New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-02-20
SOLUTION OF THE MEXICAN QUESTION.
BY A. MALESPINE.
Translated for The Tribune by John Austn Stevens r.
CAUSES OF THE FRENCH INTERVENTION.

back to the which led 70 the French Intervention
in Mexico. Tue wrongs done TO follow countrym
in person and property have been many. and even
the Government Of Juarez admits in principle the
justice of our demands. He disputes however, the
amount Of the indemnity claimed ard complains TINT
he is charged with not only the material responsibility,
bu. Gso the moral responsibility Of crimes dors by his
political adyersayes.
The contested indomnitics are those which named
in article and in article Of the ultmaum laid DOWN
by the penipoteiaries Of Trance. These articles are
thus stated:
"ARrIcLE ! Mexico ENGAGES TO pay to France cum o!
sl20co at which the whole Of the French reeanstions
valued rating the varons wrongs up TO The 5st Oh Ju
last 1851 and exclusive Of The exceptions spulaiedn Articles
and heenacr stated and ch relate 70 what ha happened
,nee 3st July last for which special reserve j. mode
The amount Of the reclamation. aeans, MEXICO Will may
prios from these will lie fixed at later period by The
ARTICLE re,co win be held to the fa faithful and I'M
mede fhmen Of the contract undertaken ia the month Of
February sS9 between the Me1icsn Government snd tho
houso Of Jccker."
The rstfgure oftwclye million. u loars has seemed
In fact excessive for the whole number of Frenchmen
permanent residents If Mexico does not exceed accord
ing to the latest official documents 2Ois The demand
for The entire and instant execution OF tho contract
made between Mranon ard the house OF Jeekor reach
ing the large sum of sl50o4oo0 has also been judged
! t. bc too rigorous.
These two demands gave rise in the beginning OF tho
expedition 10 a hrst disagreement between thn pemtO
| toatares OF France, OF In land, and Of SPAN
As Earl Russell was Informed Of he nature OF
tho French roclamntons by Sir Cherries Wyeko he wrote
TO Lord COwley, the English EmbsssGdor az PaFis;
"i. surety lot possible that eclsrnations executive a.
that Of slOJCO1 h. aud without deisi ae9an and
that Of 000 for $4,000 rccNel have been made
with the hope Of then being entertained"
NJ Thouyenel fastened by q dispatch addressed 10
NJ. Dubois de Segny the 2eth ct February. lso2, TO
soften the too absolute nluse OF these den"lGs Ia"
wrote as follows:
Tbe Gsuro ut which this Dersre felt ,s'f Obliged 20
value Reclamation did not reach that liked oy yo' Ac
no brt IN the absence 81 sulient et lne.'' H. 49,
fore do not Expressly a.L you to Il Chay
Wycie and Gen. FriG both 10 haye .hough' '2ot'n
YOU may nevertheless be less -SHcns this point Y It
prove too evident Of difference between the rePrceu
ts'iyos Of the three Courts"
Mr. Thouyenel was further OF opinion that II Franco
sill insisted a large sum Of Indemnity. Il was 10
longer necessary 20 exact rcpare,ion OF another b9d
whether for the death of the French Consul at Topic
or for the attempts upon the person Of NJ Dnoois de
Saligny In the month Of August, l-6l.
50 far a. tie Jecker AFFAIR was concerned ~ Ihou-
vcnel declared ha, there distinction TO De drawn
between what Immediately concerned our Interests and
what foreign TO them AT the time when the decker
contract signed the tinistoT az France 10 iehco
Lad Informed the French Government that foreign
commerce would be greatly relieved by this financial
| measure. Il was only in this view that the French
Governments insisted On Us execution But 1.-THE question
would be treated very differently Il the house OF JecSe
was be alone almost alone benefited by the fni
ment Of tie contract.
