John Surratt's real parents?

[Thomas Thorne]

Re the quote cited by Laurie about the Catholic Church in the Civil War.

At first I thought the writer was Charles Chiniquy,ex priest and Lincoln law client who wrote about the president expressing fears of assassination by "crafty Jesuits."

As the entire quote Chiniquy put into Lincoln's mouth,truth notwithstanding,was 19th century prolixitive prose at its worst,so unlike Lincoln lean and spare use of English,I don't think Laurie's writer was Chiniquy as this unknown person wrote in a style that was closer to Lincoln's. The "arms of France" is a good one.

I am aware of Confederate expectation and Union dread of intervention By Britain and France . I am unaware of any Confederate belief in intervention by the Vatican. As the Pope was up to his ears with dealing with the House of Savoy over Italian unification, AL did not lose any sleep over what the Pope might do. And who precisely were the wealthy Catholics-and how many wealthy Catholics were there -who would lavish their money on the Confederacy because of their religious beliefs?
Tom