the day of the confederacy-第18节

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September；　Sherman；　victorious；　entered　Atlanta。



Chapter　VIII。　A　Game　Of　Chance

With　dramatic　completeness　in　the　summer　and　autumn　of　1864；　the
foundations　of　the　Confederate　hope　one　after　another　gave　way。
Among　the　causes　of　this　catastrophe　was　the　failure　of　the
second　great　attempt　on　the　part　of　the　Confederacy　to　secure
recognition　abroad。　The　subject　takes　us　back　to　the　latter　days
of　1862；　when　the　center　of　gravity　in　foreign　affairs　had
shifted　from　London　to　Paris。　Napoleon　III；　at　the　height　of　his
strange　career；　playing　half　a　dozen　dubious　games　at　once；　took
up　a　new　pastime　and　played　at　intrigue　with　the　Confederacy。　In
October　he　accorded　a　most　gracious　interview　to　Slidell。　He
remarked　that　his　sympathies　were　entirely　with　the　South　but
added　that；　if　he　acted　alone；　England　might　trip　him　up。　He
spoke　of　his　scheme　for　joint　intervention　by　England；　France；
and　Russia。　Then　he　asked　why　we　had　not　created　a　navy。　Slidell
snapped　at　the　bait。　He　said　that　the　Confederates　would　be　glad
to　build　ships　in　France；　that　〃if　the　Emperor　would　give　only
some　kind　of　verbal　assurance　that　the　police　would　not　observe
too　closely　when　we　wished　to　put　on　guns　and　men　we　would　gladly
avail　ourselves　of　it。〃　To　this；　the　imperial　trickster　replied；
〃Why　could　you　not　have　them　built　as　for　the　Italian　Government？
I　do　not　think　it　would　be　difficult　but　will　consult　the
Minister　of　Marine　about　it。〃

Slidell　left　the　Emperor's　presence　confident　that　things　would
happen。　And　they　did。　First　came　Napoleon's　proposal　of
intervention；　which　was　declined　before　the　end　of　the　year　by
England　and　Russia。　Then　came　his　futile　overtures　to　the
Government　at　Washington；　his　offer　of　mediationwhich　was
rejected　early　in　1863。　But　Slidell　remained　confident　that
something　else　would　happen。　And　in　this　expectation　also　he　was
not　disappointed。　The　Emperor　was　deeply　involved　in　Mexico　and
was　busily　intriguing　throughout　Europe。　This　was　the　time　when
Erlanger；　standing　high　in　the　favor　of　the　Emperor；　made　his
gambler's　proposal　to　the　Confederate　authorities　about　cotton。
Another　of　the　Emperor's　friends　now　enters　the　play。　On　January
7；　1863；　M。　Arman；　of　Bordeaux；　〃the　largest　shipbuilder　in
France；〃　had　called　on　the　Confederate　commissioner：　M。　Arman
would　be　happy　to　build　ironclad　ships　for　the　Confederacy；　and
as　to　paying　for　them；　cotton　bonds　might　do　the　trick。

No　wonder　Slidell　was　elated；　so　much　so　that　he　seems　to　have
given　little　heed　to　the　Emperor's　sinister　intimation　that　the
whole　affair　must　be　subterranean。　But　the　wily　Bonaparte　had　not
forgotten　that　six　months　earlier　he　had　issued　a　decree　of
neutrality　forbidding　Frenchmen　to　take　commissions　from　either
belligerent　〃for　the　armament　of　vessels　of　war　or　to　accept
letters　of　marque；　or　to　cooperate　in　any　way　whatsoever　in　the
equipment　or　arming　of　any　vessel　of　war　or　corsair　of　either
belligerent。〃　He　did　not　intend　to　abandon　publicly　this　cautious
attitudeat　least；　not　for　the　present。　And　while　Slidell　at
Paris　was　completely　taken　in；　the　cooler　head　of　A。　Dudley　Mann；
Confederate　commissioner　at　Brussels；　saw　what　an　international
quicksand　was　the　favor　of　Napoleon。　It　was　about　this　time　that
Napoleon；　having　dispatched　General　Forey　with　a　fresh　army　to
Mexico；　wrote　the　famous　letter　which　gave　notice　to　the　world　of
what　he　was　about。　Mann　wrote　home　in　alarm　that　the　Emperor
might　be　expected　to　attempt　recovering　Mexico's　ancient　areas
including　Texas。　Slidell　saw　in　the　Forey　letter　only　〃views。。。
which　will　not　be　gratifying　to　the　Washington　Government。〃

The　adroit　Arman；　acting　on　hints　from　high　officers　of　the
Government；　applied　for　permission　to　build　and　arm　ships　of　war；
alleging　that　he　intended　to　send　them　to　the　Pacific　and　sell
them　to　either　China　or　Japan。　To　such　a　laudable　expression　of
commercial　enterprise；　one　of　his　fellows　in　the　imperial　ring；
equipped　with　proper　authority　under　Bonaparte；　hastened　to　give
official　approbation；　and　Erlanger　came　forward　by　way　of
financial　backer。　There　were　conferences　of　Confederate　agents；
contracts　were　signed；　plans　were　agreed　upon；　and　the　work　was
begun。

