Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-06-04
A CURIOUS STORY.
The Conditions on Which Napoleon III.
Was to Have Recognized the Southern
COnfederacY.

| IHe COnuilOHS Oh WHICH Napoleon LII.
Was to Have Recognized the Southern
ConfederacY.
Hon. James Lyons, of Richmond, Va.
writes as follows in a letter to Col. Ma
gruder, of Baltimore:
l will relate conversation I had at
my house, Laburnum, near Richmond,
with Count MERCER, the French minis
ter, in the month OF May or early part
of June, 1862. He, it will be recollect-
ed, visited Richmond by permission of
the northern government, but was in
terdlcted from holding direct intercourse
with President Davis or any Of his cabi-
net, and ne spent nearly two days of
his time at my house in Henrico. In
point Of fact, as the sequel will disclose,
be was sent there (by Mr.. Seward) with
a view to make peace. In the course
of days discussion in my library, he
asked me great many questions;
among others, the question:
"Can you whip Mcclellan" who was
then lying with an army of two hun
dred thousand men within six miles of
Richmond, confronted by Gen. Lee.
told MIN in reply that I felt sure
we could and would, and if the emepor
OF the French would open the ports
and keep them open, we would march
| to New York and not ask the loan of a
man or dollar. With great animation
he sprang to his feet, and said in
French:
eff such be the temper of your peo-
pie you are invinci5le. But why do
you think you will whip McClellan?'
l 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
mond?,
[ replied: "The president thinks
there are two hundred thousand. Gen.
Lee thinks not SO many. but more than
one hundred and fifty thousand"
To which he replied, "They are both
mistaken. There are two hundred and
twenty-five thousand. Gen. Burnsides'
force at Port Royal is part of the force
bearing upon Richmond-sent to Port
Royal merely in The hope OF inducing
Gen. Lee to detech 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, "can't
this war be stopped? Can't you come
back under the old fag?"
said: Il suppose that is impossible,
for Mr.. Seward would not permit us to
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 &C
knowledge the flag, Mr.. Seward will
permit you to return without any con-
ditions."
"What!" said I, with the institution
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 to the northeastern
boundary question of indemnify 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 can not live hereafter in
the state of harassment and excitement
in which we have lived for some years
past"
Then drawing his hand across 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. [ had been
in favor of the southern convention
which South Carolina proposed through
Mr.. Memminger, her commissioner,
believing as I did, in which I am now
confirmed, that if all the southern states
met IN convention, as proposed by
South Carolina, 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 [ certainly did not wish
secession if we could be protected in the
enjoyment of our constitutional rights,
and that [ believe was the general SEN
given you almost, if not exactly, verba-
tim, these conversations to which [ re-
ferred in my conversation with you. I
will add that the day following the con-
versation with the French minister,
large company of gentlemen dined with
him at my house, and he left there at
10 o'clock at night in rain, In order,
as he said, to send dispatch to Nor
folk to fire up steamer which could
take him Or his dispatches, forget
which, to New York before the next At
lantic steamer sailed.
The battle at Coal Harbor and the
other battles around Richmond occur
red not long afterward, and I had no
doubt of our acknowledgment by the
French government, and was very much
surprised that it did not come.
Some time afterward the French con-
sui, M. Paul, drove up 10 my house on
Sunday afternoon, and very soon enter
ed into conversation about the acknowl-
edgment Of the confederate government
by the emperor of the French, and
asked me if we could not pass some
bill for the gradual abolition of slavery