Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-12-11
A Self Exiled Confederate
From Galignani's Messenger

| u
From Galignani's Messenger
Mr. Ambrose Dudley Mano, whose death
we announced IL yesterdays issue, vas the
last Of the three envoys whom the so called
Confederate States sent to Europe during
the civil war in America to induce the pow
ers to recognize the Southern Confederacy.
They left the United States 10 March, 1861,
and Mr. Mann swore then he won,G never
return TO his native land until the Sou h bad
gained her cause, and he kept hi5 word.
He lived more than twenty-sight gears witt
out q country, and died alone aDd almost
| forgotten here in Paris
The story OF bis coming abroad aad Of
what the com omission did aHd did not accom-
pli3h WAS told the writer CT these in' by
| MIR. Mann himself short time suce Many
wears bofore meeting The deceased the writ
err knew of him as person who once WAS
pearly the cause Of war between Austria and
the Uaited States Mr. Msno, then oil az
tache in the Stale Department at Washing
tou, was sent to Hungary on q secret Dl!s
sion. which may, perhaps, have bad sons
thing 10 do with The Kosau:h movement.
Arrived in that country, be was arrested ns
q spy, and it would have gone hard with
| him had no; Daniel Webster. then Secretary
| of State, demanded his release, adding that
''the protection to which Mr. Mann is enti
| tied will be enforced with the full strength
Of the fleet and army OF the United States. ~
There was Just enough of fight in Webster q
letter to induce the Vienna government o
| let The matter drop, and Mr.. Mann was
| thereafter unmo!ested.
The commission Of the Confederscy was
composed of Mr.. Yancey, of Alabama (;
Judge Rust, of Louisiana, and Mr.. A. Dud
ley Mann. Two of them came abroad by
way of New Orleans and Saint Thomas.
but Mann decided to go from Montgomery
by way of Washington. Mr. Seward was
Secretary CT Slate then, and his plan wes 10
| let Mann get on board the steamer and ar
rest him Just as 1t was leaving the dock but
Mr.. Lincoln cancelled the order of arrest,
and ne sailed from New York to Europe on
the 80 of March, 1861 10 LONDON he
commissioners obtained interviews with
| Lords Russell and Pamerston; but, while
they found a strong feeling in England de-
cdedly in favor of the South-Bright ard
| Golden were exceptions-there was no
disposition TO recognize the Confederacy.
"The secret of England's conduct" said
| Mr.. Mann to the writer, twas Ireland had
she recognized the Confederacy the Irish
would have become mere clamorou5 than
ever for their liberties. Slavery did not
| weigh feathers weight in the scale, a.
though there was not a man in England
| who justified elavery, and the masses OF the
people felt very strongly in the matter
With but few exceptions, all those with
whom | conversed took the ground that
! the existence Of slavery ought not to pre-.
vent England from recognizing the inde.
peudeuce of the South as soon as she was
| able TO msintein herself against the
| North.
ia France the feeling against slavery
was stronger, but here, too, the upper classes
! looked at the question in the same way as
France in my official capacity, for had 10
confidence in Louis Napoleon. The French
Emperor played double game all through
the war II did not suit his plans for either
of the American beligerents to obtain de-.
cided advantage over the other. He want.
ed to found Latin enpirein Mexico for his
cousin Plon. .Plcn, and thus get him out Of
the way, and be wanted our war protracted
until botn parties would be so exhausted as
not to be able TO interfere with him in bis
designs.
'After Mason and Slidel came over, the
| joint committee was dissolved. Mason was
assigned to duty in London, Slidell to Paris,
Rust to Spain, and to Belgium and Central
Europe. Mr. Yancey went home, was
elected to the Senate, and died soon after
ward also had commission to Russia,
but never thought it worth while to go to
St. Petersburg. The general policy of all
the Continental powers toward the South
! was to await the action of France and Eng
land"
The deceased statesman also said he was
once sent by Jefferson Davis On a special
commission to Rome, with view to induce
Pope Plus IN. to recognize the confederacy.
That was in November, 1868, and few
days after his arrival in Rome. Cardinal
Antoneili presented bin to his Holiness. On
that occasion Mr. Mann banded Plus IN a
letter written by MIR. Davis, in English and
which had to be translated chen and there
go that 'be Pope could understand it. More
than twenty -four years after this scene in
the Vatican the deceased said 10 the present
writer:
"Is wes ore ofthe most remarkable con
ferences that ever foreign representative
had with one of the potentates Of this earth.
Even after this lapse of time cannot help
but think bow majestic vas the conduct of
the government of the ponLi6csl states in
its bearing toward me as compared with the
sueaklng suoterfuges to which some of the
European governments had recourse in or
der to evade intercourse with our commits
sioners"
Nothing vas accomplished. however, by
that mission. 1t is true that Piux IN wrote
letter to MIR. Davis but, although it was
add essed to that gentleman as president
of the Confederate States of America, u it did
NOT contain anv nositive recnpnitjop of the
Confederate government. aud this fact was
officially admitted by the late judah P. Ber-
jamiu, some time Secretary OF State at Rich.
: q lo 70