There　was　no　more　hopeful　man　in　the　Confederate　service　than
Slidell　when；　in　the　full　flush　of　pride　after　Chancellorsville；
he　appealed　to　the　Emperor　to　cease　waiting　on　other　powers　and
recognize　the　Confederacy。　Napoleon　accorded　another　gracious
interview　but　still　insisted　that　it　was　impossible　for　him　to
act　alone。　He　said　that　he　was　〃more　fully　convinced　than　ever　of
the　propriety　of　a　general　recognition　by　the　European　powers　of
the　Confederate　States　but　that　the　commerce　of　France　and　the
interests　of　the　Mexican　expedition　would　be　jeopardized　by　a
rupture　with　the　United　States〃　and　unless　England　would　stand
by　him　he　dared　not　risk　such　an　eventuality。　In　point　of　fact；
he　was　like　a　speculator　who　is　〃hedging〃　on　the　stock　exchange；
both　buying　and　selling；　and　trying　to　make　up　his　mind　on　which
cast　to　stake　his　fortune。　At　the　same　time　he　threw　out　once
more　the　sinister　caution　about　the　ships。　He　said　that　the
ships　might　be　built　in　France　but　that　their　destination　must
be　concealed。

That　Napoleon's　choice　just　then；　if　England　had　supported　him；
would　have　been　recognition　of　the　Confederacy；　cannot　be
doubted。　The　tangle　of　intrigue　which　he　called　his　foreign
policy　was　not　encouraging。　He　was　deeply　involved　in　Italian
politics；　where　the　daring　of　Garibaldi　had　reopened　the　struggle
between　clericals　and　liberals。　In　France　itself　the　struggle
between　parties　was　keen。　Here；　as　in　the　American　imbroglio；　he
found　it　hard　to　decide　with　which　party　to　break。　The　chimerical
scheme　of　a　Latin　empire　in　Mexico　was　his　spectacular　device　to
catch　the　imagination；　and　incidentally　the　pocketbook；　of
everybody。　But　in　order　to　carry　out　this　enterprise　he　must　be
able　to　avert　or　withstand　the　certain　hostility　of　the　United
States。　Therefore；　as　he　told　Slidell；　〃no　other　power　than
England　possessed　a　sufficient　navy〃　to　pull　his　chestnuts　out
of　the　fire。　The　moment　was　auspicious；　for　there　was　a　revival
of　the　〃Southern　party〃　in　England。　The　sailing　of　the　Alabama　
from　Liverpool　during　the　previous　summer　had　encouraged　the
Confederate　agents　and　their　British　friends　to　undertake
further　shipbuilding。

While　M。　Arman　was　at　work　in　France；　the　Laird　Brothers　were　at
work　in　England　and　their　dockyards　contained　two　ironclad　rams
supposed　to　outclass　any　vessels　of　the　United　States　navy。
Though　every　effort　had　been　made　to　keep　secret　the　ultimate
destination　of　these　rams；　the　vigilance　of　the　United　States
minister；　reinforced　by　the　zeal　of　the　〃Northern　party；〃
detected　strong　circumstantial　evidence　pointing　toward　a
Confederate　contract　with　the　Lairds。　A　popular　agitation　ensued
along　with　demands　upon　the　Government　to　investigate。　To　mask
the　purposes　of　the　Lairds；　Captain　James　Bullock；　the　able
special　agent　of　the　Confederate　navy；　was　forced　to　fall　lack
upon　the　same　tactics　that　were　being　used　across　the　Channel；
and　to　sell　the　rams；　on　paper；　to　a　firm　in　France。　Neither　he
nor　Slidell　yet　appreciated　what　a　doubtful　refuge　was　the　shadow
of　Napoleon's　wing。

Nevertheless　the　British　Government；　by　this　time　practically
alined　with　the　North；　continued　its　search　for　the　real　owner　of
the　Laird　rams。　The　〃Southern　party；〃　however；　had　not　quite
given　up　hope；　and　the　agitation　to　prevent　the　sailing　of　the
rams　was　a　keen　spur　to　its　flagging　zeal。　Furthermore　the
prestige　of　Lee　never　was　higher　than　it　was　in　June；　1863；　when
the　news　of　Chancellorsville　was　still　fresh　and　resounding　in
every　mind。　It　had　given　new　life　to　the　Confederate　hope：　Lee
would　take　Washington　before　the　end　of　the　summer；　the　Laird
rams　would　go　to　sea；　the　Union　would　be　driven　to　the　wall。　So
reasoned　the　ardent　friends　of　the　South。　But　one　thing　was
lackinga　European　alliance。　What　a　time　for　England　to
intervene！

While　Slidell　was　talking　with　the　Emperor；　he　had　in　his　pocket
a　letter　from　J。　A。　Roebuck；　an　English　politician　who　wished　to
force　the　issue　in　the　House　of　Commons。　As　a　preliminary　to
moving　the　recognition　of　the　Confederacy；　he　wanted　authority　to
deny　a　rumor　going　the　rounds　in　London；　to　the　effect　that
Napoleon　had　taken　position　against　intervention。　Napoleon；　when
he　had　seen　the　letter；　began　a　negotiation　of　some　sort　with
this　politician。　It　is　needless　to　enter　into　the　complications
that　ensued；　the　subsequent　recriminations；　and　the　question　as
to　just　what　Napoleon　promised　at　this　time　and　how　many　of　his
promises　he　broke。　He　was　a　diplomat　of　the　old　school；　the
school　of　lying　as　a　fine　art。　He　permitted　Roebuck　to　come　over
to　Paris　for　an　audience；　and　Roebuck　went　away　with　the
impression　that　Napoleon　could　be　relied　upon　to　back　up　a　new
movement　for　recognition。　When；　however；　Roebuck　brought　the
matter　before　the　Commons　at　the　end　of　the　month　and　encountered
an　opposition　from　the　Government　that　seemed　to　imply　an
understanding　with　Napoleon　which　was　different　from　h