The New York herald., 1863-02-22
NEW YORK HERALD SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 90 1868.

~ 1N :
. --------------------
Thc News from nlexico-The Position OF
N"Poieon oa this Continent.
The recent advices from Mexico do not
confirm the reported defeat of the French
at fuebla. We do not, however, hear of any
advantages obtained by them while we
do receive reliable details as 20 the dan.
gers which environ them, and Of their total
inability to proceed to the city of Mexico in the
easy, Jaunty style they had imagined. We hear Of
small successes achieved by the Mexicans; of
their capturing French steamer and taking
from her guns and munitions; Of their seizing
trains of provisions and munitions of war be-
longing to the French, and also of their captur-
ing the mules and horses which were being sent
to the French commander to enable forward
movement ON his part The French have sban-
doned the Perote and Jalapa roads, and have
concentrated their whole force upon the Orizaba
road, while they have also been compelled to eva
cuate Tampico. They shell the Mexican towns,
burn the farms and houses in their routes; but
they obtain no positive advantage, and General
Forey has been obliged to demand, as we hear
upon responsible authority, reinforcements to
the number of sixty thousand mon, although
the forces in Mexico are already we'll up to that
figure.
Thus, ere they can commence their march for
the city of Mexico, the French require over one
hundred thousand troops. We captured the
place with not tenth part Of such force; but
we were enabled to march rapidly, could
easily obtain our resources, and, above all,
had no three thousand miles of sea to cross ere
We reached our enemies 1t has now become
evident that to conquer Mexico France will
have to make great effort; that she will need
an immense army, and that the consequent out
lay Of treasure will be immense. When Napo-
leon receives the last dispatches Of General
Forey he will, perhaps, feel less desire to en-
broi France in quarrel with the people Of the
North. He will, unless pushed on by fatality,
reason that, II all his resources are needed to
conquer the Mexicans, 1t is simply impossible
that he could war with the United States gov.
ernment with any other result than shameful
defeat He will soon hear that our President
has had conferred upon him unlimited power
over the military resources Of the North; that
at his will he can call an additional million Of
troops into the field, and he must know that
when we fully decide upon struggle with any
foreign Power we shall not be laggards in pro-
overrun the seas.
The aggression Of Napoleon, whom we were
wont to look upon as a friend, is all the more
bitter from that very fact, and to repel his
attacks the people of the North would forget all
party differences, all questions save that of the
integrity and majesty of the Union, and France
would be repulsed, as would all Europe COM
bined under like circumstances. Should Napo-
leon undertake campaign against us It will
be the act of desperate mana suicidal,
last resort. He feels that in France his
power is on the wane, and from no greater
reason than the popular dislike to the Mexican
expedition, which he persisted in in spite Of the
advice Of his most devoted counsellors and ad-
herents. His letter to General Forey may have
been recently published with the purpose of
influencing the coming elections in France; but
it was not written originally for that purpose,
and it betrays the real designs of the man.
While he was prating to the world about his
sincere desire TO behold the Union preserved
and an end put to tho American rebellion, he
was privately writing to General Forey that he
fully intended doing all in his power to arrest
the progress Of the Union.
But fresh circumstances may change all this
Other complications and other necessities may
lead to another course. II is beyond all doubt
the duty Of our administration to prepare for
all emergencies and above all to make ample
defences for our harbors and coasts. We must
have the means to repsl any foe so insane as to
attack us. Whatever Napoleon may do, we
should be prepared. The administration, we
feel sure, will not allow any time to elapse
ere the most energetic measures are adopted
to prove to the world that the people of the
United States are determined to be respected
In fact were all Europe combined, it were
impossible for us to admit their Intervention
by force We must uphold the Union, must
restore it to all its power and influence, let the
obstacles be what they may; and, with single
ness Of purpose and total abandonment of all
ideas save the glory and continuance of our
great republic, we shall surely succeed. Mean
while, the Mexicans are fighting our battles
with the French, and forcing conviction on the
Emperor's mind that he had better let this con-
tinent alone.
THE ALLEGED SUPPRESSION OF NEWSPAPERS
IN THE ARMY OF THE PoroMAc...It had been
stated that all the New York papers were ex-
cluded from the Army of the Potomac by order
of General Hooker. But that statement was
afterwards diminished by the Tribune, which
announced with glee that only one paper, of
the copperhead species, had been shut out, and
for that order the Commanding General de-
served the highest praise. Yesterday, however,
the Tribune not only swallowed its own words,
but confessed il had been guilty Of malignant