Secession Tricks in Europe.
The last attempt made by Bennett in the way of shifting the brunt of a rebuff upon the ‘"rebels"’ is really desperate. He says:‘ The Paris correspondence of the Times and other London journals has statements to the effect that offers of large pay and liberal out fit have been made by our Government to officers of the French artillery to induce them to serve in the Federal army. These reaccompanied by the assertion that the Emperor has refused permission to applicants to enter our service.
There is not a word of truth in either of these statements. Application has not been made in a single instance on the part of our Government to any officer in the service of France. It is equally untrue that the Emperor has issued an order, the only effect of which would be to give gratuitous offence.--The object of these lies is plain. They are part and parcel of the machinery by which the rebel agents in Europe are trying to prejudice the Union cause. It is notorious that they are lavishing money freely on all the members of the English and French press who can be thus approached. Hence the extraordinary statements and rumors with which the Paris correspondence of the London papers is constantly filled, and the outrageous mendacity of which can be accounted for in no other way.
The only foundation that can be traced for the stories in question is the fact that applications have been made to foreign officers by the rebel commissioners, and that they have been probably met by a prohibition issued by the French War Department. It has been found convenient to pervert this into a rebuff of the Federal Government, so as to produce an effect in England. These devices, however, cannot remain long unexposed. The Northern journals by their constantly reiterated complaints that some of the best of our own officers remain unemployed, will soon convince the world of their untruthfulness. Never at any time during the present war have we stood in need of the aid which we are represented to be applying for. We have sufficient well-trained officers of our own, even without the foreign assistance which is daily offering itself, to out-match the best scientific ability which the rebels can bring into the field. The difficulty with us has been to get all the military talent employed. The politicians have hitherto stood in its way; but the repeated misfortunes which our arms have encountered, are putting them back in their places, and are bringing forward the men called for by the exigencies of the times. Until our supply of these is exhausted, there is no need of our sending round begging for officers to head our armies.
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