The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-25 00:00:00

France and the United States.

The following are the despatches of Mr. Seward to the
French Minister at Washington and the American Minis-
ter at Paris on the subject of the French intervention in

Mexico :

"MR SEWARD TO THE MARQUIS DE MONTHOLON.
"Department of State, Washington,
Dec. 6, 1865.
_ .

Sir,—Having made known to the President tho Empe-
ror's views on Mexican affairs which you communicated
to me on the 29th ult., I have now the honour to inform
you of the disposition of this Government in regard to the
same subject. It seems proper, however, for me to say in
the first place, that what I have to communicate has been
already fully made known to Mr. Bigelow, with authority,
in his discretion, to impart the same to M. Drouyn de
Lhuys.

" The effect of the Emperor's suggestions, when they are
reduced to a practical shape, seems to be this : That France
is willing to retire from Mexico as soon as she may ; but
that it would be inconvenient for her, without first receiv-
ing from the United States an assurance of a friendly or
tolerant disposition to the Power which has assumed to
itself an imperial form in the capital city of Mexico. The
President is gratified with the assurance you have thus
given of the Emperor's good disposition. I regret, how-
ever, to be obliged to say that the condition the Emperor
suggests is one which seems quite impracticable.
" It is true, indeed, that the presence of foreign armies
in an adjacent country could not under any circumstances
but cause uneasiness and anxiety on the part of this Go-
vernment. It creates for us expenses which aro inconve-
nient, not to speak of dangers of collision. Nevertheless,
I cannot but infer from the tenour of your communication
that the principal cause of the discontent prevailing in the
United States in regard to Mexico is not fully apprehended
by the Emperor's Government. The chief cause is not
that there is a foreign army in Mexico ; much less does
that discontent arise from the circumstance that that
foreign army is a French ono. We recognise the right of
sovereign nations to carry on war with each other if they
do not invade our right or menace our safety or just in-
fluence. The real cause of our national discontent is that
the French army which is now in Mexico is invading a
domestic republican Government there which was estab-
lished by her people, and with whom the United States
sympathise most profoundly, for the avo wed purpose of
suppressing it, and establishing upon its ruins a foreign
monarchical government, whose presence there, so long as
it should endure, could not but be regarded by the people
of the United States as injurious and menacing to their
own chosen and endeared republican institutions.
" I admit that the United States do not feel themselves
called upon to make a war of propagandism throughout the
world, or even on this continent, in the republican cause.
We have sufficient faith in the eventual success of that
cause on this Continent, through the operation of existing
material and moral causes, to induce us to acquiesce in the
condition of things which we found existing here while our
our Republic was receiving its shape and development. On
the other hand, we have constantly maintained, and still
feel bound to maintain, that the people of every State on the
American Continent have a right to secure for themselves a
republican Government if they choose, and that interfer-
ence by foreign States to prevent the enjoyment of such in-
stitutions deliberately established is wrongful, and in its
effects antagonistical to the free and popular form of Go-
vernment existing in the United States. We should think
it wrong as well as unwise on the part of the United States
to attempt to subvert by force monarchical Governments
in Europe, for the purpose of replacing them with repub-
lican institutions. It seems to us equally objectionable

that European States should forcibly intervene in States
situated on this Continent to overthrow republican institu-
tions, and replace them with monarchies or empires.
"Having thus frankly stated our position, I leave the
questions for the consideration of France, sincerely hoping
that that great nation may find it compatible with its bast
interests and its high honour to withdraw from its aggres-
sive attitude in Mexico, within some convenient and rea-
sonable time, and thus leave the people of that country to
the free enjoyment of the system of republican Government
which they have• established for themselves, and of their
adherence to which they have given what seems to the
United States to be decisive and conclusive as well as very
touching proofs. I am, sir, the more inclined to hope for
such a solution of the difficulty for the reason that when, at
any time within the last four years, the question has been
asked of any American statesman, or even of any American
citizen, what country in Europe was the one which was
the least likely to experience an alienation of the friendship
of the United States, answer was promptly given—France.
Friendship with France has always been deemed important
and peculiarly agreeable by the American people. Every
American citizen deems it no less important and desirable
for the future than for the past.
"The President will be pleased to be informed of the re-
ception which the Emperor gives to the suggestions which
I have now made.

" Accept, Sir, the renewed assurances of my very high
consideration. . " IVILLIAm H. SEWARD."

"Mn. SEWARD TO MR. BIOELOW.
"Department of State, Washington, Dec. 16, 1865.
"Sir,—Your despatch of the 30th of November, No.
209, was duly received, and it has been submitted to the
President.

" Your proceeding in reading my despatch, No. 300, to
M. Drouyn de Lhuys is approved. The genial tenour of
the remarks made by you to the Minister of Foreign Af-
fairs on that occasion is likewise approved. It is not the
Executive Department of this Government alone which is
interested and concerned in the question whether the pre-
sent condition of affairs shall be continued in Mexico. The
interest is a national one, and in every event the Con-
gress which is now in Session is authorised by the Consti-
tution and is entitled to direct by law the action of the
United States in regard to that important subject. It has
been the President's purpose that France should be respect-
fully informed upon two points, namely :
" First—That the United States earnestly desire to con-
tinue and cultivate sincere relations with France.

"Second—That this policy would be brought into immi-
nent jeopardy unless France could deem it consistent with
her interests and honour to desist from the prosecution of
armed intervention in Mexico to overthrow the domestic
republican Government existing there, and to establish
upon its ruins the foreign Monarchy which has been at-
tempted to be inaugurated in the capital of that country.
"In answer to an exposition of our views which was
thus made, the suggestion was offered to you by M.
Drouyn de Lhuys that the Government of the United
States might favour the express desire of the Emperor to
withdraw from Mexico by giving him some formal assur-
ance that, in the event of his withdrawal, this Government
would recognise the institution of Maximilian in Mexico
as defacto a political Power. It was my desire, in framing
the despatch No. 300, to express in behalf of the United
States a decision that the recognition which the Emperor
has thus suggested cannot be mado, and to assign, by way
of explanation, the grounds upon which that decision was
based. I have carefully considered the arguments against
that decision which were presented to you by M. Drouyn
de Lhuys in the interview referred to, and I do not find
in them any sufficient reason for modifying the views
which the United States have expressed. It remains now
only to make known to M. Drouyn da Lhuys my profound
regret that ho has thought it his duty to leave the subject,
in his conversation with you, in a condition that does not
authorise an expectation on our part that a satisfactory
adjustment of the case can be effected on any basis that
thus far has been discovered.—l am, Sir, your obedient
servant, " W. H. SEWARD."
"John Bigelow, Esq., &c.

.Aubrey de Vere on Fenianism.