Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-06-12
n. %. WALLACE,


company of gentlemen dined with
him at my house, and he left
there after ten o'clock at night
in a rain, in order, as he said, to
send a dispatch to Norfolk to
fire up a steamer which could
take him or his dispatches, | for
get which, to New York, before
the next Atlantic steamer sailed.
The battle at Coal Harbor and
the other battles around Rich
lmond occurred not long after
ward, and | 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 Counsul, NJ. Paul, drove
up to my house on Sunday after
noon, and very soon entered 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 in
fifty or sixty years. May be it
might do even if it was longer,
and said that if that were done
t he Emperor would imme-
diately acknowledge us, but that
the French people would not be
satisfied, without such a provis-,
ion for the abolition of slavery.
They did not care how distant it
was, so the fact was secured as
the price of recognition, and the
Emperor would be fully justifi-
ed.
| expressed my individual
willingness to accede to those
terms, and promised to see the
President upon the subject next
morning when / went into Con-,
gress, and if be agreed with me
| would Immediately introduce
bill for the purpose.
"But," said ], an. Paul, what
guarantee can You give US that,
if we take SO important a step,
the Emperor will acknowledge
us?" /
He replied: i'Arr. Lyons, no
body can guarantee the Emper-
or, but you may be sure that the
Emperor will do what l tell you
he will do" which l considered
as but another mode of saying
that he had been authorized to
do what he had done. t. e
1t is due Mr.. Davis to say
that | saw him next morning, at
his own house, before Congress
met, as soon as / went into town,
and told him what had passed
between the French Consul and
myself. His. answer was: 81
should concur with you in ac-
cepting these terms but for the
constitutional difficulty. You
know that Congress has no jur-
isdiction over the subject of sla-
very aTrue," Ilsaid, "but that
trouble may be cotton over, in
my opinion, without any viola
ton of the Constitution. Let
the bill for the gradual abolition
of slavery also provide that it
shall not take effet until the
States have, by acts of their res 4
pective Legislatures, duly pass
ed, approved and ratified it, 4
which you know will be just as
good as if passed beforehand, au-
Congress to do the
thing. | will not be guilty of
the presumption of offering such
a bill upon my simple response
bility, but if / may say that you
with me L will INTRODUCED
the bill tomorrow. He then
asked me why the French Gov
could not deal with the ;
States in the matter, so as to "a
void all constitutional questions. |,
| told him / had put that very
question to the French Consul,
and his answer was, "France :
does not know the States, but
she knows the Confederate Gov /:
and President Davis"
Mr.. Davis then said: "Wel1, h
must consult the Cabinet, ard
If they agree with you | will
send for you" And there the
matter ended, a /,