The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-22

oo0' "nu whi DC respected scoOfulngly.
The Attitude OF France Towards naexi-
co-Our Duty to This Continent.
The concurrent resolutions with reference
to the action of France in Mexico, offered
in the United States Senate by Mr.. Nc
Dougail, Of California, are but an expression
of the sentiments of the entire American
people, South as well as North. They but
give utterance to feeling which has been
growing and ranking in the popular heart ever
since the commencement of the Intervention Of
the allied Powers, and which has rapidly in
creased in bitterness since France, in addition to
her proceedings in Mexico, has also manifested,
| through her present imperial government, her
hatred Of republican institutions everywhere
| by menacing an interference in our own strug-
| gle for popular selfgovornment. Yet we regret
to be obliged to say we do not think the present
is the time to give utterance to these sentiments,
| OF least in this form.
The moment selected, II appears to US, is
either too early or too late. The business Of
our grounds of complaint against France, and
the strength of the rapidly growing popular
feeling against the government Of Napo-
icou LII, VIII uOt lcSScu OF Lail III
intensity by q little delay. On the
contrary, the popular mind is becoming
every day only more impressed with our great
interest in this question of the independence
Of the American continent from European die
tation or control. The dangers of European in
reference on this side of the Atlantic have only
now been brought home to U.S. But onr first
great necessity is to put down the rebellion.
Our work with France or with any other Eu-
ropean Power will then be easy.
We have always maintained that the true
safeguard Of Mexico-as we'll as Of all the
Spanish-Amercan republics-against European
| aggression, and the only safeguard, is to be
found in the preservation of the territorial in
tegrity, and consequently the power, of the
United States. We feel sure this is the speedi-
est means Of gaining and guaranteeing that end
The proof is evident in the eager haste with
which, the first moment the belief gained foot
hold in Europe that our Union was permanent
| ly disrupted, the occasion was seized by three
OF the leading Powers to inaugurate policy Of
interference and of conquest on this continent
policy which, though often threatened, they
had never dared to put in execution before.
We say again, let us first put down the
rebellion, and all these things will come after
wards. He must be q statesman very poorly
informed Of the tone of popular sentiment in
the United States, and Of how implicitly our
government, sooner or later, is guided by that
sentiment, who would venture to assert in the
Corps Legislatif of France that the movement
the Emperor has directed against Mexico, and
the continued occupation of that country by
French forces, would not inevitably entail diff
cul ties of the gravest character with the United
States in case Of the restoration of our Union.
A people SO resolute and 80 sslfasserting as our
own do not readily abandon what has become
with us q traditional policy. The security of
the position of France in Mexico depends
solsly, therefore, upon the question Of the rcsto
ration of the American Union. Can the preca-
rious government Of the Emperor afford to
stake too heavily upon that issues Once we
are again united, whether by means Of the war
now being waged against the rebels in arms or
by negotiation after an armistice, It must be
patent to ell European statesmen that the
position now occupied by France in Mexico
will require to be instantly changed, and
the United States will not then be slow in de-
handing ample explanations Of course which
every American schoOlboy has seen from the
outset has been one purely hostile to us, and
| an open insult to all who favor the permanency
of republican institutions on this continent.
1t has been evident from the first that no one
permanent good could come of the course the
Emperor Napoleon, under bad advice, has cho-
sen to pursue towards Mexico. An occupation
of that country by the troops Of France cannot
be permanent, because the interests of the
United States will not permit it. But, setting
that objection aside, it is very doubtful whether,
even by the expenditure of years of time,
millions Of treasure and countless lives of her
brave soldiers, France could ever acquire con.
troll, at so great distance, Of more than the
principal lines of communication and . few of
the chief cities Of Mexico. Consequently none
Of the benefits attending the establishment of
| settled order Of things can ever be expected to
| be achieved. The result Of her mission, there
| fore, while barren Of permanent fruits, is only
to embarrass commerce and entail still greater
evils upon that class of foreigners she so osten-
tatiously designed to protect and it has besides
the further evil effect Of interrupting the pro-
| gress Of q legitimate and benevolent government
which would speedily have established CON-
| plete order and security throughout the whole
Of the republic under constitutional ruls-the
government Of the peoples repeatedly and
unanimously avowed choice. Now the energies
and means which should have been devoted by
the government Of President Juarez to this end
have necessarily been turned to the defence Of
their native soil against . foreign invader
waging war upon them without just cause,
and in violation Of the plainest principles Of
| international law.
Under these circumstances we have conceived
| it to be the duty Of our government-the EDsc-