The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-08-20
A LETTER FROM GEN. BEsURE-
GIRO.
HIS VIEWS OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE RcEN
HAD THE SOUTH EMANCfPA-
TED HER SLAVES.

- Nv '''' ~ ~ -"
Sla-I have just read in the SuM o
the 18th inst, the interesting letter
of Judge Lyons Of Richmond to Col
Magruder of Baltimore, relative tt
the mission ofCouut Mercier, Frencl
Minister at Washington, to Rich.
mond in the summer Of 1862, with q
view TO bringing about peace between
the Northern and Southern States.
Shortly after the war l had the
pleasure of meeting Judge Lyons al
The Greenbrier White Sulphur
Springs, and hearing him relate, in
the presence of Gen. Lee, Gov. Wise.
Messrs. Peabody, Corcoran and other
gentlemen of note, the facts as sta
ted 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 emancipation from
Northern interference to our consti-
tutional rights, one of which was
that of slavery. 1t was thought that
during the war that if we yielded to
that demand we might soon be COM
PEELED to yield to others still more
vital to Southern prosperity. With
the sad experience of the past and of
the present, we see that we should
have stood by the Crittcnden resolu.
lions and fought "for the Constitu-
ton ia the Union" What q Demo
cratic Senate and a Democratic ma.
jority Of the people in our favor, we
could, / 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 indi-
cate with certainty what the present
Democratic majority in Congress and
in the country should have done to
counteraet the centralizing tenden-
cies Of the radicals, where, as at pre-
sent, Onr wisest statesmen 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 another des-
perate struggle between the conser-
yative and radical elements of the
country.
A few days after the battle Of Ma
nassas Prince Napoleon and suite,
accompanied by Count M~ercier, came
in carriages from Washington to
visit the battlefield. Gen. Johnston
and I went with them to explain the
positions and movements of the COD.
tending forces which seemed to IL.
terest them much, especially the
Prince, who had some pretensioas TO
military KnosT=agr,aas 81 81 ir-t sr
fled, however, by bis services il tie
Italian campaign of 1850. 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 during
our several hours drive to commu.
nicate privately with me, took me to
one side Of the Warrenton tu,n pike
on which we were then, and was
about to commence speaking, when
the Prince joined us and put a sop
whether designedly or not ] cannot
say TO the interchange Of sente
men,s which was about to take piaee.
| have always regretted that mop
perfume Interruption, for | am con.
WINGED that the Count had important
information to impart which might
have had some influence on subse-
quent events.
When at Charleston, 10 1923, l
had 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 tue sl~oop-of-war was a highly
educated gentleman, who had ira.
yelled a great deal, and seemed to
eajoy the confidence of his govern.
ment.
On one Of those occasions he told
of the sympathy OF hia Govern
in our favor, but alSo of the
opposition Of the French seople to
our recognition, owing to our lnsti-
tuition of slavery. He said that he
not authorized to speak officially
but that he considered himself at
liberty to say that if were to pro-
claim gradual emancipation, TO take
place during any reasonable period,
felt confident that. the French Gov.
eminent would recognize our indie.