Official Declaration Of The French Government In Regard To The Southern Confederacy

Paris, Thursdiiy, April 18, 1861. Tiio American Jli.iistor at Paris, Mr. Faulkoer, ban just bad an official interview with the JFreneh Minister of Foreign Afl'airs, M. Thouvenol, on the subject of the recognition of tbc Southern Confederacy. At this interview, if we are eorrcctly informed, Mr. Paulkner went in obedience to tho State Departinent at Washington, to carry a oopy of tho President's Inaugural Addrcsp, to officially annouuce the uccossiou of the new governmeut at Washington, and to represent to M. Thouvenel the line of policy tho new governraeut intondcd to adopt, so far as their policy was deeided upon. Mr. Paulkner informod the Minister that lio was instruoted to pay that the Presideut's policy was to be found in the Inaugural Addrew in full; but in brief, on the question of a recognition of the Southeru Confederacy, the President held that there was uo fait acompli asyet, and that to reoognize tho Coufederacy under the present state of thii?Ks, would be not only illegal, but an act of bad fuith to a iriendly Power, desirous and anxou3 of settling its own internal affaira in its own way. Mr. Faulkner also developed before tbc Minister tbs able views of the qucstion whioh he has before uttered, and wbich havo been alreadv publisbed in tbo Times, and finisbod by protesting in the most solemn nianner against any recognition 6f tlie Southern CoDÍ'üdcraoy until'tlie new Mioister, Mr. Dayton, ebould arrive. Air. Faulkner said, in substanee : :' Tbis ia the last time, most probaWy. I shall have the honor of communicating offioially with your Kxcollency on this or any otber ímbject, as 1 leave for my homo in a short mué, and I wish now to protest most cnorgetically, in the name oi my Government, agaiust any rcoognition of the new American Confederacy, until at least ni y successor, a gentleman of great ability md of high personal wortb, and who will naturally eoiuc fully pared to present to you the views of the Government at Washington, shall Lave arrived." M. Thouvenel then demandod to know if the Cabine t at Washington were not dividcd in sentiment on this question of recognition? To which the American Minister replied, that under any eircumstances tlie members oí' the Ami (Jabino, were only advisory officers, and thatwitb the President remained the initiative and the responsibility of public acts sucb as these. Tbat these were the President's views, and thut these alone were to be taken as guides in diplomatic transaetions. M. Thonvonel then said that the Government of the United States need not have .ision of a speedy recoynition of the Southern Confederacy hij the Government of Frunce, It was not the habit of the French Government to act hastily in questions of so delicate a nature. He poiuted out the case of Italy, whera ap parently there conld be no special objeotion to thc recognition, and yet from prudential motives the recognition was withhcld. The French Goverment, added M. Thouvonel, soes the present dissension in America wi: li pain, and not only would desire to seo the broken elementa reunited, but would never step in by any aet whatever to widen tho división or add fuel to the fiamos. At tho same timo M ïhouvene! that tho practico of Franco, as indeed of most of tho European Powors, was now clearly uaderstood in these cases of recognition of new governmenta. A now government once clearly astablished beyond dispute, was a govornment de facto and mast bp íacognized, and whon tho new American govornment arrived at that poiut, he presumed, although he had no rig'it to prejudice tho future, it would be recoi.;nizod. M. Thouvenel thon domandeJ information on the subject of tho new taviff, which he said ao deeply affected Fronch commerce. Mr. Faulkner informed him that from indications from Washington he believed therc would bo an ostra session of" Uongres, and that the tariff would bo modified - a declaration which gave thc Foreign Socretary great satisfaction, and induced him to say to Mr. Faulkner that ut thü noxt mcotiug of tho Cabmet he would bc pleased to report tliis hopo to the Einperor and his colleagues in the government. M. Thouvonel assured Mr. Faulkner that up to the present timo he had not boon spoken to by any one on the subject of a recognition of the Southern Con'fedcracy.