The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-27 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAYi JULY 27, 1867

The Atlantic Telegraph brings us news that the
body of the Emperor MAXIMILIAN has been em-
balmed, and has been brought to Vera Cruz, so
that the family and friends of the gallant but un-

fortunate Prince will at least have the consolation
of receiving his remains. Possibly JUAREZ has
already seen reason to repent his crime, and per-
ceives that it was a political blunder. In spite of
the bombast which tells us that Mexico has attracted
the attention and admiration of the world—in spite
of the approval of such men as STEVENS and
CHANDLER in the American Congress—JUAßEZ
must have sufficiently ample sources of information
to be well aware of the effect produced by the
execution of MAXIMILIAN in Europe and America.
If he wants substantial assistance, the noisy orators
of the House of Representatives will not be able to
grant it. Notwithstanding all their encroachments
on the Constitution, the PRESIDENT is still Com-
mander-in-Chief, and the Washington Cabinet, so
far from approving of the establishment of a reign
of terror iu Mexico, is known to favour active
intervention. The inclinations of the masses
of the people in the States have long pointed towards
Mexico, and it is more than probable that some
part at least of Mexico will be incorporated with its
more powerful neighbour. The Mexicans them-
selves seem only too likely to afford an excuse for
interference by the barbarity of their conduct. If
the advices received yesterday in New York be
true, the same savage spirit of slaughter continues
to prevail, for ten more Imperialist Generals have
been shot by the victorious party. Such a state of
things can scarcely be suffered to continue in the
midst of a civilised continent. Stern and
even cruel reprisals may be a natural
part of civil war, and much may be inevitable in
the heat of conflict which the principal parties
themselves may subsequently regret, but the con-
dition of lawlessness and desolation to which Mexico
is reduced, the brutalities committed with official
sanction, the total insecurity of life and property
which has completely desolated the State, combine
to form a picture of such horror and such danger
that few can regard it unmoved. If the American
people favour the idea of armed intervention in
Mexico an excuse will not long be wanting. If
the treatment of SANTA ANNA does not afford it
there will be plenty of other opportunities. The
lives and property of American citizens in Mexico
are endangered by the turbulence of the factious,
while the Juarists seem bent on disregarding all the
recognised laws of modern warfare. The execution
of MAXIMILIAN, so far from putting a stop to the
strife which has lately raged so hotly, has only
given it fresh vigour, and will probably tend to the
ultimate discomfiture of the very party who sanc-
tioned it.

Meanwhile, in tha States, there is plenty of
civil discordance. The Senate has passed the Sup-
plementary Reconstruction Bill in all its mischievous
entirety by 31 votes against 6, and the House of
Representatives by 111 against 30. The relative
strength of the parties is not to be altogether cal-
culated from these figures, as some of the Demo-
crats have held aloof this Session under the im-
pression that it would be better to allow the full
stigma of dangerous and unconstitutional legisla-
tion to rest upon the opposite party. This is in
some respects a mistake, as they might have
exercised some influence in checking the wholesale
subversion of the Constitution by the Radicals. At
any rate, they have suffered the Congress to look
upon the Presidential veto, as on the Supplemental
Reconstruction Bill, as a mere matter of course, to
be overridden with as little delay as possible. The
cautions of the Secretary to the Treasury have
failed to teach the dominant party circumspection.
Congress appropriated $1,000,000 for the execution
of the Reconstruction Act. The PRESIDENT has
sent a message to the Senate, quietly informing them
that it will require theappropriation of $14,000,000!
He advises Congress to consider whether by abro-
gating the civil Governments in ten States, the Na-
tional Government will not become responsible for

the debts of those States, incurred before the rebel-
lion, which amount to $100,000,000. The refusal
of Congress to guarantee those debts would,
says the PRESIDENT, be a violation of good
faith and a repudiation of the legal State debts
by the National Legislature. Here is unwelcome
news for New England I One hundred million
dollars added to the National Debt will not be
pleasant news for the tax-payers, while injury
to the national credit would be inflicted by
the repudiation of these State debts, which the
North cannot refuse to recognise like the rebel
debt, as they call it, incurred during the war.
The Radicals, however, are restrained by no such
ordinary considerations as money or credit, and it
is difficult to see what can arrest their headlong
course, unless the common sense of the country
can really be aroused to reduce them from their
present mischievous supremacy.

The sad fate of the Abyssinian captives has for
so long a period occupied attention that it is no
wonder that particular allusion should be made to
it. Last night the subject engaged the notice of
the House of Commons for some time, and great
interest was excited by its consideration. Mr. H.
SEY3IOUR moved an address to her MAJESTY pray-
ing that steps might be taken to release these un-
fortunate captives by force of arms if necessary.
The hon. member entered at great length into the
question, which indeed is a very complicated one,
and considered the many objections that bad been
made as to the sending out an expedition on account
of the dangers that will be incurred, and the risk
of precipitating the death of the sufferers, added to
which are the expenses of such an expedition. That
he declared to be greatly overrated, and he con-
sidered that the correct mode to adopt was to send
an ultimatum to demand their release within a given
period, and- then if this demand be not complied
with, to despatch an armed force, which he declared
might speedily reach King THEODORE. After some
other remarks form Sir H. RAwLINSON, to the effect
that it was quite impossible to put up any longer
with the indignity King THEODORE put upon us,
Mr. LAYARD said that he had hitherto been against
such an expedition as that now discussed ; lie was
now strongly of opinion that it must take place,
because there was no other means left of rescuing
the captives. Lord STANLEY made a long speech,
in the course of which he gave satisfactory explana-
tions regarding the affair, though he very wisely
refused to pledge the Government to the adoption
of a particular course.

The noble lord assured the House that almost
from the first day that the present Government
came in until now the question of what could be
done about those unfortunate captives had occupied
Of course it is idle now to take a re-
trospective glance, and inquire as to whether or
not it was wise to have sent a mission to Abyssinia.
That was done for the best, and, as the noble lord
very truly said, the detention of these ill-fated in-
dividuals was an event quite out of ordinary calcu-
lation. In his usually practical style Lord STANLEY
summed up the arguments upon the topic, by say-
ing that " our business now is to get those men out,
and if that can be done I imagine that there will be
very little inclination on the part of the House or
of the Government to trouble themselves further
with Abyssinian politics." As to the means
whereby their liberation can be effected there
are two, conciliation and force, and it
is unquestionably wiser to try the former
just before resorting to the latter, The reason

attention.