States had not accepted the first article
abolishing privateering and her privateers must therefore be
recognized. England and France used this fact as a pretext for
absolutely declining to permit the accession of the United States,
one of the great maritime powers of the world, to a treaty which
was proclaimed to be a wise and humane improvement of the old and
harsh law of nations, and to which in former years the United States
had been most earnestly invited to give her assent. This course
throws a flood of light on the clandestine correspondence with the
Confederacy, and plainly exposes the reasons why it was desired
that the right of privateering should be left open to the Confederates.
Throug