The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-05-12
From the Memphis Appeal.

FROM the memphis appeal.
MEMPHIS, April II, 1S1l.-Iu an edi-
torial in the Ledge. Of the this date, it
says: There Is q statement in the
papers that Vice President Colfax re-
Gently published in the Independent
q statement to the effect that Russian
influence alone prevented the recogni-
ton of the Southern Confederacy,
which Lord Granville subsequently
denied in the House of Lords in the fol-
lowing language: AS member of the
Palmerston and Russell Cabinet, he
could say that a proposition to recog-
nize the South was not even enter
tained.n
As a mere matter of history, 1 will
recount an incident with which was
connected in London Just at the time
of tn battle of Gettysburg.
On Saturday preceding the Sunday
the news of the result of that battle
was received in London, I had an inter-
view with Mr.. Roebuck, then mem-
her Of Parliament, and the leading
kiend4f the Confederate recognition
IN the House of Commons.
+ This interview was upon his invita-
ton. He expressed a desire to speak
with me coneernfug the state of affairs
in. the South, preparatory to making
I his speech on z resolution introduced
by himself looking % our recogni-
speech was to have been made
few nights. previous, but had been
deferled, sorsthat he contemplated
nlakisg it on that night, but had that
day deferred it. / remembered we'll
the following statement of his (which
I suppose IL ne longer confidential, IL
it ever wast He esaid to me: "The
Government is pressed hard to recog-
milton by the Emperor of the French,
and i wofdd HE to- have urged my
resolution, aided.by this pressure. But
ne expect to hear daily of the defini-
tive battle in Pennsylvania. Every.
thing depends on that. I have con-
yersed with Palmerstont who request
ed me to postpone my, resolution and
speech, and he has assured me that if
the eConfederates gsin The victory in
the battle now about e0be fought, the
Government will be forced TO recogni-
tien:" - -. -.-l----- go =
/ WAS elatei 6with the Information,
for none of u -Afhe knew Gen. Lee and
the army u. Northern Virginia doubted
the result. sEnae6tiOned the converse
ton freely A5apilg the Confederates
tliaf evening fJ q
On the nest day sqnsiay, about noon
number 81 Sdefates. were at my
room In esfe - hon OF The arrival
of the steamer Of Queenstown, when q
person who professed Southern sympa-
thies, but who was distrusted, appear
e ! at the door and summoned me. i
did not invite him in, but answered his
summons. He informed that news
had been received of a disastrous defeat
of Gen. Lee. / replied it was impossi-
bic, for / had news from the Confede-
rate Legation, and the steamers had
not been sighted from Queenstown.
He said that is true, but nevertheless
the fact is so; the news had been re-
ceived. / communicated the informa-
ton as had received it, which pro-
Educed a general gloom, although no
one thought il possible that it could be
authenticated. ,.tye. ...
About two hours after the steamer
was sighted and the telegram brought
the intelligence of the untoward and
disastrous event, / never afterward
saw the person have alluded to, and
the matter remains a mystery how the
news obtained circulation in London
before the steamer could communicate
with Questown.
Whatever Lord Granville may think
of it, Mr.. Roebuck was sanguine in the
assurance which he thought he had
from Lord PalmerstOn.
/ give you the above merely as an
item of history. Mr.. Roebuck said yet
more to me. He said Lord Palmer
ston, (Palmerston, as he styled him, J
sympathized wholly with the South,
and but for other restraints would have
already expressed them; and / renaem-
Der he gave me the energetic language
| of Lord Palmerston as to what they
would do in the event of our success In
Pennsylvania.
England ought not to try to escape
from the only part Of her policy to-
ward the Confederacy which is credita-
BILE to her, 1 mean the inclination to
recognize us if she had dared. When
L say if she had dared, do not mean
to imply that she was afraid of the
universal Yankee nation" But mas
much as she had fought against the
Declaration Of Independence and the
right of self-government in 1776, she
was timid about consistency. But she
need not have been, for Massachusetts,
makes no point on that score. from the
base of Bunker Hill.
Very respectfully yours,