The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-14 00:00:00

France Wants a Settlement.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says :—Among the
various official papers relating to the Mexican mys-
tery which have lately been made public is a series
of despatches from the French Minister, bearing
date from January 14 to February 16. They show
the trouble in which the Emperor has been placed
by his interference in the affairs in America, and
the measures by which, upon withdrawal, he seeks
to compensate himself for the expenses of an unsuc-
cessful experiment. M. Drouyn de l'Huys avers,
in the first place, that the Mexican expedition was
originally undertaken with no other purpose than
to obtain payment of claims due to citizens of
France, the Jecker fraud being the principal of
those claims. Maximilian was encouraged to under-
take the Emperorship, upon a belief that, if he could
get possession of the power of the country, he would
settle more promptly than the Liberal Government.
Instead, however, of paying up, he has called con-
tinually for flesh advances, and France, instead of
being satisfied, is only increasing her pecuniary
sacrifice. There is to be no more of this. France
will not advance another penny, and she requires
security for the amounts already due to her. Her
occupation of the country must also come to an
end, for she finds that she is daily be-
coming more and more involved by its con-
tinuance. The evacuation must commence in
the fall ; but before that time France re-
quires some means of securing herself for the
money already spent. It is therefore proposed that
Maximilian shall surrender to the French the con-
trol of the custom houses at Vera Cruz and Tam-
pico, and of the revenues there collected. Napoleon
is liberal too. He will not take all the income, but
will allow one-half to his protege. It is estimated
that the debt due to France amounts to two hun-
dred and thirty millions, and three per cent. interest
on that sum is required. France has also guaranteed
the Mexican loans of 1864 and 1865, and some pro-
vision must be made for them. The yielding up of
those custom houses is the ultimatum, and that
once effected the French troops will be withdrawn
as speedily as possible, and Max will be left to the
difficult work of relying for support upon the affec-
tion and loyalty of the Mexican people. This pro-
position was made February 16, and notified to
the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs on the
9th of March. Up to the present time there is no
intelligence that the arrangement has been con-
summated. On the contrary, it is rumoured from
Paris, as late as June 7th, that nothing had been
done, and that a steamer about to sail was to carry
out a direct notification to Maximilian that if he did
not comply, without further delay, the French
troops would be withdrawn at once. This is a hard
condition, but it must be obeyed. Should Max re-
fuse to obey it he will lose the chief support of his
throne, and will have to abdicate at once. Should he
yield he loses the gr6at sources from which he realises
ready cash, and will be put upon short allowance.
Stinted in his means ; being insolvent, with all the
revenues v;hich he is now asked to partially relin-
quish ; having applied lately for more loans from
the French, which have been refused, he is in a very
bad way, and there seems to be no hope for him.
It would, therefore, seem that abdication is his only
resource, for his cause-is hopeless of any assistance
from the Mexican people ; and if he does not resign
when he can safely get out of the country, he will
be either driven from it or become a prisoner, and
perhaps suffer death.