Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-01-17
ExEcUriyr DEpARTMEkr.
True copy Of The original.
JAMES PAUL, Private Secretary.


|[B1 RIcHMoND OCTOBER Is, 1862
His Excelency JEFFERSON DAVIS President, &c
SIR: On to-day None Tabourlle French Vice Consul at
Richmond, sought an introduction to the Sena.e
chamber and stated that he desired to obtain from
certain statistical information in regard to Texas told
HIM that did not then have the time to give him the de.
sired inormatoa, but if he would call at my would
take pleasure in giving him any information which pos
sessed Ha promised call this evening" which he did,
and has just left my deem it proper to give you
the substance Of the conversation between it had
connexion with the subecmaer of the correspondence
between the Governor of Texas and French Consular
Agent at Galveston Of which You advised Gen Wigfall
and myself "a few days sioce.
Aft,r had furnished him with information in regard
to the area population, debt, taxes and agricultural
productive capacity of Texas be remarked that the
of the State magnificent and capable Of sup
porting POWERFUL and Independent people and then asked
me nhethsr Thought pOud be he interest Of the
STATE 10 assume Independent nationality told him that
the people of Texss being mostly emgans from the old
Southern States strongly attached t. those States
and to ederatye system of government, which
some length explained to him. told him that they never
could have been induced to secede from the United States
but to preserve that form OF government which in dam
ger of being destroyed further stated to him that not only
the affections and sympahes but also the interests of the
people Texas bound them to the States ohe Confederacy
that their institutions pursuits and agricultural products
were the and that mutual safety required harmony
amongst them, which could only bs insured by Conede
racy that as separate and independent State Texas
would be weak and incapable of sefdefenc that we were
sensible that would be subject TO be nyo we'd in COLI
SONS with sister Southern States that the similarity
OF institutions and produc ion, which bonds of
unon and the cause Of harmony would become cses of
rvaes eaouses and perhaps between the States
that In the Contederacy would not be weak and de-
pendent people incapable of resenng insult repelng
aggression The subject then waived and we talked
of other matters.
But for the fact you had called my attention to the cor
respondence between the Governor of Texas and the
French consular agent at Galveston, this conversation
would perhaps have msde impression upon my mind
but Introduction to sought by the Vice Consul
with the view to obtain statistical information regard 10
Texas and the subject Of the separate ndepen ience that
State, thus introduced by him. it struck me that it
was not casual accidental He furthermore stated to
me that be had written to the consular agent at Galveston
for information upon the Of Texas and had re-
ceivtd from him specimen sample of Texas wool
which he either had or intended to send to France
have deemed it proper to communicate the foregoing
to you, aiording conrmaoFy evidence to the concu-
SION that it is The object of Louis Napoleon and perhaps
other of the European Powers to induce Texas to assume
independent nationality. The fact communicated by
you to Gen Wgfal and myself put on my guard and
caused me to b. explicit and spec c than IN ght
otherwise have BEEN for The purpose OF dispatng such
design it exists and to aduc, whatever steps that may
be taken TO be for the benefit OF the entire Conederacy
am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
w. S. OLDHAM