Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-02-11
SEWARD AND NAPOLEON.
An Unwritten Chapter Ofthe Rebellion.
(Prom the San Francisco Rullstinl

~ tuWfhhcA tHAptcb % tnc ncocHtohs
(from the San Francisco Raistin)
The death OF the ex- Emperor Ma.
poleon recalls an incident Of the
great South, rn Rebellion, which has
not hitherto been made public. IL is
we'll known that the late Emperor Of
the French was an active and ear
nest sympathizer of the South that
more than once he seriously medi.
tated moral Intervention in its be-
halt; that the Invasion OF NJ .xico and
the enforcement Of Macmillan in
The seat of the NJ Intezumues was a
part of deliberate plot TO break up
the American Union. But TO what
length he proceeded-how resolutely
determined 40 was TO carry bis fell
design into execution-has never
been fully known outside of mar
row Q ficial circle. The story of his
purpose is short but suggestive, and
was did by Mr. Seward ID few per.
sOual friends at dlnner party
among whom was the author OF this
article. No one who Was present
will eyer forget The intense earnest
ness and animation Of the great
statesman as he related the moment.
GUS incident. tn exact words, so
pregnant with eloquent meaning so
solemn and representative cannot,
in every instance, produce, but the
general import is given below:
ut was" said Mr. Seward, 'in the
darkest days of the rebellion Dis
aster upon disaster had befailen The
UOion armies. Treason was active
and b ,ld-fronted at Washington, in
the North and in the West. Rebel
emissaries and their allies we're plot
Ting against US over the Canadian
border Our foreign relations were
most critical, Rebel cruisers were
hen being fitted up in British ports
aHd sent TO prey upon our commerce;
Germany was coldly neutral the
smaller European States were indlf-
terent spectators of the confic'; Rus
,ia was the only friendwe had among
the powers of the earth
"In this desperate emergency | re.
"eived an autograph letter from the
Emper"r of the French. II was
marked private aud confident H.
IT, begin with expressions OF person.
Al regard for myself md pam at the
+pectacle of the grea' r public in the
throes of desOlatiDn p RS InaIIy, ;
said Napoleon, i could wish The
ause of the Union to succeed. Blu
the welfare OF Ffance and the fUrc,,
of popular opinion are paramount to
individual sympathies. Our com
mercial interests are seriously sutf5r.
iug from the pTolonga4ion of your
war. Ny subjocis appeal to me TO
arrest the bloody e)uf.ct. | must
obey the vOice of France at whatev-
or cost. You canno' put down the
rebellion; embrace the earliest oppor :
unity to m AXE terms with the South
If you fail to do this, | shall feel
compelled, in the interests of my
"ountry,-in the interests of civili-
z ltion--to intervene with the power
At my command
81 answered NapoleOn's insulting
letter Immediately. | did not waste
words in compliments said this is
family quarrel. We propose to set
tIe it in our own Tins and way. We
do not wish the assistance of outsld-
ers we will not brook their interfer.
,nce. The American Union is to be
preserved. IL shall be pre-. erved il
IL takes twenty years to do il. The
war IL hardly commenced yet; the
people arr just beginning to warm TO
the work. We wish to be on good
terms with our neighbOrs- wish
specially to be on 20 4 terms with
France, our ancient friend aud ally
But you must keep hands off Ifyou
presume u interfere we will show
you what a people battling for Ma
tiOual existence are capable Of
Hitherto we have conducted the
war humanely. according to the
codes that govern in most Christian
S ates. Interference on your part
will be signal of conquest and de-
struction. We will free the negroes;
we will put arms 10 their hands and
send them forth TO rsvage and plum
der. We will make the South q
waste and desolation. Raise hand
against US, and horrors worse than
hose of San Domingo will be seer
from Que end of the South to the 9th
| er.
1.-THE letter was sent by the frs
steamer. The same day teIegra phi
ed TO Thurlow Weed Arch bishop Hu
ges. and Bishop Simpson 10 meet a.
the Astcr II ,use, the morning follow
ing. That evening left tor New
York, aud explained to these emf
nent gentlemen the object of the con
ference aud the new danger tina
threatened the Union cause l tolC
them that they must at once 60 u
Europe TO Labor uuotficially with tht
Government aud ruling classes il
England aud on that Continent, t,
represent the wlcksdnOss, dang
and folly of foreign interference. l.
less than a week they were on thei
Tourney, reached Europe at a mos
most opportune moment-( MaseI
and SIidelI had just been seized
England was 10 a white b sat ofrage
and did much toward convincin!
Europe that the proper thing and tn
only thi z to DO done was to leav
as alone. And the mission cost th
guvernment less than $1,000