The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-24 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The abdication of the Emperor Maxi-
milian and his retreat from Mexico to Europe are
once more announced, and the statement is so in-
trinsically probable that we need not hesitate to ac-
cept it. It is probable, indeed, that the necessity
for this step, as revealed some time ago, has never
been really lessened, though the Emperor appears to
have struggled with much tenacity against the im-
pending extremity. He seems to have believed that
he could discharge his mission if he were adequately
supported, but circumstances combined to render
that support impracticable, and the result could not
evaded. The Empire of Mexico was a French Pro-
tectorate, and it collapsed when the protection was
withdrawn. The abandonment of this enterprise
does credit to the sense, though it may do some vio-
lence to the feelings, of Napoleon 111. It was not
in Mexico that the attempt miscarried, but in the
United States and in France itself. The armed re-
sistance of a native faction to the Imperial or any
other Government was a matter of certainty, nor
was this opposition, in fact, carried beyond the ex-
tent to be anticipated. The particular faction
ejected from power by the advance of the French
fell back upon the natural alternative of insurrec-
tion, but the rebellion would have proved no mate-
rial obstacle to the establishment of the new Admini-
stration had the original conditions of the expedition
been maintained. If America had been indifferent
and France favourable to the new Empire, the mere
brigandage perpetuated by Juarez and his partizans
would have been of little consequence. Sooner
at later civilisation would have prevailed, but the
very time that the United States, relieved
f
r
oa tone
m
the
distractions of their own Civil War, took
131.
pro-
nounced hoer
of menace, public opinion in France
nounced itself distinctly against the e him new
The prospects thus opened to Juarez gave From a
hopes and procured him fresh adherents. ,
ddenty became
baffled and despairing fugitive be enterprise.
suddenly
the Impe-
a successful patriot, winning townlding to report,
rialists, and gaining ground) Fe_ ved that he
every day. Still, it is not to be supsd agat even the
could have made effectual
himself in the capital
small French force in Mexico,
chatlce of actually establishinguld only have maintained
or that he had any
once more. At best, he
the Imperial Government;
a desultory strife in
material inconvenienceW Johnson soon relieved
but the policy of I:the:fen:toter provinces, without
that he should adhere to his
him of his foes.
Emperor Nap.olaonn
rTehae Americans required of the
and the wishes of the French
Withdrawing the French gar-
givenin
precisely the same direction. The
people pointed
detested the enterprise, and the Americans
raivsoonweadt iantentiorLL,
_French
cpndonned it. It could have been accomplished at
no
l dcost had the conditions
been
moavourare than 1
the calculated
bt
le , but it would have been impossible
to prosecute f.
against the obstacles arising both at
home
with courageous
abroad. So Maximilian, after struggling
resolution against his fate, at length
accepts it, and retires from the field. This step, if
there were no new party to the quarrel, would
simply replace Mexico in that condition of anarchy
ad barbarism from which the European expedition
had rescued her for a time. The French actually
succeeded in giving security to life and property,
in the capital but in many of the adjacent
a few of the high roads were really opened
and as much progress had been made
fnonrt districts
traffic,nnl y ;
in political organisation , as could reasonably be
anticipated. That more was not achieved was
owing, not to the strength or popularity of the in-
surgent faction, but to the growing misgivings of
the French, the protests of the Americans, and the
discouragement of the Imperial Administration.
What little, however, was done, would now, ex-
cept for a new intervention, be quickly undone.
Abandoned by the French, Mexico would fall once

