, 1879-05-22
FRANCE AND THE REBELS.

A1tS II NhhtGuGFHtH G0nTfGAAfnnf1s
Fran Leftsr bH the H0n. Jgrtes Luana NJ IcAmon#
In Tot Ms9rndtF. nf baltimore.
Will relate con TcrsalfOn lad ut my house,
I.aburnun, near 1,lchmond with Count Mcrccr,
the French Minister, In the month os 5tay or
curly part u June, feG2. lie. It will bs rctnc,n-
hcrcd. visited Richmond by permission of tho
Nortlrrn Government, but was interdlcted
from holding direct intercourse With President
Davis or amy Of Ills Cabinet. atr' he spent nearly
two days NJ tlis tiu,c at my house In flcnrcu.
IN point Of fact, as the sequel will disclose, ho
was sent here (bs Mr. scward) with view to
make rcncc. III tAc course Ut days discussion
in my library, lie asked inc grcut many Gucs-
tioHs; among others. tha.Qucstion:
"Cn,i you whip McClclani'' who was then
lying with nj, ar.ny of 2oo,0oo men within sIx
miles of H!cluond, confronted by Gen. Lee.
told HIN in reply that felt sure 1a could,
aml would, and. II tho Emperor Of the French
would open The ports mud keep them open, VIC
would march to New York, aud not ask thc
loan of Il man or dollar. With great auitna-
t!on he epranE to Ills feet, and said In French;
TIT auri bu HE temper Of your people you
nre invineib]c. But why do you think you will
whip McClellanl'' 80.
answered, " Because the President and Gen.
Lee Tell me they brl!eye We wtll.''
Then i!c added, " But lo you know how many
men arc bcaring upon Kchmondl"
replied, 'Ihc President thinks there nre
20,000 Gen. Lee thinks not 50 niauy, but
more than 100, ,o0o,"
To which he replied, "rhey arc botl, mis-
taken. There arc s!5,0U. Gen. Burnsidets
1orcc Mt Fort lsoya Is part OF the furre bear-
ing upon Rlchmond-scnt IL Port Royal merely
in thu hope Of Inducing Gen. Leo to detacll
part of his nstnY tu meet it. I'M Just from tho
Wur Otlicc, ind laye all tho statistics here d"
(hotdni, up paner which t.e drew IRON lis
pocket). "Dut." lio atllsd, "can't this war BE-
stuppcul Can't yuu coupe back Under the OLD
lagt"
/ sait1: "Isupposa that Is i'm possible, for Ms.
Seward wouldAsot permit us to do so without
the all ollton Of slavery, md 1t would be se!css
to proposu tilat to the 1nen from tho extrctnc
South"
10 tint he replied: !" You arc mistaken. II
vou will only return AMI acknowledge the ilag,
AIR. Seward wilt permit Sou 10 return Without
aWhnt'' said I, with the institution Of
| s'ayerYt''
/ then said, IS But there Is yet one thing more
to bc considered. To use the phrase whctl wns
FL much harkneycd with respect to the north
| castcr'' boundars question Of indemnity for
tie past atui security for the futurc,' wc can't
nsls, know. indemnity for tlIc pust, but VIC
must hnyc security for the future. We cannot
| live hereafter in tho state Of harassmcnt mud
excitement IN Which NC hase lived Tor some
lllcn drawing his hand across piece Of paper
| lying upon the library table, nppn thr oppostts
8hles Of which We were 6fttlng, he safi:'
Mr.. Seward yill allow you to write your
| 1exnsesscl my tndiriil,,al readiness to con.
ecnt tu those teyl,lR | hai bgcn III favor Of the
Southern Convention which South Carolina
proposed through Mr. Mem,nnger, her Co.n-
missioner, bSlleying Us did, n 'shtrh am now
confirmed, tint II ill the Southern States met
III Convention, MS prnpostd bY South Carolina,
Rllch guarantees would b. asked Ut tho North
Urn people as they would grant, and whel,
would protect us. anl tn tint event there would
be III seecss!uu, nn.! | certainly It'd not wish
secession il VIC could be protected In the enjoy
| nltnt uf our constitutional rights, asld tint l
believe was tho general Sentiment Of the South.
bclleve llaFe Eiyen yuu now almost, II not
exactly. gcrbntn, these conversations to which
1lcterTeu In my conversation With yuu. vii
nld tilat the dly. following the conversation
gentlemen .incu with him ut my 1lousc, und l,c
left tilrrg utter l0 O'coekMt lllght IN rain, In
order, III tse said, to send dispatch to Norfolk
10 !iru uu u stpa!i,er whlci1 rouu take him or his
dispatches, forget which, to New York before
tllo next Atlantic steamer sailed.
tIhe battl ot Coas llarboF url tic other bat
tics around Richmond occurred not long aftgr-
wnrtI. anu Ind no doubt of our acknowletlg-
n y .mI rtIs INIT + t nut r a was very
"Gea h".p!scu t.n.sni at ~ u ,n, o'
snG ts''o ,,xto n.e,masu ,' . W. ,ag rsenen Gonsnl
nts,,a ma md ycrv snnn ~ ~ cru ,t, -"
n H., ,.!e euo Esav " WY
aN"1 uuomt s e"s nan"p" ~ I E " .e e1HASu.
eratu ooastmsis9dt nsd ~, - .,e a r1Psaer @ u te
FL n' ,a,'a I ~ su ~ nus pnss fuhu ~
plii !oe 'me E.uunas % .i,, T.. o;asety ~ nl's
SLY ssa's IT, ,Il.t ~ n m. t;,nt ~ c1ea
vs. 1ussr: ",u h .,'. 80, tsAo Mssu nuu .e
~. m.Iu H,t' ns'o"Guse 10y Vs.
nut LII se rucen e1b luI Nv "usu Nv ~ pc sas
llsa Watnoot sns.s G .oI tne hool!N1' y
~ s'uss'f t! @ a'a '.",r" soa my toM o's!hs y
"us. ~ u 'a.a ,, "ho t ".nr,, W. ] ~ m sg y.
ItcoEntt'on3 III" NV 1''''Pe'o' "o"'" w 'aIs
1hTtine.t: ,,,,.,,,,,a, ,ru,,.
esWcsseu ny ana.stuuaa st, . m!'i.mshess 10 ne.
eeas 10 ..ose !e.ns, nn' peomsem .s 10 SEQ tne
ftoslaent upon We huoeGt nsAt oel1lllE wLetl
went s'ito congress- hilu Y ~ agreed with ne
w.ali.! nnh'eu'a1e's 'ntsoaoee D''i 1os Tie
| purp0se. -..
hht,' shM !, MONSIEUR l'all, W11at guar
nNtcr eau you e!se 4s ts'at, II Wo talse 30 M
rortaht u h1ep' tna Emperor VII! aeShowtcugc
| He EcpHeHs M.' L}oNs houSnf CHI E"alat3'