The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-28

i 81 MORE dlSf0RY.-H0us 1afneg Lyons, o.
i Virginia, who was the Btantcn Duncan nom
inee for Vice. President. with Charles O' Con'
Tor for President, at The Iastelectfon, has writ
| ten letter to Mr.. Allan B. Magruder, Of
Baltimore, in which he makes the following
statements:
"That in 1862 Count Mercier, the French
Minister, visited Richmond By permission oil
the Federal authorities, and was Mr.. L yons's
guest during two days. That, In point oil
fact, the Count was sent by. Mr. Seward,
then Secretary Of State, with view to make
peace aud ssaYe the life Of the nation.' That
he proposed to Mr.. Lyons that If the South
would stop the war return to the Union
would be permitted witbou. any conditions,
slavery should be continued. and any guar.
antee made for the future that the South
would dictate"
Dir. Lyons adds: "Sone time afterward
the French Consul, Monsieur Paul, entered
into conversation about the acknowledgment
Of the Confederate Government blythe En-.
peror of the French, aud asked me If we
could not pass some bill for the gradual abo-
Iition of slavery in fifty or sixty years. May
be it might do even If it was longer, and said
that if that were done the Emperor would
Immediately acknowledge us, but that the
French people would not be satisfied with
out such provision for the abolition Of
slavery. They did not care how distant 1t
was, so the fact was secured as the price Of
recognition, and the Emperor would be fully
justified.
a. expressed my Individual willingness 10
accede to those terms, and promised to see
the President upon the subject next morn
ing when went into Congress, and if he
agreed with me I would Immediately intro
duce bill for the purpose. But said /,
Monsieur Paul, what guarantee can you
give us that if we take so important step
the Emperor will acknowledge usP'
Gle replied, Mr.. Lyons, nobody can
guarantee the Emperor, but you may be
sure that the Emperor will 90 what tell
you he will do which considered as but
another mode Of saying that be had been
authorized to do what he bad done.
"Itis due to Mr.. Davis 10 say that saw him
next morning at his own house before Con.
gre.s met, as soon as I went into town, and
told him what bad passed between the French
consul and myself. His answer was: Il
should concur with you in accepting these
terms but for the constitutional difficulty.
You know that Congress has no jurisdiction
over the subject Of slavery True said,
but that difficulty may be gotten over, in my
opinion, without any violation of the Con.
| stitution.
"Let the bill providing for the gradual
abolition of slavery also provide that it shall
not take effect u1!il the States have, by acts
oftbeir respective legislatures, duly passed,
Improved, and ratified it, which you
know will be just as good as if passed
beforehand, authorizing Congress to do the
thing. will not be guilty of the presump
ton of offering such bill upon my simple
responsibility, but if may say that you spn
cur with me will introduce the bill to-
morrow He then asked me why the
French Government could not deal with the
States in the matter so as to avoid all con
stitutional questions. told him had put
that very question to the French consul, and
his answer was, sFrance does not know tht
States, but she knows the Confederate Gov
eminent and President Davis Mr.. Davi:
then said. well, must consult the Cabinet
and il they agee with you will send fol
you And there the matter ended