Fifty years in Wall Street
United States, that they will never consent to surrender them.
“Human freedom and the rights of man make common cause between
Mexico and all other American States.
“I do not utter these words in prejudice against any government.
In my judgment, European nations will best promote the welfare
of their own people by carefully abstaining from all
interference with the declared will of those who dwell on this
continent.
“The doctrine has been solemnly asserted, and will be maintained
inviolate against all alliances which seek to impede the
progress of liberal institutions, or to impair the strength of
governments founded on the rights and intelligence of the
people.
“This is the doctrine of the United States, and, under the
shield of its power and influence, the safety, prosperity and
independence of Mexico will be maintained and made perpetual.”
(Cheers.)
The meeting then separated, marching out to the inspiring strains of the
Marseillaise.
A few days after this meeting the House of Representatives unanimously
resolved that the United States would never consent to the establishment
of a monarchy which would arise under the auspices of Europe, upon the
ruins of a republic on the American continent.
The speeches at the Romero banquet, followed by this resolution, were
the premonitory sounds of the death knell of Maximilian’s empire, even
before he took formal possession of his evanescent throne.
To show the animus of the Emperor regarding this meeting, and how
closely he was watching the struggle, I may state that when the New York
_Herald_, which had a full account of the meeting, arrived in Paris it
was promptly seized by Napoleon’s censors and shared the fate of _La
Lantern_ and some of Victor Hugo’s most vigorous productions. It was
committed to the flames on account of the speeches made by some of our
representative men. It will be seen by reference to this incident that
our representatives in Wall Street were among the first to perceive this
threatened danger to the nation, and that they manifested their business
tact and capacity in promptly meeting it. They acted literally on the
maxim of Sir Boyle Roche, that “the best way to shun danger is to meet
it half way.”
Wall Street men were the first to make the move that checkmated the
tyrant who was ambitious to prove before the eyes of the world that
Republicanism was a failure.
A volume might be written by the student of universal history, and
probably will be by some future Herodotus, Macaulay, or Prescott, on the
far-reaching influences of this original move on the part of the Wall
Street men. There is a large field for speculative theorizing,
containing much important truth in the way the Republican spirit was
reflected in the political thought of Mexico, as the result of the
feeling manifested at this public dinner in New York. It was undoubtedly
the active precursor of the events that sealed the fate of that
unfortunate cat’s paw, Maximilian. It gave birth to the idea that
reverberated across the Atlantic, created distrust in Napoleon’s schemes
of conquest as visionary with his own people, and alarmed their Teutonic
foes, who urged forward those mighty preparations that culminated in the
terrible overthrow at Sedan.
To the mere reader of our local newspapers the connection between cause
and effect of these great events may seem far-fetched, but it is all
plain sailing to the student of general history.
In this connection it would be unjust to the genius of history to omit
the part which England played on the same chessboard with her former
political refugee, constable and Imperial protégé. Although Mr. Disraeli
has done considerable justice to the case in Endymion, he has not dealt
with it from this side of the Atlantic. And I am now going to touch on
some points of hitherto unwritten history.
There was a secret alliance formed between Napoleon and the British
Cabinet—an international conspiracy on a large scale—to demolish the
liberties of this country, pounce upon the wreck and then share the
spoils between these two powerful pirates. How this was planned and
subsequently averted would form, if fully written up, one of the most
interesting chapters in the voluminous library of statecraft, and would
take most of the political sensation out of the best efforts of
Macchiavelli, Talleyrand and Prince Metternich. I can only glance at the
leading features of the diabolical scheme, and show how Wall Street men
were again promptly in the breach at the proper moment.
The New York riots of 1863 were fomented by British, French and Southern
influence combined, as a part of the villainous plot. The design was to
give our troops enough to do in quelling local riots, so that they
should have no opportunity of going to the front. Southern passion was
predominant, and could not discern at the time that their would-be
allies were their bitterest enemies. It was hoped that the “draft riots”
would be so widespread as to afford Southern chivalry a chance to march
unimpeded to Washington and capture the Capitol, when the allied foes of
liberty, by virtue of their _entente cordiale_, should seize upon their
prey.
Everything was in readiness for raising the blockade and pouring in
armaments from Europe to complete the conquest. England had acted with
more caution than Napoleon, and was slow to move, though he was
constantly urging her forward. It is due to the villainy of his great
conception to state, that, had he been able to move his more sluggish
ally in crime with greater celerity, the result might have been
overwhelmingly disastrous to this country.
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CHAPTER VIII
FOREIGN INTRIGUES AGAINST AMERICAN LIBERTY.
