but natural that public opinion should become restless in Europe, and
condemn the ambition of those who prolong a fratricidal war. Peace in
America, peace is a necessity at any price, is the cry of thousands of
men among us who are suffering from hunger, innocent victims of the
passions and madness which steep the United States in blood.

These complaints are only too just. The civilized world is at present,
so bound together, that peace is one great condition of the existence of
modern industrial nations; unhappily, although it is easy to point out
the remedy, it is almost impossible to apply it. Just now it is by war
alone that ending of the war may be looked for. To throw herself armed
between the combatants would be an attempt in which Europe would exhaust
her strength; and to what purpose? As Mr. Cobden has justly said, it
would be less costly to feed the work people who are ruined by the
American crisis _on game and champagne_. To offer to-day our friendly
mediation is not only to expose ourselves to a refusal, and perhaps so
exasperate one of the parties as to push it to more violent measures,
but to diminish the chances of our mediation being accepted at a more
favorable moment. Thus we are forced to remain spectators of a
deplorable war, which is the cause of infinite evil to us; thus forced
to offer up prayers that exhaustion and misery may appease these mortal
enemies and oblige them to accept either reunion or separation. A sad
situation, doubtless, but one which neutrals have always occupied, and
from which they cannot depart without throwing themselves among unknown
dangers.

If we have not the right to interfere, we can at least complain, and try
to discover those who are really wrong in this war, which so affects us.
The opinion of Europe is a power. It can hasten matters and restore
peace better than arms can. Unfortunately, for two years opinion has
wandered from the proper path, and by taking the wrong side of the
question, prolongs instead of stopping resistance. The South has found
many and clever advocates in England and in France, who have presented
her cause as that of justice and liberty. They have proclaimed the right
of secession, and have not feared to apologize for slavery. Their
arguments to-day are beginning to fail. Thanks to those publicists who
do not traffic with humanity; thanks to M. de Gasparin, above all, the
light has made things clear; we know now how things stand as to the
orig