There Is A Third Question Which I Have Asked Myself, And To Which I
Have Undertaken To Give Some Answer.
When this war be over between
the Northern and Southern States, will there come upon us a
necessity of fighting with the Americans?
If there do come such
necessity, arising out of our conduct to the States during the
period of their civil war, it will indeed be hard upon us, as a
nation, seeing the struggle that we as a nation have made to be just
in our dealings toward the States generally, whether they be North
or South. To be just in such a period, and under such
circumstances, is very difficult. In that contest between Sardinia
and Austria it was all but impossible to be just to the Italians
without being unjust to the Emperor of Austria. To have been
strictly just at the moment one should have begun by confessing the
injustice of so much that had gone before! But in this American
contest such justice, though difficult, was easier. Affairs of
trade rather than of treaties chiefly interfered; and these affairs,
by a total disregard of our own pecuniary interests, could be so
managed that justice might be done. This I think was effected. It
may be, of course, that I am prejudiced on the side of my own
nation; but striving to judge of the matter as best I may without
prejudice, I cannot see that we, as a nation, have in aught offended
against the strictest justice in our dealings with America during
this contest.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 519 of 531
Words from 138874 to 139135
of 142339
