New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-06

any favor So far was it averse from the employ
ment of emissarics" itself that 1t dispatched MI
De Leon to Europe with $4,000 tit Is enormously
printed f25, 900 in two places in the DOCK,
wherewith to influence the European, una
particularly the English press; and it IS put On
record as largely increasing as its fortunes ieii'
the amount devoted to such service, and the
character of which may be guessed from the IN
structions given to Slidell that no vouchers ZOE
this expenditure were to be rendered.
Notwithstanding all the efforts Of the Federal
agents in Europe, one Of the Confederate iron
clads THE StonewalD succeeded in escaping,
through the adroit mendacty Of Arrnan tho
French builder Negotiations for the transfer OF
this vessel to the Danish Government had been
OPENED, but the builders could not, or did not,
get her finished in contract time She had been
needed for the Schleswig- Holstein war That
war was over when she was completed, ana the
Danish inspector refused to accept her. But Dy
some subterfuge she was got to sea, ostcnsiDly
as having been sold to Denmark, and was taken
over there, and an effort made to secure her ac-
ceptance This failing after three months, she
was taken into Quiberon Bay, coaled partly armed
from an English steamer, and then headed 1or
the Spanish port of Ferrol for repairs. Messrs
Bigelow and Dayton strove hard to procure the
influence of the French Government, but the
Stonewall had left It's jurisdiction legitimately
and passed into that Of Denmark. and it refused
either to interfere itself to urge any action
upon Spain. Captain Craven, Of the United
States war-steamer Niagara, went to Ferrol with
the Sacramento, but he became convinced that
the Stonewall could sink both his vessels in half
an hour and he declined to risk what he considered
O useless experiment. lie was cOurt-martialled
for this, but the findings of the court were set
aside 6y Secretary Of the Navy Gideon Welles
The result of the failure to stop the Stonewal
would undoubtedly have been disastrous to the
Union cause but for the timely surrende: OF Lee
and consequent termination Of the war. When
Captain Page found himself free 10 enter upon
his anticipated career of destruction, there was
no longer any one to fight, and all he could do
was to take the ironclad to Havana and hand
her over to the Captain-General on receipt Of q
sum sufficient to pay of the crew Delivered
presently to the United States Government. she
she is now enrolled.
1t is impossible to refrain from specializing
as to the influence this vessel would have had
upon the issues Of the war, had it continued
month longer. In that time she could have
conquered destroyed all the great sea5oard cities
Of the Union, or have exacted from them
enormous ransoms, for nothing in the Federal
navy could have withstood her, nor could any
of the land defences have excluded her from
our harbors. 1t is to be remembered that this
formidable vessel was, in effect, launched against
US by Louis Napoleon, who never in private In
tercourse concealed his hope that the rupture OF
the Union would prove irremedable, and who only
waited for some signal Confederate success to
recognize the Richmond Government Mr.. Bigelow
shows clearly that the Emperor did not really
commit himself as Slidel and Bullock assumed
that he did, and it follows that the Confederacy
had not the ground of complaint against him al
legged by Benjamin. But it is not less apparent
that he acted with perfdy and duplicity toward
the North, and that he was all through the war
ready to do us the worst turns possible, provided
he could escape such formal commitment to the
South as would expose him to war with the
United States. With the collapse Of the Con-
federacy, however came some measure OF retribu-
ton, and in his humiliating withdrawal from
Mexico-a disgrace which went far to complete
the wreck of the imperial prestige, and to pave
the way for the deoheanoe Of 1S70-he paid for
the baseness Of his treachery toward an historic
ally Of France.
Mr.. Bigelow has made very interesting vol
ume Of his experiences in connection with the
Confederate cruisers, and it is fitting and neces
sary sequel to and commentary upon Captain
Bullock's book on the same general subject.