The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-11-04
A
Diplomatic Secret
BY EDWIN D. TUCKER


Napoleon Ills Mexican scheme re-
peated number of times In different
forms. | wonder which is correct"
40 you refer" asked white headed |
octOgenarian. ito the case Of how the |
czar headed of the French emperorT
81 do"
well, then. can give you the true |
version OF that story. for was directly |
connected with what occurred.
"a was very young at the time, but
not too young to be connected with
the American legation at the court Of
ST. James. One evening at recep-
ton a member of the British cabinet
accosted me, though | had had no
Introduction to him. and after pre-
urinary conversation on ordinary top
.cs drew me into small room where
we were alone and said to ME:
"'YOu have been mentioned to me as
person fitted TO be the repository of
an important diplomatic secret-indeed.
to carry out an important diplomatic
move
He then pledged me to secrecy, i'm
pressing me with the importance OF
locking within myself what he was
about TO say TO me, after which he pro
| ceeded:
"Our good queen. with her usual
sense and foresight. is in favor of
| permitting you Americans to settle
your quarrels among yourselves, The
emperor of the French, who must be
i h., ind nf ha
various factions he rules from himself.
has some scheme with reference to
making n Judgment somewhere in
North America. He is impOrtunlng us
TO join him In Intervention with view
to separate the United States into two
sections. We do not wish to aDtagO-
nize him by a refusal, and we do not
wish TO enter into any arrangement
with view TO interfering between the
states
'TbeEe is "A power which would
gladly block the emperOr's game did
that power know that the game was
Matching. | refer to Russia. The czar
since the Crlmean war does not love
France. and he does not love England.
| we ChHuOL JOiH hubplt III CodlIhOh
to prevent Intervention. Should the
czar know that France is endeavoring
to induce US to join her in her pro-
posed scheme he would at once take
measures to prevent 1t. This is eX-
acty what we should like. 1t would
render refusal of NapoleOn's request
needless and leave us to remain Deu-
trail In American affairs.
"Diplomatic secrets sometimes leak
out without any one being aware of
where the leak is located You and !
know exactly where this leak is, and it
must remain between you and me
alone
"'You except President Lincoln. of
course?
"'Of course do not. There is but
one person besides yourself who may
know It,
"Mr. SewardT
"'No: the c2ar OF Russia
"'The c2ar! How can reach himY
"'That | must leave to you, Con
siderlng that you are member of the
American embassy here ! do not think
. you SllbNlu uHNc ilhublt
"But my chief, the American am
bassadOrF
"He. too. must remain ignorant
! You must leave London without his
knowledge
"'But the proof for the czar of the
truth of my storyT
, - will furnish you with that
hn
, fore dawn armed with the proof that
r had been promised. My mother wat
at the y ne in Berlin. and ! forged {
1 telegram from her begging me TO come
I to her if expected to see her alive
: | This telegram l showed to my chic
\ and was given a leave OF absence.
r did not go TO Berlin. but l did go to st
a Petersburg. On reaching the capital
I went to the minister of foreign affairs
h showed him papers substantiating m!
n position with the American embassy a
h London and informed him that ! ha,
= information concerning a cabal Il
/ interfere in the affairs Of the American
: republic but that was not permitte'
o to submit 1t except to his majesty.
|
states was at that time engaging tn
|. attention of the world, and the cza
Il was only too glad of information cor
!. cernlng It. He promptly accorded m
r. private interview and listened to m
i. attentively till l had reached the en-
% OF my story. when he asked for m
% proofs. produced them, and he wa
e both surprised and convinced. II
m asked me how came by them. and
a. refused to tell That ended the inte
A. view.
d "Returning to London. reported
/. my chief that my mothers health wa
n- much improved. and ! settled down
Ie my daily dutsea. l met the cabin'
rs member through whom the secret ha
,f leaked at a function and In n fe
Il words told him OF my mission. He Al
IN parently did not expect that the czi
ls would intimate 10 me what he migl
ut do In the premises