The New York herald., 1863-07-28

upon the subject and place these radical or
gans before tho country in their tue colors.
An Empire Proclaimed fn Mexico-New
French Farce.
The French war steamer Milan brought to
Havana last Tuesday official intelligence of
the proclamation Of the empire in Mexico aud
OF the choice by the Assembly of Notables of
the Austrian Archduke Macmillan as the first
sovereign Of the new regime. We were prepared
for such news, because, since the very outset
of the expedition to Mexico, there was hardly
any concealment of the fact that the main OBJ
ject of Louis Napoleon was to re-establish the
monarchical principle on this continent, and to
erect against the spread of republican and
liberal ideas barrier of Old World rubbish.
This did not happen to be the governing motive
Of either England or Spain in entering into the
ripartite alliance against. Mexico; and there
fore, when these Powers recognized what was
the Napoleonic idea in the matter, they retired
from the business, leaving toe French to prose-
cute 1t on their own account.
> With the fall Of Puebla, the surrender of the
capital and the retirement Of the Mexican
open for realization Of the French programme.
One of the earliest official acts Of Gen. Forey
was the appointment of what was called q Supe
rior Committee of Government, composed Of
fifty-fve persons of position and influence.
This committee was charged with the choice
of a triumvirate, into whose hands the
executive power was to be given, and it was
also to add to its own ranks two hundred and
fifteen other ndividuals-Mexican citizens-to
constitute body to be designated an Assembly
OF Notables. This organization was carried out
The triumvfrate consisted Of General Juan A.
Almonte, General Jose Mariana Salas and Don
Juan Batista Ormaechea, Bishop elect Of Tulan-
cingo. This divine is probably one of the batch
Of bishops carried out by the French, and he
may have been performing the functions of
Archbishop Of Mexico in the absence of that
dignitary, who, with several other bishops, had
been exiled by the late government. The first
official act Of the supreme executive was the
issuing of Q manifesto to the nation on the oath
Of June, announcing that the new and improved
order of things In Mexico had been brought
about through the light and unconquered force
of Catholicism; that now the Catholic religion
was re-established and free; that the church
would exercise it's authority without having an
enemy in the government, and that under the
happy influence Of the enlightened head of the
French nation, peace, order and good govern
ment would be restored to Mexico. DEGREES
were issued suppressing all the newspapers
forbldding all controversy in respect to the
laws and institutions that were to be given to
the country, and annulling the laws sequestrat-
ing church property. In the meantime Juarez,
the constitutional President, retired, with his
ministers, the civil officers, the committees of
Congress and the remnant Of the Mexican arm Y,
to San Luis Potosi, in the mining regions, where
he claims to exercise all the functions of
legal government and protests against the ille-
gal acts that have taken place in the capital.
Paying no attention to Jusrez and his protests,
the Assembly of Notables has. with only two
dissentient votes declared that the imperial form
of government is that which the country re-
quires, and has proclaimed as Emperor the
Archduke Maximilian Of Austria, the French
Emperor being requested, in case of Maxi
milan declining the honor, to choose prince
to rule over them.
The proclamation Of the empire took place
on the 10th instant and the reception of the
news at Vera Cruz was saluted with salvo of
hundred and one guns.
The Archduke Ferdinand Naximilian Joseph,
on whom the Mexican Assembly Of Notables
has conferred this questionable distinction, is
the next eldest brother Of the Emperor of
Austria. He is thirty-one years Of age, and
now holds the office Of yice-admiral and com.
mander-in-chief Of the Austrian navy, besides
having the proprietorship of several cavalry re-
giments, thus realizing the lndicrous idea of
horse marine. His wife, Marie Charlotte, is
daughter of the King Of the Belgians
1t is not very probable that Maxiniian,
mindful Of the tragic fate of Iturbide-the first
and only Emperor Of Mexico-and with the
experiences of Santa Anna, who had aspired
to the imperial purple, fresh in his recollec-
tion, will be in any hurry to accept an offer of
such doubtful advantages and proceeding from
such source. His refusal of it has possibly
been calculated on in advances for when his
name was coupled with the new Mexican
monarchy months ago he was understood to
repIdiate the idea. Napoleon, however, may
have deemed it piece of policy to have the
offer made in due form, so that when it is de-
clined he may have the better excuse for hand
ing over the Mexicans to the imperial care Of
his cousin, Prince Napoleon. That is most pro-
badly part of the programme.
In connection with his military and govern
mental operations, a French civil expedition
has also been organized and is now on its way
to Mexico. This commission is composed of
literary men, political students, lawyers and
savants, and its mission is to evsngelize Mexico,
in the Napoleon sense, and teach Its benighted
population the glory and advantages Of an
imperial system Of government
The whole thing Is very Frenchy. very the