The National tribune., 1893-10-12
How the Authorities of the Rebelious States
Tried to &" Work" the Pope.

How the Authorities of the RebelIious States
Tried to Work" the Pope.
lNeto York Trtbunc.l
John Bigelow's article in The North american
Reuie,c. telling how the Confederate statesmen
in 1868 tried to get declaration from Pope Plus
| TX. in favor of the Confederacy, is of great
historical value. Their reasons for desiring
| such declaration were twofold. 1t night
| relax the zeal for the Union of Northern Cath
| olics, and at the same time it might lead the
| Catholic countries of Europe, especially France
and Austria, to sympathize actively with the
South.
But it is surprising that intelligent men like
| Jefferson Davis and Judah p. Benjamin could
! have imagined that the Church of Rome would
go back on its record of hostility to chattel
slavery, even when ii prevailed In Catholic
countries. Mr.. Bigelow is inclined to excuse
them for this ignorance, on the ground that
| they had never studied ecclesiastical history.
But the fact is one that enters largely into the
| history of Europe since the beginning OF the
| Papacy; and it was discreditable to men who
were trying to create Nation not to know 1t.
| 1t is indeed, striking proof of Mr.. Bige-
| lows assertion, that the men who planned
the rebellion, controlled its policy and directed
| its operations from Richmond were about the
| most inadequate men that ever had their names
| prominently associated in history with the
conduct of any great military enterprise in
which 1t was necessary 10 enlist the sympatDles
| of other enlightened nationalties.'
OF course the attempt to work the Pope
| failed. bumptious person, named A. Dudley
| Mann, was intrusted with the task. Mann evil
| IDENTIFY thought he was making history, and
| that his name would 20 laundering down the
| ages. The Pope received him courteously, and
wrote a polite non-committal letter to Jefferson
! Davis But Manns feryid imagination dis
dained to take any such prosaic view of the
| situation.
| In writing of this interview to Benjamin,
| he said:
Thus terminated one of the most remark
| able conferences that ever foreign representa-
| tive had with potentate Of the earth. A po-
tentate who is adored the Vice
gerent of Almighty God in this sublunary
| sphere" ls.!i
| According to Mapn's own account, however,
! the interview must have been rather one
| sided one. The Pope confined himself princi-
| paly to looking interested-his politeness was
| proyerbial-and saying that war WAS terrible
| thing. But Mann improved every moment.
| He knew that his imagination was his strong
| hold and so he turned it loose. IL was a little
! hard on the Pope. perhaps but it enabled Mann
| to write letter to Ben jamn, which for uncOn-
scous humor ought TO take high rank in
| lit rature.
Among other things he declared that Lin
coin and Co." employed agent ts in Europe to lure
foreigners to the United States, on the pretense
| of getting them work, butin reality to fill up
1.-THE constantly depleted ranks" of the North
| ern army. These agents took especial and
| fendish delight in Ep pdeesying innocent Irish
men from their homes to be murdered in cold
| blood" But bad as that was, there was worse
| yet to tell. The pulpit champions" of Lin
coin and CO." in the North boldly asserted as a
sentiment "Greek fire for the families and
cities of the rebels, aud hell fire for their
Chiefs"
Coo, aftor I'm no ri n , this otavsIino IN forpa
tion Mann took his leave and waited for letter
from the Pope which should make Lincoln
and Co." feel exceedingly sick. The letter soon
came. II was. we have said, kindly, diplo-
matte and studiously n0n-committal missive,
expressing an ardent hope that the war would
speedily end.
But Mann at once read his own imaginngs
into it, He hailed it as an acknowled gment
by "as high an authority the world con-
tains" that the Confederacy, then really in the
thr0es of DEATH was " an independent power of
the earth" He wrote letter to Benjamin,
congratuating the universe in general, and de-
claring that not only humanity but the London
Times would be aroused.
Bat Secretary Benjamin was more cold
blooded and wrote TO Mann, telling him that
the Popes letter meant just nothing at all so
far as the Con onfederacy concerned. This
caused Mann to drop out of history COM
pletely that he has never been heard from since.
Bishop Lynch of Charleston, S. c., was then
sent TO Rome. But before he was able to do
anything the war ended. and the Bishop found
himself compelled to remain in Rome un-
pardoned rebel udtil some friends succeeded in
getting pardon for him Thus ended one of
the most ambitious and at the same time most
absurd episodes in the diplomatic history of
the Confederacy.
Following is a copy of the letter written by
the Pope:
Plus p p TX Iii,tsirfous and Honorable Mr Je6er-
Darts. President Of the Confederate States,
Greeting:
| We have lately received with az kindness,
| was meet the gentlemen sent by your Excellency
present to- your letter dated the 23d of last
| September We have received certainly no small
| pleasure in learning both from these gentlemen
| aud from your letter the feelings OF qualification
| .ud very warm appreciation with which you.
| Ilustrious and Honorable Sir. rioyed when
| you first had knowledge of our letters written in
! October of the preceding year to the Venerable
| Brethren, John, Archbishop of New York, and
| john Archbishop of New Orleans in which
| again aud again urged and exhorted those Vener-
| able Brethren that because of their exemplary
| piety aud episcopal zeal they should employ the
| most earnest efforts, ia our name also in order
| that the fata! civil war which had arisen in the
States should end, aud that the people of America
| might again enjoy mutual peace and concord. and
| love each other with mutual charity. And it has
| been very gratifying tous 10 recognize, Iustrous
Sir that you and your people animated by the
same desire for peace and tranquility. which
had so earnestly incucuted in our aforesaid letter
| To the venerable brethren above named. Oh, that
the other people also OF the States and their rulers
| considering serousyhow cruel and how depiorable
| is this intestine war, wosld receive and embrace
| the counseis OF peace and tranquility! We indeed
| shall with most fervent prayers to be-
| seech God the Best Iand Highest, and to impIore
| Him to pour the spirit Of Christian love and
| peace upon ali the people of America and to rescue
them from the great caiamities with which they
| afflicted. And we also pray the same most merci-
ful Lord that he will nlume your Excelleney with
| the light of His divine grace, and unite you with
| ourselves in perfect charity.
| Given at Rome at st. Peters on the Sd December,
| 1863 in the 18th year of our Pontfeate.
| PIUs r. p. TX.
why He Was not Killed.
[Harpers Ma0aziae.l
"were you ever shot in the war, Colonel2"
ask ed the young woman of the warrior, after lis