HOW THE IMPERIAL PIRATES OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND WERE FRIGHTENED OFF
THROUGH THE DIPLOMACY OF SEWARD.—OMINOUS APPEARANCE OF THE RUSSIAN
FLEET IN AMERICAN WATERS.—NAPOLEON AIMS AT THE CREATION OF AN EMPIRE
WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI, AND THE RESTORATION OF THE OLD FRENCH
COLONIES.—PLOTTING WITH SLIDELL, BENJAMIN, LINDSAY, ROEBUCK AND
OTHERS.—URGING ENGLAND TO RECOGNIZE THE CONFEDERACY.—DISRAELI
EXPLAINS ENGLAND’S DESIGNS AND DIPLOMACY.—AFTER THE NAVAL VICTORY OF
FARRAGUT, AND THE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS ENGLAND HESITATES THROUGH
FEAR, AND NAPOLEON CHANGES HIS TACTICS.—RENEWAL OF INTRIGUES BETWEEN
ENGLAND AND FRANCE.—THEIR DASTARDLY PURPOSES DEFEATED BY THE
VICTORIES OF GETTYSBURG, VICKSBURG, AND THE GENERAL TRIUMPH OF THE
UNION ARMS.
While the events related in the previous chapter were progressing
apparently towards a result that might have proved disastrous to the
dearly purchased liberties of this country, the nation was saved by
taking advantage of a circumstance that was peculiarly providential to
the Union. The Russian fleet happened to be in South American waters at
the time. Secretary Seward was apprised of the fact by a Wall Street
man. He was quick to act on the suggestion. Alexis, the brother of the
Emperor, was in command of the fleet. Seward sent him a friendly
invitation, which he instantly accepted. The spies of Napoleon and of
Scotland Yard, who were always on the alert, and who always discerned
the evil side of everything, promptly informed their employers of the
fact. The conclusion was manifest to European statesmen, who, unlike
Wall Street men, never “copper” the points given by spies. It seemed to
them clearly an alliance between the Great Empire and the Great
Republic. Extremes had met for mutual defence and safety probably for
aggressive purposes. The conspirators were frightened with their own
shadows and foiled by their own cowardice, and an apparently imminent
calamity was thus simply averted.
As the designs of the two great European powers were craftily concealed
through their evasive system of diplomacy, it has frequently been a
subject of debate as to whether they meant to take the part of the
Confederacy for the purpose of dissolving the Union. It is necessary,
therefore, to produce some tangible evidence of the intentions of these
foreign potentates in the hour of our country’s greatest peril.
The Confederate records purchased by the Government some years ago throw
a ghastly light on this subject, and gravely warn us of the Scriptural
injunction, to put no trust in kings and rulers.
The correspondence between the officials of the Confederacy and the
Confederate Commissioners, Slidell and Mason, at Paris and London, prove
to a demonstration that the ruler of France and the rulers of Great
Britain were making preparations on a large scale to take charge of this
country as soon as the Union, through their diplomatic aid, should be
dissolved. Letters from other representatives of the Confederates of
Europe go to corroborate this view of the matter. The correspondence
between Dudley, Post, Mann and Lamar, who were commissioners in various
parts of Europe, and Judah P. Benjamin, the Confederate Secretary of
State, is conclusive on the subject of European armed intervention,
which has hitherto formed a topic of dispute in the historic circles of
the Civil War.
The correspondence of Slidell, who was on familiar relations with the
Emperor of the French, gives the inside history of the intrigues of that
potentate in such clear terms, that there can be no doubt of his
intentions towards this country.
Had it not been for the superior vigilance of Mr. Dayton, the United
States Minister at Paris, several privateers would have been launched
from French ports to prey upon the commerce of the United States, and to
do similar work to that for which the Alabama was fitted out.
It would seem from the correspondence that the managers of the affairs
of Great Britain were not so anxious to encourage the South as Napoleon
was; at least they succeeded in concealing their purpose better. The
practical diplomacy of England in this affair was superior to that of
France, though the latter has still held the palm for possessing better
diplomatic plotters, who are supposed to have no superiors outside the
royal associations of the reigning power of Russia.
There is no doubt, however, that Napoleon was anxious to take positive
steps to recognize the South, while professing the most friendly
feelings in favor of the North, but he was afraid to act except in
unison with Great Britain, and he failed to bring her to time until the
favorable moment for the execution of his plans had passed.
Slidell and Mason went to Europe in January, 1862. This was perhaps the
darkest and most critical period for the cause of the Union during the
great struggle. The Commissioners carried letters with them showing the
inefficiency of the blockade of the Southern ports, the great
disadvantages and losses suffered by England and France through cutting
off the cotton supplies, and setting forth the enormous advantages that
would result if free trade with the Confederacy were established. These
were strong arguments to arouse the spirit of commercial selfishness in
favor of the South.
The ambitious designs of Napoleon were of a very towering and extensive
character. He not only expected to recover Louisiana, which his uncle in
an hour of necessity had sold to the United States, but he aimed at the
restoration of the entire old colonial empire of France on this
continent.
The Emperor was thoroughly posted in the affairs of this country. It
seems that while he had resided in a small room in Hoboken, and took his
meals at a twenty-five cent restaurant, paying for them with money
borrowed from French patriots, on the very slim prospect of reaching the