, 1865-06-19
THE TRAAS-kBtsSlsSiPpl SURREM.
DER.
Some Interesting Develop.
mentS,
Row the Rebels Turned Their
Eyes Toward Mexico.

The New Orleans Picasunt gives proml.
nelcet 10 the following curious statements:
:. We ]lasn that when the question whether
they should surrender or Lot on ,he same
terms ernn'ee to the other commanders OF
the Conf deiate armies came up tor discus.
tiou aid decision before The chiefs OF the
Conf detate forces in The Tsans-M .ssisssppi
department, there WAS strong inclination
IN The part o. the Generals to declinn the
surrender, and to enbody their troops aud
march 10 1he Rio Gfande, und there reore an
ize them, with view to cooperation wi*h
wsgrd in that country. This conclusion was
one Of the results Of That infatua,fon which
brought 60 many evils aud misfortuues on
tue ConfcderattB, and I'D thtm to psoinn,.
the war to the latest moment. Bnt ior this,
pace would have been concluded and the
conference held at Fortress Monroe in jan
ua last.
fhe ,deat was that the Mexican scheme
Of LonIs Napoleon could not be carried out
without the aid ofthe Confeder~tes, and that
1t WIS the design Of that eaga:ious ruleE to
adopt their cause and secure th-lr aid, whrn-
ever be should consider them In danger. This
idea supported the ConfedcEatts long after
all their discreet chicfe, including their Gen.
era1-in-cEIeI, had c1ma to the conciusl<n that
the fcrther persecution OF the war against
Euch overwhelming forces WAS ! vain and
hopeless struggle and critical waste Of blood
sud life.
It was In vain tha. that ehrewd and we'll
info1med officer, Smmce, Of the Alabama,
Who cane INTO the .conftderacy In Decetn-
Der, fiekh from Europe, sttoyo to dfsabuse
the Cen ederate chiefs OF this idea, and as.
Eure them that Frauce would continue her
ntut1a1 course, and that tue Emperor at
tached great value to the pledges of Mr.
Seward that the United STATES government
would abstain from any interference In his
Mexican acheme. prove ding France would
MAINTAIN tcl neutrality in our civil war. The
ContedefAttB could not believe that the En-
letor WAS 30 un~iee as 10 trust to such u.s.
from this Mexican lmb,oglIn bat through IN
allisnce with the Confrderatcs.
Htnce the otherwise incomprtbcnsible
pc,sif tence Of the Contederares IN the con-
u st agalnst the vastly superior force OF the
Unittd States, alter It had become 80 uu-
ever, this deluaton bad been efcctualy dis
pelltd east Of the Mississippi by the rapid
march Of military events, It took refuge In
the TTanE-Ntss!ssippi, and there resumed Its
fway over the minds Of confederate chiefs.
Even so thoughtful and unexcitable mind
as Kirby Smiths gave way TO it, and In hia
]ast pfoclamaisn after the surrender of the
assistance from abroad, which ho declared
Was 'slear andicertain." It was the Prevalence
OF this idea aud hope that produced The dc.
lay and protraeted negoria ions, which were
at last, happily for the country, terminated
by the convention concluded In this city, be-
tween General Caphy, Of the United States
forces, and Gems. Price, Buckner and Brent,
on the part Of the C0nftderatrs.
This result was brought about, aud the
whole scheme OF q French Or Mexican Rliiau e
ERs ietea cd hy the good sense Of the rank
and file Of the Confederate army. who refused
to be q party TO any such Plot, when I. |: aked
ont that the cesisn WAS TO march the whole
T1ans. Mississippi army to the Rio Grande,
and there open communications and negotlA.
II, ms With the 1mperielists. Even the
tempting bait Of ten thousand bales OF cot
ton, which were to be carried along with the
army u defray e1penstB, could not reconcile
the soldiers to such wild tadVentpre. They
began to desert In large numbers.
just before the concoc1lon of this scheme,
BrjE8nier General Harry Hays, OF this city,
Who had not been In &C I've commAnd for
Eomc time, was assigned to the command oi
The Louisiana troops. When thenew plan of
Operations was communicated to h.m, and
preliminary orders were Issued to prepare for
Its execution, Gtnesat Hays promptly replied
that he did not conkiter bimself bound by hla
duty or authorized by the circumstances II
participate In movement like that proposed,
which had BOT had the sanction Of the Con.
Il detRte government, and vas foreign to 'he
ol,jtc's and ends Tor which he had drawn biz
sWo.d and his men bad enlisted in the s.r.
vice. This prompt and decided action on the
part Of G. neral Hays gave the coup de grace to
The whole plot of . hex:can alliance aud CO.
operation with Ma1ml1liau.