-
more into the hands of native competitors for
the prize of power. Juarez, if he could seize
the government, would
into office, and those whomP
ass
he df ri
Eopino s sienssseudrrwecotuliodn
change places with him as patriots and rebels. W e
have no reason for supposing that Juarez would be
more successful than any other native Chief has
hitherto been iu similar circumstances. If he ac-
quired power, he would do so only at the cost of
desperate fighting, and on the condition of losing it
a few months afterwards ; and, indeed, it is this
notorious contingency which has suggested the next
movement in the affair. We are told that the United
States will now adopt the party of Juarez, just as
the French adopted that of his adversaries ; that
they will assume the Protectorate which the French
vacate, and re-enact the scenes of the last three
years with this simple change in the characters of
the piece. We have not yet any sufficient authority
for the fact, but it is not improbable nor in any way
to be deprecated. We only wish the declaimers
about Mexican " independence" to observe that in-
dependence is regarded as utterly impossible by all
parties alike. Either the Mexicans must be left to
rob and murder as before, or some strong Power
must interfere to take up one faction and put down
the other. The French took up Miramon and fought
Juarez ; the Americans will take up Juarez and fight
Miramon. If any spark of principle could be ima-
gined as lingering in a Mexican party, we might
rather rejoice at the promotion of the Liberals and
the defeat of the Absolutists ; but though the former
of these titles is claimed by the Juarists, and the
latter is attached to their opponents, it has hitherto
been impossible in practice to give one of these fac-
tions any preference over the other. Their rivalry
was that, not of political parties, but of jealous
brigands. Both grasped at power by the same means,
both employed it for the same purposes, nor did
either of them make the least approach to the duties
of responsible Governments. But though we can
hardly say that the Americans will have a more re-
spectable set of clients than the French, they will
have far greater facilities in conducting their cause.
They must needs intervene, as the French did, and by
force of arms ; but they can do this with greater
ease, to better purpose, and with fewer impedi-
ments. The intervention will be popular with the
nation, instead of unpopular ; it will be cheap, in-
stead of costly ; it will violate no "doctrine," and
provoke no protests. The Americans can, and pro-
bably will, do what the French both could and
would have done under more favourable circum-
stances. They will enter the country as the friends
of one of its factions, they will hunt the other
down, and they will thus render civilisation pos-
sible, and transform the community into an orga-
nised State. They will have this advantage, too,
in their proceedings—they will seem less like in-
vaders than their predecessors ; they will preserve
the name and form of a Mexican Republic, and
probably leave a native Mexican as its ostensible
head. But the measure itself will be the same as
before. It will be identical with that which all
Europe saw to be inevitable at the period of the ex-
pedition which we ourselves declined to prosecute,
.but which France adopted, and Spain was ready to
adopt. It will be intervention for the government of
a people who have proved utterly incapable of
governing themselves. It will be the establishment
of a foreign Protectorate in the place of a native
Administration, nominally independent, but ex-
pressing only anarchy and vi ,
violence • and as this will
be for the advantage of the world at large, we wish
the Americans a cheap bargain and speedy success.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

VICTORIA CLUB BETTING.-(THIS DAY.)
CROYDON METROPOLITAN STEEPLECHASE.
9 to 1 agst Globule (taken)
10 to 1 agst Astrolabe (taken)
100 to 7 agst Meanwood (taken)
15 to 1 eget Balder (taken)
15 to lagst Hornet (taken)
Very little betting.

SELECTIONS FOR, CROYDON STEEPLE-
CHASES.

The Stewards' Plate.—" Sporting Life:" Diomed or
King of Hearts. "Sportsman:" Flyfisher, King of Hearts,
or Diomed.

Croydon Cup.—" Bell's Life:" Cortolvin or Benazet.
" Sporting Life :" Flyfisher or Redwing. " Sportsman :"
Benazet. "Sporting Times:" Astrolabe, Cortolvin, or
Flyfisher.

South Country Hunt Cup.—" Sporting Life :" Zeloo o
Joco. ";Sportsman :" Zeloo or Joco.
Steeplechase Sweepstakes.—" Sporting Life:" Merrimac
or Flyfisher. "Sportsman:" Flyfishcr, Merrimac, or Ibex.
Grand Metropolitan Steeplechase.—" Life :" Daisy
nr Meauwood. " Era:" Globule or Meanwood. " Sporting
Life:" Hornet or Daisy. "Sportsman:" Shangarry, Hor-
net, Comborton, Sprite, and Milford (the pick). •'Sport-
iug Times:" Hornet, Sprite, or Globule.