The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-12-25
NAPOLEON AND THE SOUTH.
Thurlow Weeds Mission to European Epi
sode Of the Civil War.
$50 Froti ths dhtcsso Tnbune.l


sode Of the Civil War.
tFrofi ths thtesso Tnbune.]
Of the four Commissioners who were
sent over to Europe by President
Janeoln--Archbishop Hughes, Bishop
Me1lvaine, Gen. Scott and Mr.. Weed
all ~efe confident that Napoleon was
friendly. Ths same delHsion was shared
by Mr.. Dayton, the Minister at Paris,
and Mr.. Bigelow, the Consul. General;
and, had it not been for what may be
called an accid5tt that brought the
news of Napoleon's hostility to the ears
of Mr.. Dayton, our representatives
might have gone on laboring under the
delusion that France would not inter
fers until she had declared war against
MS. Every subsequent event was fort
innate. Mr.. Dayton, as soon IS the ru-
Insr Same 10 him, sent to London post
haste t5f Mr.. Weed; who left imrnedi-
ately. As soon as he arrived he was
informed of the unpleasant news Mr..
Weed happened to remember that be
had a letter of introduction to one M.
Iubat. He delivered it at once, and
his apptehetsions we're confirmed, as
II. 1tibat informed him that the danger
of war was Imminent; He advised him
to have an audience With She Emperor
8. once, to which Mr.. Weed feplied
that Mr.. Dayton would arrange one, but
probably could not effect it until after
the meeting Of the Chambers. This
wstild be too late, as the mischief by
that time would have been done. M.
Lubat volunteered to arrange the inter
view, and ON the very next day succeed
ed in procuring an audience for Mr..
Weed with the Count De Horny. The
result of that interview is thtts stated
by Mr.. Weed:
Upon my expressing the solicitude felt by our
Minister, Mr.. Dayton, in relation to ihe forth
coming speech of the Emperor, De Mony, with
considerable emphasis, said that France was
suffering 80 seriously fom Our civil war that
the Emr error would be compelled to refer to the
subject in his address. inquired If all wars
Of Commercial nations did not, necessarily,
more sor less inconvenience neighboring ma
ions. He replied that our war was an excep-
tional one; that other nations were dependent
upon tis for cotton; that our blockade and the
destruction Of the Charleston harbor had de-
priyed Europe OF an article essential to its in
terests; that France was q paternai Govern
n.ent, and when it could not furnish its people
with labor was compelled to supply them with
bread. When urged that the blockade, as
war measure found precedents in European
wars, the Count replied that there was no such
justification or excuse for destroying the har-
bor of Charleston, one of the most important,
if not the most important, cotton hart or in our
country. replied that the Count was labor
ing under 9 misapprehension in regard to
Charleston harbor; that, Instead Of being de-
molished, it had simply been obstructed, and
that the rocks placed there could be readily re-
moved when there was no further occasion for
such obstruction
Every objection that was offered by
the Count was removed by Mr.. Weed,
and every alleged violation of interna:
tional practices was justified by prece-
dents in the French and English wars.
At the close of the interview the Count
said that he should meet the Emperor
on the evening when the speech to the
Chambers would be read first to the
Cabinet, and would present his points.
The next day the Emperor made his
speech, and it was amicable. The dam
ger had blown over. Had Mr.. Weed
been day later, or had he failed to
procure the interview, we might have
had a war with France on our hands,
and at the very time when England was
most hostile to us, and was ipfamed
with Indignation at the arrest of Mason
and Shdeli. The escape seems almost
Frovidential in every one of its details,
and in none less than in the fact that
this delicate duty was intrusted to such
an intelligent and sklful representa-
tive as Mr.. Weed.