Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-08-14
THE HERALD.
A LETTER FROM GENERAL
BEAUREGARD.
Bis Views Of what Might Have Been Had the
South EmaucIpa ted Her Slaves.

thS p'cscnct VI 0euSIdi LICE, OOfCt"
nor Wise, Messrs. Peabody, Corcoran
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 eman-
cipation from Northern interference
in our Constitutional rights, one of
which was that OF slavery 1t 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 prosper
ity. With the sad experience of the
past aud of the present, we see that
we should have stood by the Critten
den resolutions and fought ''for the
Constitution in the Union" With a
Democratic Senate and Democrat
ic majority of the people in our IA
wort, we could, think, have opposed
successfully any destructive measures
proposed. But that is of the past.
We must now look to the dangers of
the present and of the future. A few
days hence we will be able to indi
cate with certainty what the present
Democratic majority in Congress and
in the country should have done to
counteract the centralizing tendencies
of the Radicals, where, as at present
our wlsest statesmen are much at a
loss to know what measures to adopt
TO check in their mad career those
designing politicians who seem de-
termined to bring on another des
perate struggle between the Con.
sentative and Radical elements Of the
country.
A few days after the battle of Ma
nassas, Prince Napoleon and suite,
accompanied by Count MERCER, came
in carriages from Washington to visit
the battle field. General Johnston
and went with them to explain the
positions and movements of the con.
tending forces, which seemed to in.
terest them much, especially the
Prince, who had some pretensions to
military knowledge, not at all JUST
fed, however, by his services in the
Italian campaign of 1859 t When
the party was about to depart. on its
return to Washington, Count Mer.
cier, whom had known before the
war, and who seemed anxious dur
ing our several hours drive to com
municste privately with me, took me
to one side of the Warrenton turn
pike, on which we were then, and
was about to commence speaking,
when the Prince joined US and put a
stop whether designedly or not ]
cannot say to the interchange of
sentiments which was about to take
place. l have always regretted that
inopportune interruption, for | am
convinced that the Count had i'm.
portant information to impart, which
might have had some influence on
subsequent events.
When at Charleston, in 1923, /
bad occasion to meet several times
some French naval officers, who were
allowed by me to enter the harbor to
confer with their Consul. The Cap
tain of the sloop-of. war was highly
educated gentleman, who had trav-
eled a great deal, and seemed to en-
JOY the confidence of his Govern
ment.
On one of these occasions he told
me OF the sympathy of his Govern
ment in our favor, but also of the OPP
position Of the French people to our
recognition, owing to our institution
of slavery. He said that he was not
authorized TO speak officially, but
that he considered himself at liberty
to say that if we were to proclaim
gradual emancipation, to take place
during any reasonable period. he telt
confident that the French Govern
ment would recognize our independ.
ence, and would do all in its power,
consistently with its international OBJ
legations, to secure the same reoog~
milton from other foreign Govern
ments. | thanked him for his in.
formation, but told him that | did
not think, under existing circum-
stances, and knowing the temper of
our people, that such proposition
would be entertained. Still, | con-
TERED on the subject with Governor
Pickens and other influential gentle.
men of the State of South Carolina,
who gave me, however, no encour>
agemeDt, and did not refer the mat
ter to the Confederate Government
at Richmond.
While in Paris, in 1866, one year
after our war. | had the honor of pay.
ing my respects to the Emperor Ma
poleon, who granted me a private
audience. He received me very
kindly, welcomed me to France, aud
expressed the hope that, should l de.
termine to leave the United States
permanently, l would take up my
residence in the land of my ancestors
tie asked me many questions relative
to the strategy and tactics of our
principal battles, with which he APP.
peared to be very familiar, aud he
seemed to be very anxious to ascer-
tain correctly the state of public
opinion in the United States relative
to the struggle then going on in Mex
leo for the dethronement of Maxi
milan. He confirmed the views ex-
pressed to me by that naval officer at
Charleston, relative to the course
that we should have adopted to in
sure success; but with nations, as
with individuals, the passions, when
excited, overcloud the Judgment.
"rhose whom the gods would de-
stroy they first make mad."S
Before concluding this letter, al
low me to recall little incident
which occurred at CenteIville, Va,
during the visit of Prince Napoleon
at Manassas. General Longstreet's
brigade, one of the best then in the
Army of the Potomac, was stationed
at the former town, aud happened to
be drilling near the Fairfax Turn
pike as the Prince and party were
passing. Major +. +. Skinner, one
of the field officers of the First Viz
ginia Regiment, who had been edu-