RINGING MAXIMILIAN'S DEATH KNELL.

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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, Maximillian. 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 protegé. 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, Tallyrand 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

EUROPEAN INVADERS FRUSTRATED.

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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

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.

WH

HILE 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,