The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-03-24

Ibrokc Lodge. Richmond. Park. OF
that interview he also matc MI official
report, which, together awith the mes
sage intrusted 10 him from the EN-
pcror Napoleon to President Lincoln.
removed all anxiety in regard to any
interference with our blockade.
dc Janeiro and took charge Of his mis-
sion, and IN February, 1863. when he
learned that the Emperor Of France
had commenced his Mexican intcrvcn-
ton, he not only urged upon our Gov
crument the enforcement Of the Mon
zoe Doctrine. but he wrote TO the En-
pcror. pointing out the grand mistake
he had made i'm recognizing tho Priest
Party in Mexico MS one 10 be relied on
or capable Of giving bis,tsnpport in
his Notwithstanding. Tic showed
how utterly impossibIr it was ;hat the
United States should ever assent TO his
proceedings. aud announced IA nh
solntcIy certain that the people. ire
spcclivc Of the Government. wOuld l-
:.ist upon the withdrawal of his forces
from Mexico; while the people Of
France could not but disapprovc Of Il
. proceeding w l'''N'''| -
collision Will, the United States.
This letter remained unanswered
so,rr two months, when the course Of
:cvcnts. aud more reliable information
in regard 10 the Priest Party in McXi-
60. satisfied the Emperor that his old
friend had pot deceived him, but had
related To him truths. which. most
| probably. he would not learn from amy
inthrr source. Finally. on the I'D OF
. May. 1853. the Emperor acknowledged
: the receipt uI General Wrhb'I letter.
and with the utmost tramknrSI en-
plainpd how he WAS drawn into this
MrXiran affair. nnh declared his de-
J Termination To withdraw the lnomrni
! hr could lo 80 with credit and without
trumprUlnlin. the honor Of France.
!. lIral>n gave molirr that, while IT. was
, hiS intention to Withdraw. hr must NOT
, br lhrrairnrd. ANY attempt of lhr
, kind would ronp!icatr his relations
. with his own people IL necessarily TO
. prevent hi. Withdrawing.
: The letter which we have read. i 4
very rNlraordinary production: rX-
rrrdin.Iy friendly, frank and rrcdiia'
bic to his >a"arily and good Judgment.
General WrEh very property ronNId-
cred the letter WAS designed rather for
the President nflh" United STATES than
, for Iim>rli aud accordingly forwarded
! il to Mr.. Lincoln. The written
: rlrd." il contained that tn" Emperor
: would Withdraw his troops from Next
go. whenever he could do - with
honor. was arrrp,rh by Mr.. Lincoln in
the sam" spirit in which il WAS writ
ten. auh hence the lull which took
r,lrr IN our negotiations with France
hurin" the newt tw" years. After Mr.
. I,incu!u'- ,rH,l. II new and less Irirnd-
, Is tone j. apparent in our .rnrrr>p"n.
, drnrr with Franr". Mr.. l.in""!n' (
prudence. and his r"liamrr upon tn"
. rood faith ni The Emperor. no longer
Guided our councils and in the au-
, iumn al lNtjI. the wiSrei among Us
! apprrhrnhrl collision with our an
rirui ally. Such am rvrnt-a war with
, the most powerful nation in the world,
= i'm the then un.rttlrd state of the r0un-
. try. and ll" arrangement Cf our
. finances. WAS something too terrible 10
. anticipate: and vet ii appeared but tao
+ pr"hahlr.
t;rnrral Webb arrived at Lisbon on
-. his WAY home. at tl" close OF Drtnbrr,
| lSGj. anil wrote from Lisbon ln the
, Emperor, annuunrin" his intention 10
=. ,ai in four days for New York from
:. Liverpool. aud im1iIiring what hr could
|. do in regard 10 the MrXiran question.
-. On arrival ai southampton u" rrcrircd
n telegram from the Emperor urging
I. him To visit Paris. Ilr went according.
, ~. and. on hi- arrival III the Hotel
| Bristol. on the rvrnin" ni thu 9th OF
J. November. was met by an invitation
!, or command To breakfast with the
( Emperor at 81. Cloud on the following!
morning. OF course. he went accOr.
: tin"ly. and. after breakfast. spent more
. than TWO hours with His Ma icSty. The
result was an agreement between the
I parties. subject 10 the approval Of thr
f President. that the French troops
, should bc withdrawn from Mexico III
{ twelve. eighteen and twrniy-tour
months.
| II was stipulated by the Emperor
, that our Minister in France should
| know nothing Of this arrangement
and TO guard against it's becoming pub.
f. lie by the action Of our Congress, even
Mr.. Seward was not to have knowl-
!. edge of it officially. And it. was fnr.
I thrr agreed that if President johnson
, approved of what had been arranged.
General Webb should write to the
Emperor TO that effect, and thus pre-
vent the arrangement getting into the
. Foreign Office of either country-thc
. Emperor plcdcing himsclfto announce
the fact in April. 1866, through the
, Monitcnr.
General Webb arrived here after n
: stormy passage Of seventeen days. Oh
, the 5lh Of December, 1863. lie was
prohibited from putin. pen to paper
on the subject; and although tho ther-
mOmetcr was but little above zero, he
repaired to Washington the same
night, and Immediately ma,lo his re-
port. On the evening Of the 9th Of
December, 1865, Mr.. Seward called on
General Webb and informed him that
the President approved Of his arrange.
mcnt with tho Emperor Napoleon, and
desired him to write to tho Emperor
in his Che Presidents name, and cx-
pross his cordial appreciation Of the