The Irish standard., 1902-01-25
In Case John Bull Declared War Over the
Hot Controversy Concerning
the Trent Affair.
The Emperor in a Private Interview Told
an American Why He Backed
the United States.

peror would remain, rs they have to
this day, secret. 1t is certain, how
ever, that when our Government and
Union were impcrilcd by formidable
rebellion we should have found a
powerful ally in Russia had an cmer-
gency occurred"
Tile latter revelation" says the ed
ltor Of these memoirs, sis corroborated
by a wcll-known New York rentle-
man who was In st. Petersburg when
the rebellion began. and who. during
an unofficial call upon Prince
Gortsclakoff. was shown hv tho
chancellor an order written in Alex.
ander's own hand directing his admiral
TO report to President Lincoln for Or
ders In case England or France sided
with the Confedcrates.
The editor in question, Mr.. Thurlow
Weed Barnes. undoubtedly referred
here to MFR. Bnyard Taylor. who was
Secretary Of Legation ut ST. Peters.
burg mt the time of the incident here
related and who was on intimate
terms with Prince Gortsclnkoff, In
the Nicolay anad Hay life of Lincoln
n full account is given Of tile effort Of
France to get England and Russia to
Join In an interference with the United
States. 1t is there said:
MANY years elapsed before # he-
came generally known how near the
British Government had come to &C.
ceptlng or even anticipating the over.
lures OF the French for mediation"
The Sun has the privilege of ofrerl,r
now the testimony of one who was at
the time Consul at Paris, and WI.
speaks with the highest personal
authority, backed by documentary
evidence never before publlshd:
ITO the Editor of The Sun:
"Sir: Your representative has sn.wp
me some letters to you questioning
what the writer's call the .hlstorical
myth which credits Russia with hav-
ing attested her friendship for the
United States in our Civil War by
sending a squadron to our shores to be
Mt the service Of our government in
case of need. He also asks me on
your behalf If can throw any light
upon the subject 1 think I can.
though do not know how conclusive
1t may appear to those who are pre-
disposed to doubt It.
"In the summer of 1862 and before
had heard Of the arrival of the Rus
sian squadron in New York, re-
ceived n letter from Mr.. Seward, of
which inclose copy. 1t was re.
ply to rumOrs of coalitions and combl-
nations against the United States put
In circulation by Confederate agencies
in London and Paris, which commun-
icated to the department.
II have marked the paragraph
which believed then to be, and
still believe to have been, a sufficient
warrant for the inference that the
Secretary of State had nh understand
Ing with the Russian Government.
What he wrote certainly warrants
more even than would he implied by
a simple display of the flag Of the Gear
in the harbor Of New York.
"shortly after my return from
France in 1867, spent a few days in
Washington, during which time had
frequent interviews with Mr.. Seward,
and occasionally met at his house Mon
sieur Bodisco, the Russian Minister
at Washington. The purchase of
Alaska from Russia had just been con-
sumated. OF course neither Mr.. Seward
nor Monsieur Bodisco said distinctly
to me that that purchase was purely
and simply as gracious recognition
on the part of the Washington Govern
ment Of the attitude of the Czar
toward the United States in '62, but
doubt If there was any member of
either house Of Congress who supposed
the government then had any other
motive in the purchase Of Alaska than
to recognize its obligations to the
Gear.
'"The fact stated by one Of your cor
respondents that there Is no record