Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-10
A LETTER FROM BEAUREGARD.

'WA0t Might Haze Been Had the South
Es,aancipnted he,. Slaves-Pria,ce Nupol-
con at Manassas.
Gen. G. I. Beauregard writes to the New
York San with reference to letter which
has been published in the Times: I have
just read the interesting letter of Judge
Lyons, of Richmond, to Col. Magruder, Of
baltimore, relative to the mission of Count
MERCER, French minister at Washington, to
Richmond, in the summer Of 1862, with a
view to bringing about peace between the
Northern and Southern States.
Shortly after the war I had the pleasure of
meeting Judge Lyons at the Greenbrier,
White Sulpher springs, and hearing him re-
late, in the presence of Gen. Lee, Gov. Wise,
Messrs. Peabody, Corsoran and other
gentlemen of note, the facts as
stated in his letter. But it seemed to be
the general opinion then that the
Southern States would not have been willing
to adopt any plan Of gradual emancipation Of
their slaves under coercion. The contest
then engaged upon was one of emancipation
from Northern interference in our constitu-
tional rights, one of which was that of slav-
cry. It was thought during the war that if
we yielded to that demand we might soon be
compelled to yield to others still more vital
to Southern prosperity. With the sad ex-
perlence of the past and the present, we see
that we should have stood by the Crittendon
resolutions and fought "for the constitution
IN the Union" With q Democratic Senate
and Democratic majority Of the people in
our favor, we could, think, have opposed
successfully any destructive measures pro-
posed. But that is of the past. We must now
look to the dangers of the present and to
the future. few years hence we will be
able to indicate with certainty what the pres
emit Democratic majority in Congress and in
the country should have done to counteract
the centralizing tendencies Of the radicals,
where, as at present, our wisest statesmen
are much at loss to know what measures to
adopt to check in their mad career those de-
signing politicians who seem determined to
bring on another desperate struggle between
the conservative and radical elements of the
country.
A few days after the battle of Manassas
Prince Napoleon and suite, accompanied
by Count Mercier, came in carriages from
Washington to visit the battle field. Gen.
Johnston and went with them to ex-
plain the positions and movements of
the contending forces, which seemed
- oAASAAA AASASAAS 1Ao RIA0C0S
who had some prets nsions to military knowl-
edge, not at all justified, however, by his
services in the Italian campaign Of 1859.
When the party was about to depart, on, its
return to Washington, Count Mercier, whom
had known before the war, and who seemed
anxious during our several hours drive to
communicate privately with me, took me to
one side of the Warrenton turnpike, on
which we were then, and was about to COM
mence speaking, when the prince joined us
and put stop whether deslgnedly or not I
cannot say to the interchange of senti-
ments which was about to take place. have
always regretted that inopportune Interrupt
ton, for am convinced that the count had
important information to impart which
might have had some influence on subse-
quent events.
When in Charleston, in 1923, I had occa-
sion to meet several times some French ma
val officers, who were allowed by me to enter
the harbor to confer with their consul. The
captain Of the sloop of-war was a highly edu-
Gated gentleman, who had travelled great
deal, and seemed to enjoy the confidence Of
his government.