New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-06

The death Of ,ha eI-Eupe-or NaUoIaol
! recalls an incident C the great Southern
I rebellion which has not hitherto been mad,
! public. II Is well known that the late In,
| peror OF the French was au active and earn
est symPaihizer with the South; that NOR,
| than once he seriously neiitatcd fuaterio
intervention in It's behalf; that the invasion
| Of Mexico and the eathrOEement Of Maxi
| milan in the seat Of the Nontezumas wa. :
| part o! . deliberate plot to break I'd the
American CLion. But to what lengths Lr
| pcocecded-how resolutely determined he
was to carTy his fell design into execution
has never been fully known outside Of 4 mar.
row official circle. The story Of his purpose
| is short but suggestive, and was told b. Mr..
seward 10 few personal friends ut dinner
party, among whom was the writer Of this
| article. No one who was presen. will ever
forget the intense earrestness and animation
| OF the great statesman, as he related the
luomentous incident. Tho exact words "a
pregnant with eloquent meauiug-so solemn
and impassioned-ve cannot in every In.
stance reproduce, but The general import i,
given below:
1t was," said Mr.. Seward, Sin the dark.
est days of the rebellion. Disaster upon
disaster had befal!cn the Union armies.
treason was active and bold-frnnted nj
g I.
Rebel emtssaries and their allies were plct
ting against US over the Canadian border.
Our foreign rotations were most critical
Rebel cruisers were being fitted out In Brit
ish ports and sent to prey upon our COM
merce Germany was coldly neutral; the
smaller European States were indifferent
spectators Of the conflict; Russia was the
only friend we had among the powers of the
earth. In this desperate emergency | re-
ceived an autograph letter from the Emperor
OF the French. It was marked private and
confidential 1t began with expressions OF
personal regard for myself, and pain at the
spectacle OF the great Republic in the throes
Of dissolution. Personally said Napoleon.
1 could wish the cause of the Union to sue.
ceed. But the welfare Of France and the
force OF popular opinion arc paramount TO
individual sympathies. Our commercial in
terests are seriously suffering from the rro.
iongatlon OF your war. Ny subjects appeal
to me to arrest the bloody conflict. I must
OBEY tie voice Of France at whatever cost.
You cannot put down the rebellion; embrace
the earliest opportunity to make terms with
the South. Il you fail to do this, shall feel
compelled, In tho interests Of my country
ID the interests Of civilizatioa-to Intervene
with al! the power at my command"
answered Napoleon 9 Insulting letter i'm.
mediately. did not waste words in co,npIi-
menss. said: This Is family quarrel. I'VE
propose to settle 1t in our own way and in Our
own time. We do not wish the assistance of
outsiders we will not brook interference.
The American Union is TO be preserved, Il
shaii DO preserved Ii it takea twenty years to
do 1t. The war is hardly commenced vet
the people are just beginning to warm to the
work. We wish to be on good terms with
Our noighbors-wc wish especially to be on
good terms with France, our ancient friend
and ally. But you must keep hands CT. If
you presume to Interfere, we will show YOU
what a free people battling foc national ex-
istence are capable Of Hitharto wa have
conducted the war hu,nanely, In accordance
with the codes that govern the inost Christian
States. Interference on your part will be
the signal for q war Of conquest and dcstruc-
ton. We will free tho negroes; We will put
arms In their hands, and send them forth to
ravage and plumber. We will make the
South waste and desolation. Raise a
hand against US, and horrors worse than
those OF san Domingo will be seen from one
end of the South to tho other.
The letter was sent by the nrst steamer.
The same day 1 telegraphed to Thurlow
Weed, Archbishop Hughes, and Bishop
Simpson to meet mo at the Astor House thc
morning following. That evening left for
New York and explained to these eminent
gentlemen the object Of tho conference and
the new danger that threatened the Union
cause. l told them that they must at once
go to Europe, ID labor unot!icially with the
Government and ruling classes in England
and on the Continent, to represent tho wick
edness, danger, and folly of foreign inter-
ference. In less than week they were on
their journey, reached Europe at most op.
perfume moment, (Masoa and Slidell had lust
been seized, England was in white heat of
rage,) and did much toward convincing Eu-
rope that tho proper thing and tho only thing
was to leave US alone. And the mission cost
the Government less than seven thousand
doilars.--SaH Francisco Bulletin.