The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-03-06
An Important
Mission
1t LnDolUed the Very Ex-
istence of the Amer
lean Union
BY F. A. mitchell.

i
/ ] By F. A. mitchell ]
A~-%-~-~-~-~~~~-~-~-A-@
Half century ago when the strug-
| gle for the American Union was going
on European nations showed them
selves very much concerned In the az
! fairs of the western hemisphere. Many
/ English for several reasons favored the
/ Confederate cause.
AS for France, her part In American
affairs was of Var greater importance
than that Of any of the others. But
here begins my story, which win per-
init one to tell who mingled In the
events which concerned her. MY grand
father, then young man Of twenty
three, was attached to the American
legation at Paris. fell heir to his
| papers. On one package sealed with
! the seal of the United States and dated
April IL, 1886, was written;
"Not to be opened for fifty years."
Ten years before the date for the
opening of this package my GRANDPA
/ TIERS papers came into my possession.
1t Is needless to say that / awaited the
coming Of April II. 1916, with impa-
hence. When 1t came round at exact
/ " IL o'clock midday ! tore of the COW
er to the package. This is what it
I contained:
| I propose to put In writing what is
doubtless the most important diplO-
!, matte event In the history Of the Unit
ed States. A member OF the embassy
Of the United States at Paris, have
j been concerned in this event, and I
desire that my descendants shall have
an opportunity to know Of this fact
There is no designating the life Of
/ diplomatic secret, but l presume In
/ half century all the parties concern
/ ed In the matter VIII have passed away
and there win be no necessity for its
| further keeping.
| 4 One morning when ] was engaged en-
my chiefs correspondence he sent for
me to come to his private room, and
when ! entered he gave orders to
the attendant to admit no one till fur
ther orders; then, locking the door, he
motioned to a seat beside him at his
desk and said to me:
4 am about to intrust you with
very important mission, but before
committing 1t to you must explain
the situation.
"As you know. the emperor has EN-
barked on bis Mexican scheme. II
the federal government Of the United
States is re-established over the seced-
cd states the French win be obliged
to leave the western hemisphere. II
the emperor can bring about the es-
adjustment Of the Confederacy he win
not only face a divided North America,
but will secure the friendship Of the
southern people.
"A knowledge Of the fact that he
has made a proposition to. England to
intervene In America, with a view to
establishing the independence Of the
Confederacy, and that England has
consented to join him has recently
come to me. How have obtained
this information it Is not necessary
that you should know. You need only
be informed Of the fact that France
and England are about to issue joint
acknowledgment Of the independence
of the Confederate States Of America,
and the next step win be to break the
blockade.
There IS at present but one power
that may be Interested In defeating
this project Of France and England
| Sweden, Norway, Prussia, the German
states and fragmentary Italy are not
interested In the western world, and
II they were they are too small to have
any effect there Prussia Ia a growing
power, but has made no move toward
colonization or aggression In any form.
1T is but few years since Russia
suffered defeat by these two powers,
and she is still smarting under the
fall Of Sebastopol and the failure Of
the Crimean war. have learned, too,
that the car looks with jealousy upon
England's constantly increasing power
on the sea. He dreams, as all his pre-
decessors have been dreaming for cen
turtles, of securing an outlet to the
worlds waters through the Dardanelles
and making his people a maritime ma
tion."
The minister paused and seemed lost
In thought. Presently be resumed:
II wish you to be the bearer Of In
formation to the car of Russia OF this
move on the part Of France and Eng
land. While 1t is not necessary that
you should know how 1t came to me,
It Is essential that you have proof OF
what you are to assert. Here" taking |
up an envelope containing papers, fare
documents that .substantiate what you
are to say to the car"
He handed them to me, and while l
perused them he waited, endeavoring
to engage In other work, but / saw
that he was engrossed with the affair
In question and could not divert his
mind to anything else. When had
finished he continued:
'4These papers are for no other eyes
than yours and the czar's. You are not
to send them to him; you are to de
liver them In person or not at all
When he has finished reading them
you are to say to him that they have |
been intrusted to you for his inspec-
tion, but not his possession He viii
not keep them after you have assured
him of this. -
Having thus posted me as to what
! had to do, the minister dismissed |
me, and the same afternoon started
for Russia. On reaching St. Petersburg |
I avoided the American embassy, de-
string that no one Of the corps should
know Of my presence In the capital |
Etiquette required that what had to
say to the ear should go through the
American minister at the Russian
court, but 1t had been stipulated be
tween my chief and his informers that
the documents furnished him should
be revealed to no one except the car
OF Russia and the messenger who pre-
sented them to him.
I had no difficulty In reaching the
czar, for my chief had given me let
ter stating that was a member of
the American legation to France and
bearer Of secret information for his
imperial majesty the car. The words
secret information" were an "open +
sesame" was accorded an interview
with the emperor the day after my
arrival at St Petersburg, but was In
formed that IL the matter l had in
hand was Of personal importance to
his majesty would be received at
once. / thought it best to await
formal meeting and spent the interval
in preparing myself to state my case +
to the best advantage. 1t would not
avail me to prepare set speech, for
I did not know In what mood or how