The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1866-05-12
The Prospects of NIaxamilian.
from the Pail Mall Gazstte April g. I

| W tuC oAACnStl
of horse or of ruler is shown in the
suddenness with which he can stop short
| (faire ua Arrest rond etRet). As regards
q ruler it is much greater strain upon
his courage and prestige to cut short an
impolitic course of action than to enter
on it-abruptly to close, for instance, an
unsuccessful war, without the the color
of even temporary success, than to
enter Oh hostilites from a state of peace.
Measured by this rule the Emperor
Napoleon is neither weak nor timid. If
we are to believe the reported results sof
Baron Saillard's mission, the Emperor
of the French has renounced his pro-
tectorate of Mexico at the moment when
such retreat had become most difficult.
If Maximilian's arms had just achieved
some snowy advantage, if some cOnspicu-
Gus opponent had been won over, if any
single province had been manifestly and
permanently civilized, or if, lastly, the
United States had shown any sign of re-
moving the ban under which they have
placed the new Emperor's conduct would
not have had much merit. There would
have been no taunt5 to encounter, per-
haps no shame to hide.
But at a time when the paciication of
Mexico seems nearly as far off as ever
when foreign mission and its escort
are attacked by rebel guerillast within
few miles of the ,capital-when the
loan is spent, the treasury as ever, and
the able Minister. NJ. Langlais, who
might have done much to restore the
deficit, no more-there can be no ques-
ton about the character of the withdraw
al. The Emperor Napoleon abandons
his Mexican enterprise, not because its
work is done, but because he at last
despairs of doing it. 1t must have cost
him much to confess in the face of his
subjects that they were right and he was
wrong, and to announce to Maximllian
that he had been too rash in atfordlng s.
patronage when his. duty to his own
people might compel him to withdraw.
Events have certainly been Obstinately
unkind to the two Emrerors. First, the
secession war would come to an end,
and then the Mexican Republicans would
neither fight nor yield; and, lastly, the
United States would do nothing to re
lieve submission of its sting. Under
these untoward circumstances what little
can be done to throw dignity over the
retreat will be done. The French troops
will not be Withdrawn at once, but as we
announced Yesterday, in three detach-
ments-in November of this year, and IN
March and November, 1861.
On this last date the last French sol
dier will psobably have quilted Mexico.
Of course the perpetual maintenance Of
q French contingent never formed part
of the Imperial programme, although a
conjecture may be pardoned, whether if
8 French occupation had been pleasant
and possible, but unnecessary, it might
not have been prolonged, like that of
Rome, indefinitely. Still ii was distinct
IL intimated that the stay of the French
Army would be determined only by
Maximiiian's ability to do without it,
by the organization OF the Mexican Ar
nv" That organization, In the sense in
which ii was understood and meant, is
as distant as ever, and the French, new
ertheless, is going. OF course, Maximil-
ian is not precluded from replacing the
departing French troops by Austrian or
Belgian substitutes. But the fact re-
mains that France was the declared pro-
tector of Mexico, and that she now ac-
knowledges she must retire from the
risks of the protectorate.
We have not the slightest wish to tn
umph over the Emperor. The Ameri-
cans may lie trusted to do that So far
as we are concerned, the recollection Of
our own desertion of Denmark is too
fresh to permit us to venture on impcrti-
nencss which might be so effectually re
torted. Perhaps we may be permitted
TO point out to the French critics, who
did not spare Us upon that occasion, that
the English is not the only Government
which recognizes that afser all its sa-
prcme duty is to its own people, and
that '.greatly TO find quarrel in straw"
is hardly admirable in an age vixen war
is SO very expensive, and where the cx-
pense falls ON the elementary comforts
of the people On the whole, we think
that In distressing dilemma the Enpe-
ror has chosen well. He has preferred
prudence to brayado, and has not been
afraid of seeming afraid. This shows
not only confidence in his own
strength, but q sagacity to make the most
of it.
But what about the prospects of the
Emperor Maximillian His position Is
certainly hard. lie loses the support 0f
French bayoncts, and does not aPplr