The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-08-15
CONFEDERATE WAR HISTORY.


/ A Letter From General Beaurcgard.
New York sun, August FL
To the Editor Of the Stas-Sir: have
just read, in the Sun Of the 18th inst,
the interesting letter of Judge Lyons
of Richmond, to Col. NIagruder of
Baltimore, relative to the mission Of
Count Mercier, French Minister at
Washington, to Richmond in the sum.
mer of 1862, with q view to bringing
about peace between the Northern and
Southern States. ..... .,- t..tf,.
ure of meeting Judge Lyons ut the
Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, and
hearing him relate, in the presence Of
Gen. Lee, Gov. Wise, Messrs. Pea
body, Corcoran and other gentlemen of
| note, the facts as stated in his letter.
But it seemed to be the general opin-
ion then that the Southern States
| would not have been willing to adopt
any plan of gradual emancipation of
their slaves under coercion. The con-
test then engaged upon was one of
| emancipation from Northern interfer-
ence in our constitutional rights, one of
which was that of slavery. 1t was
thought during the war that if we
yielded to that demand VIC might soon
be compelled to yield to others still
more vital to Southern prosperity.
With the sad experience of tho past
! and of the present, We see that we
should have stood by the Crittenden
resolutions and fought "for the Consti-
tuition in the Union." With a Demo-
cratic Senate and Democratic major
ity of the people in our favor, we
could, 1 think, have opposed success
fully any destructive measures pro-
posed. But that is of the past. We
must now look to the dangers of the
present and of the future. A few years
hence we will be able to indicate with
certainty what the present Democratic
majority in Congress and in the coun-
try should have done to counteract tho
centralizing tendencies of the radicals,
where, as at present, our Wisest states
men are much at q loss to know what
measures to adopt to check in their
mad career those designing politicians
who seem determined to bring on an.
other desperate struggle between the
conservative and radical elements Of
the country.
A few days after the battle of Manas
sas Prince Napoleon aud suite, accom-
! riagcs from Washington to visit the
! battlefield. Gen. Johnston and went
with them to explain the positions and
| movements of the contending forces.
which seemed to interest them much,
especially the Prince, who had some
pretcnsions to military knowledge, not
! at all justified, however, by his SER
vices in the Italian campaign of 1869.
When the party was about to depart,
on its return to Washington, Count
Mcrcier, whom ] had known before
the war, and who seemed anxious
during our several hours drive to COM
mu1,icate privately with me, took me
to one side of the Warrenton turnpike,
on which we were then, and was
about to commence speaking, when
the Prince joined us and put stop
(whether designcdly or not I cannot
say) to the interchange of sentiments
which was about to take place. 1 have
always regretted that inOpportune in
terruptiOn, for 1 am convinced that !
the Count had important Information |
to impart which might have had some !
influence on subsequent events.
When ut Charleston, in 1923, had !
occasion to meet several times some |
French naval officers, who were al
lowed by me to enter the harbor to |
confer with their Consul. The Captain
of the sloop-of-war was a highly edu-
Gated gentleman, who had travelled a
great deal, and seemed to enjoy the
confidence Of his Government.
On one of those occasions he told me
OF the sympathy of his Government in
our favor, but also of the opposition 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 ho considered
himself at liberty to say that il we
were to proclaim gradual emancipa-
ton, to take place during any reasona-
bic period, he felt confident that the
French Government would recognize
our independence, and would do all in
its power, consistently with its inter-
national obligations, to secure the same
recognition from other foreign Govern
mcnts. 1 thanked him for his infor-
nation, but told him that I did not
think, under existing circumstances,
and knowing the temper of our people,
that such d proposition would be en-
tcrtaincd. Still, conferred on the
subject with Gov. Pickens and other
influential gentlemen of the State OF
South Carolina, who gave me, how
ever, no encouragement, and / did not