The Slidells In Paris
Oorrespoudence oí' tUo N. Y. Herald. Paris, May 20. ( I stated in my last letter that, sioce 1 tlie report from M. Mcrcicr and his j ney to Richmond, John Slidell had had j auother interview with the Emperor. I knew then the fact to be as stated, but ' had not learned the particulars, which ' have siuce beon given. and aro from a ] source which renders thera perfectly reliable, and which are of a character to enhanea the importauce of the interview itself. 1 In order to make the matter fully 1 derstood, I must give you an idea of i sonic of the habits of the Slidell family. ] Since thny moved into their apartments in the Champs Elysees, every Thursday evening has been devoted to receptions, ( which have been attended by all 1 able southerners in Paris (and some, 1 ïaps, who would not strictly be entitled o that denomination,) as well as by a considerable nuinber of Preneh families Mm. Slidell and her daughters, however, ' iave had it distinctly understood that i hey make no calis, and, while happy to ee all their friends, rotura no visits and i go nowhero, alleging as their roason the reseut inelancholy and dilapidated ' [ition of " the couatry," which they i ire to represent at this court, and which t nelancholy and dilapidated condition is ( upposod to cause thein to shed so many uetaphorical tears that they would not ook well in society. The result has been ( rhat, with very rare exceptions, tbey have i not visited at all. ] Well, on the evening in quostion, last I week, the Minister of the Interior - the üount de Persigny - gave one of his ( ' private receptions," distinguished from a ! )ublic reception by the fact of none beiog jresent except upou invitation. A card vas sent to Mr. Slidell the day before, requesting his presenee ; but ho sent an ' excuse, and did not coiné. ; In the course of the eveuing, however, ihe Oount de Persigny ordered up his carriage, and, getting into it, went , self to Mr. Slidell's residence, and sent ' word up to hiin tbat it was a matter of the greatest importanco that ho should i como. Mr. Slidell got into the carriage with Persigny, and drove to his dence, whero the " Ambassador" fouud a considerable assemblage of the very ïighest personages of Paris, and among ' thein no less important an individual i than his Majesty Nopoleon the Third, with whom it is said Mr. Slidell sat in , a corner and chatted for nearly an hour. This was only a day or two before the : departure of Persigny for England, whither it ia supposed he has gone upon Dusiness connected with American affairs - either ours or those of Mexico. I should like to be able to inform you what the Emperor said to Slidell, and am sorry that it is not in my power ; out we begin to believe hero that the idea of intorvention on the part of his Majesty has asaumed a new form, and that uia niediation will be used, if used at all, to induce the rebels to lay dowu their arms and relinquish a struggle which is daily growing moro hopeless. The Slidells are doing everything in their power to creato and keep up a sympathy for the ' persecuted South," and set exauiples of self denial and suffering which are rearly wonderful. When they first caine to Paris the original idea was to make a " splurge ;" and with this object among other things a magnificent equipage was purchased, and three livery servauts employed to assist at the afternoon drives of Mrs. and the Misses Slidell, in the avenue do rimperatrice. In a short time, however, tha tacties were changed, and Miss Slidell (the young lady who boasted of her heroic feat of striking Lieutenant Fairfax) insistod upou the replacing of the splendid equipugo by a much more modest one, which was actually done, and the southeru sympathisers were told thut the reason of this was that the family of the " Ambassador," feeling so keenly the suffeiings of their brethoreu at homo, did not think it right to spend inoney on so much show.
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