Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/460

 454 Southern Historical Society Papers.

called to be their chief, who never betrayed their trust, but who was true in war, and has been true in peace — " who did not desert during the war and has not deserted since."

What true Confederate— what true citizen of any section of the country — can fail to join in the earnest prayer that Heaven's choicest blessings may rest upon that beautiful home at Beauvoir — that his last days may be his best days, and that he may finally rest in peace, wear "the fadeless crown of victory," and rejoice in the plaudit of the Great Captain — "Well done, good and faithful servant" — when he shall join Lee and Jackson and others of our Christian soldiers in that bright land where " war's rude alarms" are never heard?

Building Confederate Vessels in France.

[The following extract, from Captain Bullock's " Secret Service of the Confederate States in Europe," gives a very interesting account of Frencli duplicit)' in this matter:]

I have always understood that when the proposition to raise a loan in Europe was first broached, the Confederate government was not greatly impressed with the scheme, and was somewhat reluctant to accept the offer of the bankers who proposed to undertake the nego- tiation. After some discussion, it was, however, determined to make the experiment with the moderate amount of /^3, 000,000. The financial enterprise was undertaken by Messrs. Erlanger, of Frank- fort and Paris, and they managed the transaction with great skill and ability. When the prospectus was issued there was a prompt and gratifying response. In a very short time the amount subscribed was ;^i 5,000,000, or five times the amount wanted, and it was thought that a much larger sum still would have been offered if it had been applied for. The financial agents of the Confederate government lamented their inability to issue bonds for the whole amount offered, but, looking back upon the transaction now, al) must feel gratified that the loss to the European public was limited to the smaller figures.

The necessities of the financial situation defined the extent of our naval operations in France, and on the i6th of July, 1863, I closed a contract with M. L. Arman for two ironclad vessels of the dimensions and power afore-mentioned. About a fortnight after the completion