The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-08 00:00:00

Government, which grounds an article on the loose
statements of a correspondent bitterly hostile to
the ruling party of the United States, without the
slightest examination of the subject, but content
with the simple fact that it was unfavourable to the
Republic. In the columns of the Standard this
letter is intelligible, but among the leaders in the
Globe its assertions are not ; for the correspondent
knows about what he was writing,states his case, ad-
vances his proof, and withholds what demolishes it ;
while the writer in the Globe had no more knowledge
than an infant of the subject, but a vague notion,
gathered from the correspondent, that it was some-
thing very bad. Men truy wholly differ on the great
American questions in dispute though very intelli-
gent, honest, and patriotic, and we do not deny
honesty of intention to the Standard's correspondent,
although his view is very different from ours, and he
may often be unscrupulous in making assertions
and garbling facts. But the Globe is simply pan-
dering to a vile prejudia?, and thereby making
itself contemptible in American eyes; a sort of con-
tempt felt for those who express strong opiniois
on a subject of which their own exposition proves
them to be ignorant. But while desiring an
honest discussion and deprecating garbled extracts,
we are far from prepared to accept Mr. Atkinson's
financial statement, except in a qualified way,
making full allowance for the campaign nature of
the document, and the evident desire to prove as
much as the figures can be made to do.

MONTLONG'S MEXICAN REVELATIONS.

(From the New York Nation).

Early in February, 1867, a few days before
Maximilian set out on his fatal march from Mexico
to Queretaro, the city which, after a seventy days'
siege, was to witness his downfall on May 15, and
his execution on June 19, he entrusted Wilhelm
von Montlong, an officer of his staff (it is this
officer and his friend% who state it), with the task
of elaborating, from official documents, an exact
and detailed account (" noticia exacta y pormeno-
rizada") of the conduct of the French army during
its stay in Mexico, the evacuation of which it was
then completing. The task was executed after the

death of the Prince with devoted zeal, but without

the aid of materials sufficient for an exhaustive
work on so interesting a topic. The book, which

embodies the results of what is introduced to us as
a labour of love and devotion to the memory of
" the unfortunate monarch," is too fragmentary,
and the documentary evidence adduced to support
some of its most important assertions hardly ample
enough for their corroboration. But even so,
these new " Revelations" are an interesting con-
tribution to the history of our time and continent.
Written n)t " sine ira et studio," they have, at
least, the merit of strengthening opinions generally
current in camps hostile to that of the author.
" The empire began with treason," says Major
Montlong, " and treason brought about its end."
Maximilian, he believes, would never have accepted
the crown carried to him. at Miramar had lie
not been most artfully and treacherously deceived
concerning his election as emperor. This may be
true only to a degree, but the grossness of the de-
ception which was to serve as the basis of a new
throne and dynasty is revealed in the following :
The principal inhabitants of Monterey having been
assembled by the French General jeanningros—
who acted precisely as others did in other towns—
he addressed them in these words : —" The Emperor
of the French, always anxious to promote the wel-
fare of all unfortunate nations, and desirous to
establish your happiness, has determined to trans
form the Mexican Republic into a rich and flourish.-
ing empire, and has selected for your emperor the
most liberal and enlightened prince of Europe, the
Archduke Maximilian of Austria. But Napoleon
wishes Maximilian to be elected by the general vote of
the nation. I have called you here, therefore, to receive
your votes." And advancing a few steps towards
the assembled Mexicans, he added, with a threatening
countenance : "N'est-ce pas, gentlemen, you accept
the prince whom the Emperor Napoleon sends you?"
To which the assembly, intimated by a squad of
French troops posted in front of them, answered,

" We do," and the general, turning to an officer of
his staff who collected the protocols, said : " Write,
sir, that this city has voted unanimously for the em-
pire, and let these gentlemen sign the document."
The notables of San Luis Potosi, who refused to
sign a similar declaration, were thrown into prison,
kept for thirty-six hours without food, and thus
compelled to submit.
This is an example of the political dealings of
the French invaders in Mexico. Of their mili-

tary deeds in that country we learn some that
hardly redound in a higher degree to the glory
of the "great nation." General Mangin having on
the occupation of the village of Montealto found out
the suspicious disposition of its inhabitants, he had
46 of them, noted as the most " liberal," arrested in
the night and shot without trial or sentence. This
ferocious act may be ascribed to the prompting of
incipient insanity, as the general shortly after lost
his reason ; but other barbarities are related for
which, unfortunately for human nature, no such
plea can be raised. A Captain Charrier, of the
Foreign Legion, is charged with having, by threats
of execution, forced the prefect of a small town to
sign the death-sentence of his own brother, whose
only crime was his attachment to the Liberal cause.
According to our narrative atrocities like these
were much more frequently committed by the

.•
"liberal" Mexicans than by the French champions
of " civilization." The native allies of the latter
naturally make no exception, and in a retrospetive
glance a butchery of almost unparalleled atrocity
executed at Tacubaya in 1859.—is related in which
the future Imperial generals, Miramon and Marquez,
were the chief actors. Miramon—we read—in an
order concluding with the words " God and law !"
decreed the execution of all wounded officers found
in the hospital at that captured place, and Marquez
included in the hecatomb the seven physicians
whom he found administering to the wounded.
And vet Miramon is one of those few Mexicans
of whom our author occasionally speaks with ad-
miration, a sentiment which Maximilian must have
fully shared, if it be true that, a few minutes before
their common execution, placing him between him-
self and Gen. Mejia, he addressed to him these words :
" Even monarchs must admire the brave ; before
dying I cede to you the post of honour." Miramon
himself, who energetically rroteited his constant
fidelity to the cause of order, died with the words,
" Live the Emperor" on his lips. The Emperor
lived a few seconds longer, during which he vainly
tried to recover breath after the deadly volley. h is
last words and acts—his enemies acknowled4ed it
—were worthy of a better cause than was his,
viewed in the mildest light. Mejia alone sank in
silent despair, having, a moment before, seen his
wife in mad anguish running through the streets
of Queretaro with her baby in her arms.
The men of whom our author speaks with al-
most unqualified contempt are Marquez, Lopez, and
Marshal Bazaine. In Marquez's tardiness to relieve
Puebla, then besieged by Porfirio Diaz, he sees the
main cause of the disasters which terminated the
last struggle of the empire. his obstinately-
prolonged defence of the capital after the fall of
Queretaro—a defence made possible only by atro-
cious deceptions practised on the decimated and
starving garrison—he ascribes to purely selfish mo-
tives. The treason of Lopez, who is stated to have
sold Queretaro to Escobedo—yet with the intention
of. aiding in the flight of Maximilian—is represented
as a fact, the authenticity of which is proved by a
mass of irrefragible evidence. Bazaine, whose im-
peachment before the tribunal of public opinion and
of history seems to be the main object of the book,
is charged, not without proof, not only with sordid
selfishness, extortion, peculation, and cruelty, but
also with duplicity, intentional abuse of instructions,
falsity to the interests of both France and Mexico,
hostility to the cause of Maximilian, and even con-
scious military treachery—the motive being the
marshal's secret intention, fomented primps by
his Mexican marriage, to make himself master
of Mexico as President or otherwise. The bloody
Imperial decree of October 3, 1865, is represented
as having been extorted by the heartless French-
man, and made doubly fatal by his still more san
gumary secret instructions concerning its execution.
These are certainly no isolated accusations, broad