rail- your rtte,ion said NJ rho.yenel in conclusion 70
Ne !. p9anee Of q vs. ssI ~ nat , my @
aa~e, other interest. Of wholly different character ihe
ACT
10 Deprive our oonnryni.n Of advantages 70 we"
ggls passed by the Admin ration ~ G. Mira
enemy but /, Would not be- lost Tor baud
iryos" upon al. scusl Ooy.ucnt upon Juafezl Obligations
bmiy"
Finally: NJ Drown de- Ihuys EXPRESSED himself in
the allowing terms In dispa'ch OF the ith Augu-"
1853 addressed H. Gen. Rsza.nc;
ILsrc ,pssen Of our i4,ion, They you sgc
General Of two siad those which are antr.o! 20 TIC
Va, sd hs's ma.el 'p5ni ifo. hS a To
which VIII BE- nsii,us in my depsrtacn' and h9h ~ be
f-d In 90 .r- TO it, dc,iions an ndpnnoa
,horiy The total to ps-sn to the MEXICAN Gov
tre: will Include al the rec ian a.ion "hcA sh &c ieees
u,s-d by the Couimi..ion 90 y itinsis'
Tho dispatches 81 " Thouvsnel and az 81 Drciyn
dc Ihuys mets tally diminish ihe ultimatum given 10
Juarcy by NJ. Dubois de Sal.ny. cad theEo Is lao Doubt
that Jrsrez would hive instantly received and acted
upon the rrclamalions OF France II they had been thus
presented IN TIE beginning
But those sundry pccuniary recamations were not
for other which tho result of the state ~
anarchy In Meroo foT the last for.y years Many of
our men have been aliac .ed robbed murdered
md 10 rcparatiOn has been ever obtained the
Punishment OF the guilty. he II always und,fstood,
however that when the lime arrived for general expia
ton in 1901, tie crlmce III all the Governments aud
preionlors who during tie las tgego 10 Eileen years
have disputed the rrins Of power were unJus.iy |
ascribed 10 Juarz and his paItisaEs
SOCIAL STATE or MExIoo-oRIdN Oh TIE CHURCH
PARTY.
II necessary 10 go back further than fftecn year..
and even more than century. 10 attain fair impartial
under anng Of the social state Of Mefieo Mexico had
not like ia. Tinted States the good fortune to be colo
nixcd BIZ intelligent and labJrous men, who sought IN
land asyium from persecution. Ike al other
Spans colonies IL has been given up ~ debaucLed and
quarrel ,ono invaders who disianed any other occupa
ton than war. and who rough. in America people to
perecutc at their leisure.
Wherever Spain planted her flag sho established u !
lcenuous do.potisi; she degraded labor by fayornC
with all her power the Introduction and Increase @! black
saves; hsr greatest care was TO Keep al ranks In isio
rance and superstition: size init listed education only 10
the clergy, aud charged The Jnqution 10 watch over
the publication Of books lastly che thought 10 rcta.
perpetual hold ior colonies by lscsting them from
subjects oil iircc. commerce ultS Foreign ha;ioni
Populations thus governed could have neither
domestic nor social virtues and fsome Mexican ereo'es
had lot found toward the close Of the 18th cen
ury TO visit Europe secretly the struggle for indopcnd
would have been delayed until day These hardy
travellers were ipibued with the teachings Of goltiro
turn to their country, propaganda They were
burned just as they would have been in the middle ages
Bat the irst seeds Nsss sosn ana tley 20 i,SceS
colonies had conquered their ind penGence ,et ms
emancipation was not tho result OF wenstledp OF az
dcs,ood need ana In Mexico more than elsewhere
was exclusively the Of leading minds 1t did
not bring any essential change In manners nor isspale
all prejudice. Property MAS not divided aug Tie new
clergy had neither less ambition IhaI Inc old nor less
influence on the spirit Of tha People 1t formed Of tho
remnant OF tho privileged classes party which. having
its side the wealth al tho country and the religious Ia
fucnce was In fact the most pow eria OF all those which
partitioned ont Mexico among themselves.
This party which then Designated by the name
Of the Spanish Church Party. and which II known to-
day the ReGc.ionist Conservative gradually pre-
pared the way for return OF Mexico 20 the Spanish
rule and when il failed n all Its efforts, cnceayored 10
establish an independent monarchy, and booked 10
France 70 did IL 60 accomplish ths OBJECT. Their pro-
posals rejected, but they would not give up the
held and shrank from means to render intervention
Inevitable.
In is3e took place tic unfortunate expedition com
manded BY Admiral Baudin. The causes OF ms
oYpe lltion aIe frankly set forth in q book ~ Mill