The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-06-12
A CURIOUS STORY.
How Napoleon III. Was 80 Rave Recos-
mixed the soushern Confederaey.

mixed the soufhern Confederaey.
Letter by the Hon. James Lyons of Richmond. to
Col. Msgruder. of Baltimore.
will relate 8 conversation / had at
my house, Lsburnum, near Richmond,
with Count Mercier, the French min,
ster, in the month Of May or early part
OF June, 1862. He, it will be recollected
visited Richmond by permission of the
northern government, but was inter
dicted from holding direct intercourse
with President Davis or any Of his cab
net, and he spent nearly two days OF his
time at my house in Henrico. In point
of fact, as the sequel will disclose, he was
sent here (by Mr.. Seward) with view
to make peace. In the course of days
discussion in my Library, he asked me a
great many questions; among others,
the question: -
"Can you whip Mcclellan p who was
then lying with an army of two hundred
thousand men within six miles of Rich
mond, confronted by Gen. Lee.
l told him in reply that 1 felt sure we
could and would, and if the emperor of
the French would open the ports and
keep them open, we would march to New
York, snd not ask the loan of man or
dollar. With great animation he
sprang to his feet, and said in French:
eff such be the temper of your people
you are invincible. But why do you
think you will whip Mcclellan ?"
answered: Because the president
and Gen. Lee tell me they believe we
will" -
Then he added: "But do you know
how many men are bearing upon Rich
mondW
Ireplied, "the president thinks there
are 100000. Gen. Lee thinks not 80
many, but more than 100000"
To which he replied, they are both
mistaken. There are 225 600. eral
Burnside's force at Port Royal is part
of the force bearing upon Richmond
sent to Port Royal merely in the hope
of inducing General Lee to detach part
of his army to meet it. l am just from
the war Office, and have all the statistics
here" (holding up a paper which he
drew from his pocket); "but," he added,
"Csn't this war be stopped? Can't you
come back under the old hag?''
l said: +" l suppose that is impossible,
for Mr.. Seward would not permit us tc
do so without the abolition of slavery,
and it would be useless TO propose that
to the men from the extreme south"
To that he replied: "You are mista-
ken. If you will only return and
acknowledge the flag, Mr.. Seward will
permit you to return without anyicondi-
TONS" .-
"What I" said l, with the institution
of slavery?" a#r.I -.
eyes," he said.
/ then said: " But there is yet one
thing more to be considered. To use
the phrase which was so much hackneyed
with respect to the northeastern bound
airy question of indemnity for the past
and security for the future we can't
ask, l know, indemnity for the past, but
we must have security for the future.
We can not live hereafter in the state
of harassmen and excitement in which
we have lived for some years past"
Then drawing his hand across a piece
of paper lying upon the library table,
upon the opposite sides of which we were
sitting, he said: .....
Mr.. Seward will allow you to write
your own guarantees"
expressed my individual readiness to
consent to those terms. l had been in
favor of the southern convention which
South Carolina proposed through Mr..
Memminger, her commissioner, believing
as | did, in which | am now confirmed
that if all the southern states met in
a. proposed by South Caro-
lima, such guarantees would be asked of
the northern people as they would grant,
and which would protect US, and in that
event there would be no secession, and l
certainly did not wish secession if we
could be protected in the enjoyment of
our constitutional rights, and that, be-
lieve, was the general sentiment of the
south. l believe have given you now
almost, If not exactly, verbatim these
to which / referred in my
with you. / will add that
the day following the conversation with
the French minister, large company OF
gentlemen dined with him st my house,
and he left there after ten o'clock ut
night in a rain, in order, as he said, to
send dispatch to Norfolk to fire up a /
steamer which could take him or his dis
patches, l forget which, to New York
before the next Atlantic steamer sailed. |
The battle OF Coal Harbor. and the
other battles around Richmond occurred
not long atterward, and l had no doubt
of our acknowledgment by the French
government, and was very much sur.
prised that 1t did not come.
Some time afterward the French con- !
sui, Mons. Paul, drove up to my house
on Sunday afternoon, and very soon en-
tered into conversation about the &C