Year: 1867




religious advent!
An Important Mission TO Europe-The


Chevalier WikoAf Departs Suddenly.


Great diplomatico- o-Anancial enterprises are
on foot; for that acute. wise, witty, philo-
sophical, much known but not altogether un-
derstood mortal, the Chevaller Wikof, has
gone to Europe-on mission, OF course on .
mission worthy philosopher and q friend Of
humanity, having In view o noble object. He
went away in the Scotia quietly, suddenly,
mysteriously even 80 that we might almost
describe his exit by alluslon to the familiar
Arabs, who have so often folded their tents
In current literature-and stolen away. We
might use this illustration, except indeed, that
the tents Of our city life, our brown stone fronts,
are inconvenient for folding, and that no we'll
plimented in being compared with the scantily
clothed sons Of the desert. Wikof, indeed,
kept his plans and purposes close went away
mum as mummy, not even exciting suspi-
cion by pretending to be communicative and
all this, Of course, was conduct quite becoming
diplomat Of the flrst-vintage. But while he
Is tossing on the Atlantic, happy in the notion
that he has kept bis own counsel so well, we
will just whisper his secret in the public ear,
keeping to ourselves how we found it out. He
goes in the interest Of the new Atlantic cable
enterprise, promising to put .tsyo continents on
intimate terms by securing inm&diate magnetic
connection between New York and Brest.


Muo ~ iho oil nP ~, 10
supposed, has to be arranged with that man of
practical sagacity, the Emperor Of France; hence
the necessity for first class diplomat, and the
connection Of our Chevalier with such mate
rial fact as telegraph for perhaps Wikoff
has easy access to his Majesty. 1t is quite safe
to say that he ought to have; since, not to
mention the days when they were fellow prison
ers in the same stone walls, it is a truth that
Napoleon is indebted not a little to this diplo.
mat for the very security and ease in which
he holds his throne to-day. Wikoff was
peculiarly active in bringing to a happy
solution troubles that threatened to end in a
war between France and the United States-a
war that might have left but little of the Napo-
leonic dynasty. This, indeed, was delicate
and graceful bringing of the continents to un-
derstand one another-an anticipation of the
purpose of the cable. 1t was just at the close
of our great war, when the sudden coming of
peace surprised France in fagrante delicto-with
her hands on PROSTATE Mexico. We had an
immense and fine army, and the generals
clamored for the order to cross the Rio Grande.
The whole press roared that the Mexican expe-
dition had been founded on the assumption of
our ruin, and that we had now an opportunity
to give practical evidence to Europe of our
vitality. What would the government do? 1t
was a critical moment. War with France would
have been popular, it was even argued that ii
would bridge over our national troubles.
France stood like guilty culprit helpless be-
fore us. Should she fight us we had the power
to bend her like wisp OF straw; gel shame
prevented her precipitate retreat.


At this moment the Rowing Diplomat came
on the scene. He saw President Johnson and
drew from him amiable expressions as to
France; that il was far from our policy to
push her to the wall-only that she ought to
lose no time in getting out of Mexico while
she might do it gracefully sentiments that 1t
would have been impossible for formal official
intercourse to use or hear, but which. once
conveyed, were just the ones calculated to put
France at her ease and facilitate her escape
from an awkward position. Our diplomat
next turned up in Paris, where he and Napo-
leon sat on softer cushions and ate better break
fasts than they used to get in their hotel at Ham,
Napoleon was just then fresh from Barri,z and





diplomat; and probably if any one had
played twenty questions " with him he could
have guessed there would soon be war in
Germany. War in Germany would make II
necessary that France should have her hands
Tree; and who more welcome than the man
who could give an exact account Of the posi-
ton Of the United States and OF the one
way in which the Mexican business should be
closed up3 There came at about this time
mutual messages to the public from Johnson
and Napoleon as to the withdrawal OF the
French from the territory Of our neighbor,
and the cloud that threatened war between
France and the United States was blown
sway-thsnks to the happy facility OF our
Chevalier in helping awkward mortality over
delicate ground.


And now comes the necessity for new At
lantic cable. The cable now in operation has
shown the great practical value Of such means
Of communication but as il is in the hands
of the English-as II has British soil at either
and-it Ia ohvia,s that tha ;raul I;t.lou.o.