Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-30
a CURIOUS STORY.
The Conditions on Which Napoleon III.
Was to Havs Recognized the
Southern COn~federacY.

| will relate a conversation | haC
at my house, Laburnum, near Rich
mond, with Count Mercier, th,
French Minister, in the month o
May or early part of June, 1862. He
it will be recollected, visited Rich,
mond by permission Of the Northern
government, but was interdicted frou
holding direct intercourse with Presi.
dent Davis or any of his cabinet, anC
he spent nearly two days of his tim,
at my house in Henrico. In point o.
fact, as the sequel will disclose, h,
was sent there (by Mr.. Seward) with
a view to make peace, In the course
of a days discussion in my library, he
asked me a great many questions
among others, the question
Can you whip Mcclellan ?" who
was then lying with an army OF
100000 men within six miles OF
Richmond, confronted by General
Lee.
l told him in reply that l felt sure
we could and would, and if the en-
perOr of the French would open the
ports and keep them open, we would
march to New York and not ask the
loan Of man or a dollar. With great
animation he sprang to his feet and
said in French
IF such be the temper Of your
people you are invincible. But why
do you think you will whip McClel,
LAMP"
answered Because the president
and General Lee tell me they believe
we will .ia..
Then he added But, do you know
how many men are bearing upon Rich
mond2"
l replied "The president thinks
there are tive hundred thousand.
General Lee thinks not so many, but
more than one hundred and fifty thou
sand"
To which he replied They are
both mistaken. There are two hun
bred and twenty-five thousand. Gen.
Burnside's force at Port Royal is a
part of the force bearing upon Rich
mond-sent to Port Royal merely in
the hope of inducing General Lee to
detach a part of his army to meet it.
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, cant this
war be stOuDed3 Cant Won come hack
under the old hag?'
| said Il suppose that is impos-
sible, for Mr.. Seward would not per
nit US TO do so without the abolition
Of slavery, and it would be useless to
propose that to the men from the ex-
IRENE South
TO that he replied "You are mis-
taken. If you will only return aud
acknowledge the flag, Mr.. Seward will
permit you to return without any con-
ditions."
WHAT said |, with the institu-
ton of slavery
Yes" he said.
| then said But there is yet one
thing more to be considered. To use
the phrase which was so much hack
neyed with respect tothe Northeastern
boundary question of indemnity for
the past and security for the future
we can't ask, | know, indemnity for
the past, but we must have security
for the future. We cannot live here
after in the state of harassment 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 wnich
we were sitting, he said:
Mr.. Seward viii allow you to write
your own guarantees"
| expressed my individual readiness
to consent to those terms. / had been
in favor of the Southern convention
which South Carolina proposed
through Mr.. Memminger, her com =
missioner, believing. as did, in
which ] am now confirmed, that if all
the Southern States met in coayen-
ton, as proposed by South Carolina,
such guarantees would be asked OF
the Northern people as they would
grant, aud which would protect us,
lndin that event there would be no
secession, and | certainly did not wish
secession if we could be protected in
the enjoyment of our constitutional
rights, and that | believe was the gen
eral sentiment of the South. | be-
lleve | have given you now almost, il
not exactly. verbatim, these CONVERSE
tons to which l referred in my con
yersation with you. | will add that
the day following the conversation
with the French minister, a large
company of gentlemen dined with
him at my house, and he left there
after 10 o'clock at night in a rain, in
order, as he said, to send dispatch t.
Norfolk to fire up q steamer which
could take him or his dispatches, ]
forget which, to New York, before
the next Atlantic steamer sailed.
The battle at Coal Harbor aud the
other battles around Richmond oc
CURED not long aiterward, and | haC
no doubt of our acknowledgment b,
the French government, and was yer.
much surprised that It did not come
Some time afterward the Frencl
|, consul, NJ. Paul, drove up TO my hous.
e on Sunday afternoon, and very sool
a entered into conversation about tn.
!, acknowledgment Of the Confederat
1 government by the emperor Of tn
: French, and asked me five could no
; pass some bill for the gradual aboli
ton OF slavery IN City or sixty year,
May be II might be done even If it wa
+ longer, and said that 10 that wero don
the emperor would Immediately ac
{ knowledge US, but that the Prenc
4 people would not be satisfied withou
5 such q provision for the abolition {
slavery They did not care how di.