Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-02-21
SEWARD AND NAPOLEON.

gave him.
SEWARD AND NAPOLEON.
An Unwritten Chapter of the Re-
From the San Francisco Bulletin.
The death Of the cx Emperor Ma
poleon recalls an incident Of the
great Southern Rebellion, which has
not hitherto been made public. 1t
is well known that the late Emperor
Of the French was an active and
earnest sympathizer with the South;
that more than once he seriously
mcditated moral intervention in its
behalf, that the invasion of Mexico
and The enthronement of MaXimilian
in the seat of the Monlezumas was
part of a deliberate plot to break
up the American Union. But to
what length he procecded-how res
olntely determined he was to carry
his fell design into execu.ion-has
never been fully known outside of
narrow official circle. The story of
his purpose is short but suggestive,
and was told by Mr.. Seward to a
few friends at dinner party, among
whom was the author of this article
No one who was present will ever
forget the intense earnestness and
animation of the great statesman as
he related the momentous incident
The exact words, so pregnant with
eloquent meaning-so solemn and
impassioned-we cannot, in every
instance, produce, but the general
import given below:
st was" said Mr.. Seward, Gin
the darkest days of the rebellion
Disaster upon disaster had betallen
the Union armies. Treason was ac-
tive and bold fronted at Washing
ton, IN the North and in the West
Rebel emissaries and their allies
were plotting against us over the
Canadian border. Our foreign re-
lations were most critical. Rebel
cruisers were then being fitted up in
British ports and sent to prey upon
our commerce, 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.
''ln this desperate emergency |
received an autograph letter from
the Emperor of the French. 1t was
marked private and confidential.
1t began with expressions Of per-
sonal regard for myself, and pain at
the spectacle Of the great Republic
in the throes of dissolution. Per
sonally,' said Napoleon, 4 could
wish the cause of the Union to sue
ceed. But the welfare Of France
and the force of popular opinion are
paramount to individual sympathies.
Our commercial interests are seri-
ously suffering from the prolonga-
tion of your war. My subjects ap-
peal to me to arrest the bloody con-
fict. | must obey the voice of
France at whatever cost. You cam
not put down the rebellion; embrace
the earliest opportunity to make
terms with the South. If you fail to
do this, l shall be compelled, in the
interests Of my country-in the in
tcrcsts of civilization--to intervene
with all the power at my command ,
81 answered Napoleon's insulting
letter Immediately. l did not waste
words in compliments. | said: This
is a family quarrel. Weproposc to
settle it in our own time and in our
own way. We do not wish the as
sistance of outsiders; we will not
brook interference. The American
Union is to be preserved. 1t shall
be preserved if it takes twenty years
to do it, The war is hardly com
menced yet; the people are just be-
ginning to warm to the work. We
wish to be Oh good terms with our
neighbors-we wish especially to be
on good terms with France, our an
cient friend and ally. But you must
keep hands off. If you presume to
interfere we will show you what 4
people battling for National exist
ence are capable of. Hitherto we
have conducted the war humanely,
in accordance with the codes that
govern the most Christian States.
Interference on your part will be
the signal for war OF conquest and
destruction. We will free the ne
groes; we will put arms in their
hands, and send them forth to raw
age and plunder. We will make the
South a waste and a desolation.-
Raise hand against us, and hor-
rors worse than those of San Domin-
90 will be seen from one end of the
South to the other.
"The letter was sent by the first
steamer. The same day l telegraph
cd to Thurlow Weed, Archbishop
Hughes and Bishop Simpson to meet
me at the Astor House the morning
following. That evening l left for
New York, and explained to these
eminent gentlemen the object of the
conference and the new danger that
threatened the Union cause. l told
them that they must at once 60 to
Europe to labor unofficially with the
Government and Continent, to rep
resent the wickedncss, danger and
folly of foreign interference. In less
than week they were on their jour
ney, reached Europe at most op-
perfume moment-(Mason and Sidell
had just been seized-England was
in a wild heat of rage) and did much
toward convincing Europe that the
proper thing to do was to leave us
alone. And the mission cost the