Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1865-03-16
p,,n,Isugp EVERY THURSDAY MORNING.
ny sWINDELLS & LANE.
J.w. swISDELLs. !. W. LANE
From the Hous on Telegraph,
mMPORTANT liz TRUE"

Of IL that paper says
aorr London correspondent, who mas
mayer deceived us MS to facts, anu VINO nus
100, sincnlarIy correct as to theories, mas
.ent,ns = letter published in another col
INN that is startling in the information
hat IL riyes. Two formidable iron-clads,
be-savs' 0are afioat ON the open sea under
M Con federate flag These monsters OF
lbe deep are represented as being the most
powerful of their kind; armed with the
heaviest and most effective ordnance, anu
inyulnerable to any proiectile used in war;
fare They could with impunity steam into
New York harbor and reduce the city TO
,sbes or exact a ransom that would fill the
Confederate Treasury with green backs.
Cpr correspondent also states that there
was n secret alliance between France ana
The Southern Confederacy, and that the en-
peror's open recognition will not be long
delayed. We commend the letter to pubic
attention.
This introduction is certainly enough to
secure the m ost attentive perusal Of every
body for the letter We give it almost en-
fire. and althoughit it does not fully persuade
us that we have two ir0n-clads at sea, or
that If we had they would be able to extort
q ransom from New York or burn Boston,
vet the tone of the letter gives us valuable
information of the spirit Of France regard
ing us. Up to the sailing Of the sphynx
from Copenhagen and the Cleops from Bor-
deaux, the writer claims to begiying ndis.
putable facts This was January 18th. If
they are at large and under Confederate
colors. we must hear of them within week.
With this preface we give the letter;
LONDON, Jan. 2s, 1866.
Z, II has never fallen to the lot of news
paper correspondent to communicate more
important intelligence than is contained in
this letter. 1t is true that mingle conjec-
lures with fact but the facts know to be,
true, and it s. ems to me they vouch for the
eoniectures. have not the least doubt
do nSk kbelieve any sane man can doubt that
at the present moment there are two formi-
iable iron -clads afoat in the open sea un,
der the Confederate flag. will now give
Won a recital Of facts so far as they are
known to me. You cannot have forgotten
that some time ago, think it was last April,
IL was announced that the French Govern
ment had forbidden the completion Of some
war vessels building for the Confederatcs.
AT a still earlier period it had been nolsed
abroad that the Emperor Napoleon had ac-
corded permission TO the Confederate agents
to build and equip war vessels in French
norts-and that sucllsvessels should be al
lowed to leave port, provided they did not
carry any gun powder Well, Mr.. Dayton,
who was man of industry and vigilance,
discovered that two iron -clads, the Sphynx
and he Cleops, were being built at Bor-
e. 10 MT
Mr.. Dayton procured the most exact in
formation, and by some means or other OBJ
tanned copies of the contracts for the rebels.
One remarkable featur in the case was,
that M. Armand, protege Of the Emperor
Napoleon, was the principal agent in the
business. The vessels were being built
nominally on his account. The affair was
brought under the notice Of The French gov
ernment, and after some negotiating the
Emperor gave orders that the Confederates
should not have the vessels, q d formally
and ostentatiously revoked his promise.
The proceeding caused much speculation.
The friends Of Mr.. Dayton thought that gen.
tleman had brought about a change of poll
cy, and that for the future the French gov
ernment would be for the North rather than
for the South. Other persons imagined the
critical condition of Europe-the Danish
war. was in progress-made the Emperor
Napoleon afraid Of provoking bad relations
with the United States.
The sequel, think, will show that Mr..
Day friends were wrong, and that the
order that the Confederates should not have
the vessels did not indicate any change of
policy. No one knows better than Mr.. Sew
ard, that the stoppage of the vessels may be
fairly regarded as the consumation ofNa-
poleons Empire of Mexico for from that
time the Emperor Napoleon was assured,
that whatever the Federal Congress might
decree, or whatever the people of the United
States might determine the government Of
the United States would not interfere in
Mexico.
Events have shown that the Emperor's
confidence was justified. However, be this
as II may, the Confederate agents were for
mally and openly notified that the Sphynx
and the Cleops could not pass into their
hands and become the Stonewall and the
Rapidan, for such were the names they
were to bear under the Confederate flag.
The Confederat agents bore their disap-
pointment with miraculous equanimity, and
strange to say, the social relations between
the Imperial Court and some leading Con-
federaies, instead Of cooling, appeared to
be warmer
Well, the two vessels, though no longer
for the Confederates, were finished in a
most exquisite manner. 1t was said they
veee for the Danes, and, later, that they
were Tor Prussia. II was also said they