The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-15 00:00:00

The Archduke Maximilian and Mexico,

(REUTERS EXPRESS.)
VIENNA, AUG. 11.
The Press of to-day publishes the following
article, headed " A new Imperial Crown for Haps-
burg :

" We wish to speak to-day not of a German
empire but, as we hasten to add, in order to tran-
quillise the minor German States, of the Imperial
Crown of Mexico which, according to a despatch
from that country, is now really destined for an
Austrian archduke. We have long been opposed to
the idea of a member of the Imperial House of
Austria being brought into connection with the
Mexican expedition of the Emperor of the French.
Unfortunately the statement has appeared recently
in so decided a form, that we are compelled to ex-
amine the question seriously.
"A few days after the entry of the French into
the old Mexican capital, General Forey, the com-
mander of the expedition, instituted by a decree
a supreme Government Junta of 30 members,
which was charged among other things to form an
Assembly of Notables, and with this object to bring
together 215 Mexican citizens of all classes.'
This assembly was to discuss the future form of go-
vernment for Mexico, and a majority of two-thirds
would be necessary to give their decisions the cha-
racter of law. It can easily be imagined what sort
of persons this assembly is composed of when
Almonte stands at the head of the committee to
which Gen. Forey provisionally gave executive
authority. In all States there have been found at all
times traitors, who, in the event of a foreign inva-
sion, have gone over to the enemy of their country's
independence. What is looked upon in Europe as
the greatest political crime cannot possibly be a
praiseworthy action in Mexico. The 215 fellows
who, called together by a Forey, have proclaimed
Mexico an empire and offered the Crown to an
Austrian prince, are entirely, irrespective of their
belonging to the ultra-clerical party, no more de-
serving respect than Liborio Romano and his com-
panions in Naples, who betrayed their country to
Piedmont.

" But the event is not on that account less worthy
of remark. The Mexican Assembly, in its vote on
Mexico's future form of government, and in its de-
cision to offer the Imperial Crown to the Archduke
Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria, followed, not in
its own promptings, but those of Almonte and
Forey, who, in inspiring them in this manner, cer-
tainly acted in accordance with instructions from
the Tuileries. But the Emperor Napoleon does not
give such instructions without being tolerably sure
of hid object.

"The Mexican Crown could not, therefore, have
been declined at the commencement in a sufficiently
decided and categorical manner by those for whom
Napoleon 111. destined it, if this incredible affair
how turns out to bo a fact.

" The Paris papers of to-day already announce
that the Emperor and Empress have congratulated
the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian upon the Im-
perial Crown which he has been offered. They may
possibly consider it a subject for congratulation to
obtain possession of a Crown in a country like Mexico
in such a manner. But we believe ourselves express-
ing the opinion of the Austrian people when we
frankly declare that every man in this country will
think the acceptance of the Crown by the archduke
rather a fatality than good fortune. A fatality, we
say, for it would be nothing else if an Austrian
prince should ever think in earnest of accepting a
crown at the hands of one of the Napoleons. No-
thing similar occurred at the time of Germany's
deepest humiliation through Napoleon I.; and shall
constitutional Austria of to-day condescend to what
absolutism would not stoop? And what a crown !
The French invaded Mexico without plausible
ground, treading under foot the independence of
the people of which they are constantly talking;
and, after shedding streams of blood, have occupied
the Mexican capital, followed by the curses of a
nation hitherto proud of its self-dependence. Should
a prince of constitutional Austria take his seat upon
a throne thus forcibly erected upon blood and tears ?
As compensation, perhaps, for the pearl broken out
of the Austrian Crown in 1859 ? Or as a present,
to hold us harmless for future eventualities of a
similar sort ? The more we occupy ourselves with
these reflections the more incredible, adventurous,
unacceptable, and monstrous appears to us this
latest attention offered to Austria by the Court of
Napoleon."

The article concludes in the folloiving terms:—
" Although the idea of ruling the ancient realm of
the Aztecs may not be without a poetical charm for
romantic temperaments, we believe the times are
past when fancies of this character suffice to com-
promise the policy of great States, and plunge it
into immeasurable intricacies. We hope, therefore,
that this time the reply of Austria to the offer,
through Paris, of the Mexican notables will be a
decisive refusal. Once for all, we trust an end will
now be put to an intrigue having no further object
than to remove the disgrace of the Mexican expedi-
tion—that crime against an independent nation—
from the shoulders of France to those of Austria,
and to cover the abyss of the dirty speculations of
the banker Jecker and his precious associates in
France and Mexico with the glorious name of an
Austrian prince."