Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-06-13
REBEL DIPLOMACY UNvAILED-
LETTER FROM II. y. ROsT no R
IN. n. HUNTER.

REBEL DIPLOMACY UNVAILED-
LETTER FROM II. y. ROsT no R.
~. n. HUNTER.
Our readers will recollect that Judge
RosT, one Of the then Southern Commits
sicners sent to Europe, has been at Mad
rid for some time. lie makes the follow
ing statement of an interview had with
CAIDERoN COLLANTEs, the Spanish For
eign Secretary, which is highly interest
ing
COMMISSION oFTHE CONFEDERATE STATES
OF AMERICA, MADRID, March 81
Hon. r. M n Hunter, &c., &C..
SIR; have the honor to inform YOU
that | arrived in Madrid, accompanied
by Mr.. Fearn, as the news of our rever
ses was being received. After waiting
some time in the expectation of learning
its real nature and extent through South
ern papers, applied for and obtained
an interview with Mr.. Calderon Collan-
ties, the Spanish secretary OF foreign af-
fairs, whose reception was kind and
friendly. After expressing his gratilica-
ton at my safe arrival, and the assurance
that would be pleased with the society
of Madrid, as all previous American en-
voys had been, he asked me whether l
had any authentic account of the recent
reverses, and expressed great surprise that
fifteen thousand CORtederates should haze Sltr-
rendered WITHOUT greater resistance regrettiag
the effect that such a disaster aOas calculated 10
have upon the morale Of orr troops.
Continuing the conversation, he asked me
a0hat had been the result of tie inIerUie,0 of
Me8srs. Mason and SlideU and NJ TlouueaeL
I said these interviews had led to no result;
that the Emperor Napoleon considered the
disruption Of the Union and of It's RISING
May as a great misfortune to France, and
t0as Of late inclined TO hope that IL naiqM be
reconstructed; and further that he MOULD IN
der no circumstances incur tie eAnlttg of the
North by taking the lead IN recognizing as
whilst the present administrator IN England
,oas to a great extent conpoSed'of aJolitt0ni8ts,
and wanted the support of the abolition
faction for its maintenance in power, de-
luding itself at the same time with the
vain hope that if the civil war was pro-
tracted and the culture of cotton ceased,
in the whole or in part, the monopoly of
that staple would pass from the Confede-
rate States to India as a compensation
for the present suferings of the British
manufacturing population. But Spain
was differently situated; her interest was
that North America should be possessed
by two great powers, who would balance
each other; her cOunsels were not tainted
with Puritan fanaticism, and surely she
had no interest that the monopoly of the
cotton supply should pass from us to
England. Spain was our natural ally
and friend, and her paramount interest
was that we should become an indepen-
dent power. When we were recognized,
similarity of institutions, ideas and So
cial habits would form between us a
more cordial friendship and alliance than
had ever existed between two people
He said he hoped 1t might be so, but he tUouH
not conceal the fact that Mr.. Se,0ard aoas taxi
ing great paths 10 COSViRce him that the North
had Always been friendly, l0hile the South aoas
aI,0ayS hostile to Spain; that whilst the North
toas their bes' customer for the sugar of their
colonies, and supplied them NTH all then
'oanted IN exchange, no private expeditions had
eUer sailed from their ports for the invasion Of
Cuba, bt9 invariably from those of the South,
and if The Southern Confederate States be-
s0nle hereafter b strong government, their first
attempt at conquest would be upon that island.
X X X Il
This is the substance of what may be
considered of some importance in long
and cordial interview. I infer from 10
that tgiS government a0iZnot act separate from
England and France. OaOing to the enor-
nous preparations made by the North to sub
jugate as, I believe that nothing is no,0 to be
expected from any Of them until Tie Northern
Government IS readytO treat Nth as as an
Independent poa0er. If Hbe so and the Var
is TO last many years as The President init
mates IN his inaugural ii t0iU be for him 10
determine a0hether 10 is consistent ,0ih or
dignity to keep longer abroad commissioners
eob0 he k7loaOs are under no circumstances to
be received or listened to.
l have the honor to be, sir, very re-
specially, your obedient servant,
p. j. RosT