Year: 1878

TOLD FOB THE FIRST TIME.


Diplomacy has been defined as
the art of conducting international
negotiations, and there are many
who affect to despise this art be-
cause they see only the forms and
ceremonies that are so often used to
conceal the movements behind the
scenes. In reality, the diplomatic
chess-player places more reliance mp
on the apparently insignificant per-
sons that move beneath his hand
than upon the crowned and knightlv
figures that occupy the center of the
board. While the accredited envoy.
in scarlet and gold lace, bows before
the throne and repeats the measured
compliments of his august master.
the silent cipher sent by some OBJ
scure hand is speeding over the
wire to tell not what is being said at
Court, but what is being done. The
secret agents are always the most
active, and Russia more than anv
other power understands the use of
these terrible but sure weapons.
The same instruments that aid in
peopling the Siberian mines with IN
cautious mobiles and political philoso-
phors are scattered everywhere where
RusSia's interests are at all involved.
Not the least effective of these Sc.
crets emissaries are females, and if
anything else were needed to ex-
hibit the astuteness of Russian d.
plomaoy this employment of female
spies would be sufficient to make it
manifest. All this was brought
home to the writer at very critical
period of our national life, in a wav
that caused him to tremble for
the destinies of a people that hung
Oh so light thread. The following
facts are now for the first time made
public:


For number of years previous to
the war of the rebellion there resid
ed in the City of Washington a wo-
man who, in addition to the advan-
tages of an excellent education, pos
sessed charming manner, and the
means by which she was enabled to
maintain most excellent social po-
sitiOn. From whence these means
came was not known to the world at
large, nor did it inquire. No act of
imprOpriety of word or deed was
ever imputed to her, but she was re-
ceived, with all courtesy, and in turn
her hospitality was always cordially
accepted. She was originally from
one of the Southern States was
widow, OF passed as such, and had
most attractive daughter, who,
like herself, moved in the best socie-
ty of the capital, especially that cir
Gle Of it which was more diStinctively
represented by the diplomatic corps.
A distinguished attache of the Brit
ish Legation was, in fact, somewhat
marked in his attentions to the
daughter-herSelf married woman.
There were those who, desiring to
look beneath the surface of things,
put this and that together, and con-
ccived the idea that the diplomatic
representatives of Russia could tell
a great deal, if they chose, as to
whence came the income that ena-
bled two such charming ladies to
grace so effectively the gay assem-
blages where they were ever present.
BE that as it may, the cloud that
burst in fury over this unhappy land
in 1851 brought wonderful changes
to the social life ofthe capital. The
drum and the bugls replaced the vio-
lin and harp, and the Opaulet out
shons the glitter of diplomatic lace.
The secrets of State became the Sc
crets of war. A nation of freemen
had divided on the question of the
slave; the North manned its battle
ments and the South fed to its COW
erts, all save our two Southern born
and Southern bred women, who had
basked SO long in the sunshine of So
cial favor. Not that their tender
hearts beat less 10 sympathy for the
home of their birth, but with them
it was verified "Where the treasure
is, there will the heart be Also"
Like the devoted wife that Dickens
has made immortal, they would
"neVer desert Micawber." Wash
ington was their field, and they
hunted in it still. The gay attache
of Britain was replaced by an uxor-
ious officer of the Adjutant Generals
Department, aud Distinguished Cab
met Minister of the new regime be-
came the recipient Of the blandish-
ments and smiles of the fair-hairsd
daughter, instead of those places
were to know them no more forever.
Often has the writer, when serving
under arms in defense of the nation
al capital, met the distinguished Min
lister strolling through the camps
with the fair and fascinating female
on his arm, as well as at the social
gatherings held at the Minister'S
house, where Madam was always
present, while, with the aid of the
nodiSte, she added new charms to
her voluptuous person, seldom, how
ever, absent from the side of the EN-.
inent host; in fact, in the absence of
a more legitimate hostess, she played
the part herself, and did it to per-
fection, with grace and self-posses-
sion unaPProachabls. There was,