Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward
Sir. The rebels are so fruitful of schemes of all sorts, and are so apt to be elated by the very last one, notwithstanding all preceding it have failed, that your communication in your despatch No. 1245, of the 23d of January, did not surprise me. The theory broached in the article of the Richmond Sentinel is not novel in my experience in London. I saw it long ago gravely put forth in the columns of an evening paper, as communicated by a correspondent by the name of Cowell; and it has, from time to time, been brought up in the editorial department ever since. The Richmond correspondent of the Times tried it once in that paper. It has made no impression whatever. The device will go the way of its thousand and one predecessors, to oblivion. I was gravely informed the other day that it was reported to be a notion held by Lord Russell. If so, he has taken good care to give no hint of it either in his language or his action. Whatever he may hold as a theory, I have some reason from him to believe that he does not expect that it or anything far stronger will avail the insurgents for long.
There has been another rumor started since, which has been used for a few days to sustain the public confidence in the cotton loan. This is connected with the appearance of Mr. Gwin in Mexico, and the story that he was to be the viceroy of the Emperor Napoleon, who was to receive from Maximilian the cession of the northern States.
The hope here has been that this news, when circulated in the United States, may prompt some hasty and violent conduct in Congress or among the people which will embroil us with the French natio a. Of course you will receive more accurate information with respect to this matter from the proper source in France than I can give. But my conviction is that it is a bugbear worked out of the usual thin materials.
The capacity of these men for the intriguing portion of politics is marvellous.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William. H. Seward. &c., &c., &c.