Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-26
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GnEsER EnsaRN ID tssEE.

sartiOn-
FRENCn mEDIATaoy-oEFECEAL
C&asREsH70N ID EECE.
The following letters on the important sub
iect Of French mediation are ell of the ser Is
that have reachsd US, Should the additional
CORES spondence prove Of interest twill appear
hereafter:
n. DROUTN De L'HUYs 10 n. MERCER.
DEP'r FOREIGN Abrams. PoLuIcaL DIVISION,
PAlus. January 9. 1883.
SIR Ia forming she puTposs of assisting, by
the proffer of cur good Offices, to short n the
period Of those hostilities which are desolshng
the American continent, we have not TO be gui-
ied beyond all By the friendship which acsu-
atss the government of the Emperor in regard
to the United States The little success of cur
evertIrss might chill the interest with which
we f0llow the fluctuations Of this contest but
the sentiment to which We have yielded is too
sincera for indifference to hnd place IN cur
thoughts, that we should cease TO be painfully
Effected while the war continues to Tsge. We
cannot regard without proiodnd regret this war,
worse than civil, comparable to the most tenl-
BE distractions Of the ancient republics, aud
whose disasters multiply in proportion to the
resOurees and valor which each of the belhge-
rent parties develop. The government OF ms
majesty have. therefore, seriously examined the
objections which have been made to rs when
we have suggested the idea OF friendly media-
ton. and We have asked ourselves whether
they are truly OF nature 70 set aside rs pre-
mature every tentative TO reconciliation. Oa one
part hiss been opposed 10 us she rspognauce Of
tie Uiited States 70 admit the Intervention
OF foreign influence in the dispute; on the other
the hope which the Federal government has
not abandoned, of attaining i.s solution BY
force of SINS AssuredlY, sir, recourse 20 the
good Offices Of one Of several nsntral powers
contains nothing incompatible with the pride so
Legitimate amidst great nation, and mesns
Dure'Y international are not those alone which
furnish exsmples Of the usual character Of fme-
distion We hatter ourselves, besides, that in
proffsrng 20 place ourselves st the disposal Of
the bellgeleut parties TO facilitate between their
negotistons, the bssis of which We abstain from
priudging. we have manifested 50 the patriots
/ ism Of The United States sll the considerations
to which il entiaed-aow, perhaps, still more
Z thsn ever after such new p-oof OF moral force
/ and energy. We are none the less ready, amid
/ the wishes which we form in favor of peace, to
i take into account 81 the susoep6bilities OF ma
/ tiona feeling and we do not at all question the
right Of the Federal government to decline the
| lco-operotian (c0a-oHrSl of the great maritime
powers If Europe. But this cooperation, IS It
not the oniY means which offsrs itself to the
/ Cabinet Of Washington 10 hasten the close OF
! the war; And If If believes that it ought to re-
pei any foreign intervention, could il not honor
ably accept the i6ea of direct (p0urparleTs) in
! formal cOnferences with the authority which
may represent ihe States Of the South7 The
4 Federal government does no despair, We know,
of giving d mere active impulse to hostiities.
/ lis sacrifices have not exhausted its resources,
slill less its perseverance, aud its sssadfastness.
/ The protTaciiOn Of the struggle, III word, has
+ not shaken its confidence ia the dehnits success
/ Of its efforts
/ But the opening Of inlorDasl conferences be-
/ tween the belhgerent parties does not neces-
sarily imply the Immediate cessation OF hostbt
! ties. Negotiations about peace are not always
i he consequence Of suspension Of warfare
/ They pTeeede on ths contrary, more often the
| establishment Of q truce. How many times
/ have we not seen plenipotentiaries meet, ex-
/ change Communications. agree upon all the
essential provisions Of treates-resolye, ia hue,
/ The question even Of peace or war-whiist the
I leaders Of avmies continued Che strife, aud en-
l deavored, even 10 the latest moment 10 modify
/ by force Of arms che conditions OF peace. To
recall only one memory drawn from the history
/ of The United Stafes-the negotiations whica
/ oonsecratod their indepen 3ence were commenced
+ long before hostilities had ceased in the new
until the act of the 30th Of November, 1882
which, under the nsme Of provincial articles,
embraced in advance the principal clauses Of
the defnitive treaty Of 1888 Nothing, there
/ fore. would hinder the government Of the United
States, without ren0uncing the advantage which
/ t believes Is can attain By the continuation OF
! the war, from entering upon informal confer
/ ences with the C0ntedeIates Of the South, n
/ case they should show themselves disposed
thereto. Representatives OF commissioners ol
/ the two parties could assemble at such point So
it should be deemed proper TO designate and
which could for this purpose be declared neutral
/ Reciprocal complaints would be examined iutC
+ at this meating. In place af the accusations
/ which North and South mutusily cast upon eaci
! other at this time would be substituted an aYgu
mentative discussion of the interelts which
divide them They would seek ont. by means
of well ordered and profound deliberations
whether those interests are Indefinitely iuecon
ciable, whether separation Is an extre ne whic'
cau no longer be avoided OF whether the memo
ries Of common existence, whether the ties O
any kind which have made of the North aud Q
J the South oue sole and whole iedera.ive State
/ aud have borne them on 70 SO high degree 9
prosperity, are not more powerful tlan the cause
5 slich have paced arms in the hands of tae tw
populations A negotiation, the object Of whle
J would be thus deteTminative, would not lnvOlv
any Of the objections raised agsiast Inc diple
, matte Intervention Of Europe, and without Civ
ing birth to the sGme hopes as ihe immsdiai
conclusion Of an armistic7, would exercise
hsppy influence on the rnsych Of events. Whl
therefore should not g combination, which II
! speefs an the relations cf the United State
obtain the appreciation Of the Federal goverI
. ment Persuaded, on cur part, thatit is in cor
f5rmity with their true interests, we do nC
Z hesitate to recommend it TO their attention, au
c net having sought ia the project Of a mediatio
5 # the maritime pewers Of EafOpo any vain di
/, play Of iufiasneei we would applaud, with enti
& freedom from all susef pdbihties Of sel-estesa
the opening Of a negotiation which would iuvl
the two populations to discass, without the G
operation Of Bag0pe, tic solution Of their diff
: culties-
mqaess you, sir, TO siTe This assurance
the Cabinet Of Washing lon, while commenaiE
8 to lis wisdom eounsels dictated by mcst siece
interest in the prosperity Of the United State
{ You sre. moreover, authorized, Il M Sswa
expresses ths wish to leave wiEh him copy
.his dispateh-
Accept sii the assurance OF my hign consl
eratiou, DRoUYEDE L 'HUEs.
To d Msreisr, Minister Of France at Was
ington.
NIB. SEWARD TO Mr.. DAYTON.
2 No 1871 DEFARrHEyT OF STATE, 3
WAsHa GToS February 6 1868. 5
. william L. Dayton, Esq, etc. ete.s
Q SIR: The indmation given in your dispatC
Of Jsnusry 18Th f255) thar I might expect
special visit from 81. Aerc:er, has been realize