The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-25
The intercepted Letters-More about
the French Texan Intrigue-Th6
European Press to be Bribed to
Support the Rebellion.
Mr.. BINgASIN TO Mr.. sLIDEDL.
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, }
DEPARTMENT or STATE.
Richmond, Oct IL, 1862.

ljEPAbLMENFO or 9TATE.
Richmond, Oct IL, 1862.
Sn Since my No. 6, of 26th ultimo,
of which duplicate is herewith forward
oe, some circumstances Of very remark
able character have come 10 the know
ledge of the Presidedt to which your at
tention is invited. .-r ~
On the 9TH instant the President re-
aeived from Gov Lubbock, Of Texas,
letter, ofwhich a copy is annexed, mark
ed a, with Enclosures Nos l and 2.
The very singular nature Of this cor
respondence, initiated, as you will per-
ceiye, By VI Is. Theron, French Consular
Agent and Spanish Vice. Consul at Gall
weston, naturally excited alively interest,
but we had not arrived at any eatisfacto-
ry conclusion as to The nature and extent
nor the source of, fhe intrigue ON foot,
when, ON the 18th instant, the Presidents
received from Hon, w. s. Oldham, Sena-
tor from Texas, a letter, a copy, marked
B, is herewith enclosed oI Mh1
The concurrent action Of two French
Consular officers at points so remote from
each other as Galveston and Richmond !;
the evident understanding which exists
between them; the similIrity of their
views and conduct the. choice Of Mr.
Oldham as the party TO be approached,
he being originally considered as identil
lied with the party opposed to the Adj
ministration, while Dir. Wigfall is its
supporter; all concur in satisfying us
that there is not only concert of action
between these officials, hut that their
conduct has been dictated by some COM
mon superior. In plain language, we
feel authorized to ainfer that the French
Government has for some interest of its
own, instructed some of its consular
agents here TO feel the way, and if pos
Isible TO provoke some movement on the
part Of the State of Texas which shall
result in its Withdrawal from the Com
federacy,. II is difficult, If not impossi
BILE, on any other hypothesis, 10 account
for the conduct Of these agents. '3H'7fs2
Ihave, in accordance with the instruc-
tions of the Presidept expelled both M.
Theron and NJ. Tab0uelIe from the Con.
9ederacy, and have forbidden their return
without the previous permission Of the
Government. II inclose you copies of the
orders of expulsion, marked @ and d. =
In endeaVoring 10 account for such a
course of. action on the part of the French
Government, lean only attribute it to
one or both of the following causes ~
J. The Emperor of the French has de-
termined TO conquer md hold Mexico as
colony, and is DESTROYS Of interposing
a weak power between his new colony
and the Confederate States, in order that
he may feel secure against any interior
ence with his designs on Mexico
2. The French Government is desirous
of securing for itself an Independent
source of cotton supply, to Offset that
possession by Great Britain in India, and
designs to effect this purpose by taking
under its protection the State of Texas,
which, after being acknowledged as an
Independent Republic, would, in its opin-
ion, be as dependent on France, and as
subservient to French interests as if a
| French colony. go o. %
tits more than probable that both these
considerations would have weight in the
councils of the French Cabinet, and We
are not without suspicion that the tortu-
Gus diplomacy of Mr.. Seward NAV have
had some influence in inspiring such de-
signs. The desire TO weaken the Con-
iederacy, to exhibit il to the world as "a
rope Of sand, without cOnsistence OF
cohesion, and therefore not worthy of re-
cognition as an independent member oil
the family of nations, would afford am
pie motives for the adoption of such a
course by the Cabinet of the United
States, which is driven 20 diplomacy OF
expedients in the desperate efforts tC
avert the impending doom which awaits
the party now in powerin Washington.
One other suggestion occurs to me
which you may receive rs purely con-
lieeturalson my part. 1t is known to me
personally that at the date Of the annexa-
ton of Texas to the United States, Mr.
Dubois de Saligny, the present French
Minister in Mexico, and who was at the
time French Charge d'AHaires to the Re-
public Of Texas, was Vehemently op.
posed 10 the annexation, and was active
in endeavoring TO Obstruct and prevent
it. Even at that date the dispatches tc
Mr.. Guizot, which had an opportunity
of reading, were filled with arguments e
show that the interests of Texas were
identical with those of France, and thai
both would be prompted by the mainte.
nance of separate nationality in Texas
The intrigue aO,O on fool, therefore,, accord,
completely seih policy IN regard to Y,ra,
that may b almost saidt0 be traditional ,0iU
France; and 70 IS not impossible that the more.
mont Of The consular agent here has receiUel
ats first Impulse from Hs French legation u
lNerio0, insteadcfthe Cabinet ofAe 7aillerfes
These movements are not considered
as having the slightest Importance so fal
as their effect on Texas is concerned
The answers Of Gov. Lubbock and the
letter of MIR. OLDHAM will satisfy you
how little those gentlemen were disposed
20 encourage such attempts, while the
popular feeling in Texas is best eVinceO
NV the fact that abe has oavaral reof