The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-04-18


in several three months instalments, are to be
Withdrawn from Mexico, and that Austria, il
she can, is to supply the deficiencies thus re-
sulting to Macmillan in order to sustain him
on his imperial bed of Mexican roses. One of
our city contemporaries, plucking up little
patriotic indignation, boldly suggests the forci-
BILE expulsion of the Austrians by the United
States should that game be attempted, because
Austria has not even pretext for armed inter-
vention against the Mexican people. We have
not the slightest apprehension, however, that
Austria will undertake to supply the places OF
the French troops with their withdrawal from
Mexico Nor do we suppose that Macmillan
contemplates any further efforts to maintain
his empire with the removal of the French
troops. We dare say that he is now, and has
been for some time, preparing for return to
''fatherland," with the substantial profits in his
possession of good financial speculation; and
that with the last of his movables, including
his last conducta of silver, he will bring up tho
rear of the French evacuation.
In the very inception of this Austrian impe-
rial establishment in Mexico under French
protection-this "grand idea" of Napoleon, as
Marshal Forey expresses 1.-THE important
feature in it was the ENHANCEMENT Of Austria.
1t committed her to the European policy of Ma
poleon; it made her o subordinate to his
schemes, a passive instrument in his hands, in
regard to European affairs. His magnanimous
peace of Villa Franco enabled him to decoy
Austria into this Mexican snare; and now be-
tween Prussia on the north and Italy in the
south, to say nothing Of Hungary, the House
Of Hapsburg is in no condition to spare sin
gle regiment for the visionary empire of Maxi
milan in Mexico. Austria is so environed with
dangers that her very existence, as one Of the
five great Powers, is imperilled.
Let us suppose that Bismark, under the neu-
trality protestations of France, pushes the
present controversy between Prussia and Aus
tria concerning their joint robbery of those
duchies from Denmark to the point of war,
what shape is this war most likely to as
sumo? The petty members of the Ger
man confederation will become involved
on the one side or the other. Young
Italy will seize the opportunity to pounce upon
Venetia, and Hungary may rise again to the
cry of independence. In the midst of this
warlike reaction the countless lepions of the
Gar will be put in motion, and he will be free
to choose whether they shall move for the
Rhine or the Danube. Napoleon, however,
will hardly wait for all these developments.
He will see that his empire, his prestige and
his policy demand instant Intervention. He
will move an army to the left bank of the
Rhine and hold it; he will support King Victor
Emanuel in descent upon Venetia and cap
to Italy and to surrender the Danish duchies to
Prussia for the sake Of peace, and his reward
will be the left bank of the Rhine on the one
hand and the island of Sardinia, in compensa-
lion for Venice, on the other. A ''short, sharp
and decisive campaign" may bring about these
results without further complications, and to
avoid further complications Napoleon, await
ing the signal, is doubtless prepared for quick
and decisive action. He is in the Mexican
with Austria, Macmillan is his
protege, and yet Napoleon it is who is the
prompter of Bismark behind the scenes.
In view of these Napoleonic ideas looking to
he reconstruction of the map of Europe, for
he enlargement of France and the perpetu-
stion Of his dynasty, the "grand idea" of Ma
poleon involved in the Mexican adventure
with Macmillan becomes o mere bagateile.
Napoleon may thus withdraw from Mexico not
only without the loss Of prestige but with
vastly increased reputation as the master of
modern diplomacy. That he is hedging be-
tween Prussia and Austria TO bring them into
is apparent; that he will succeed in
this object, 1t is highly probable, and, If sue
cessful so far, that he will then step in and
seize and carry off the lions shar. of the spols,
we cannot doubt.
There is chance for his defeat in the posi-
bic appeal by Austria, as last resort, to a
conference of all the great Powers; but in
s in no condition to indulge the EN-
peror Macmillan in his Mexican bauble
lay beyond his abandonment by the En-
peror Napoleon. That the original "grand
dea" of the latter was French political
md commercial balance of power on this con-
incnt may be set down as a fact in history but
hat IL involved the ENHANCEMENT of Austria, in
view of certain Napoleonic designs in Europe,
Is now apparent. The success of JEFF Davis
might have saved Austria but her humiliation
'ollows his downfall; for, through Macmillan,
'he becomes the scapcgoat of Napoleon. Her
'poliation may be the next act in the drama.
"Put not your trust in princes" With the
collapse Of the glorious vision Of Napoleon of
powerful foothold in this hemisphere on the
ruins of two republics, he falls back upon his
European subordlnates. His Mexican adven-
ure is thus reduced to mere trick in his
European diplomacy; and the withdrawal of
he French troops from Mexico will be accepted
,y Austria as the end of her delusion, and by
IL. . A. n. a