If in Arms they will be pursued, if not in Arms their discontent will cause but little embarrassment to their Conquerors.

But can the country be held permanently by the U.S.Armies if the Confederates have small bodies in Arms resisting the authority of the U.S.

Congress?
Any facts shewing the strength or weakness of the Union feeling in the South will be of great value in forming a judgment on the final issue." Seward, in conversation with Lyons, had said that to avoid public misconceptions a newspaper statement would be prepared on Mercier's trip.

This appeared May 6, in the New York _Times_, the paper more closely Seward's "organ" than any other throughout the war, representing Mercier as having gone to Richmond by order of Napoleon and with Lincoln's approval to urge the Confederates to surrender and to encourage them to expect favourable terms.

Lyons commented on this article that the language attributed to Mercier was "not very unlike that which he intended to hold," but that in fact he had not used it[603].