The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-26
MRxinllian.
From the World.

Without attempting to disentangle the new
complication. which has arisen in Mexico, we
may safely pronounce the recent mission, sent
to that country by our Government, mistake.
Mr.. Seward himself virtually confessed it to be
a blunder in the remonstIance he sent by tele.
graph to Paris, shortly before the opening of
Congress. He complained, in substance, that,
duped by the promise of Napoleon, the Presi-
dent had despatched mission to counsel with
JuareZ at the critical point of transition, and
thus was involved in the awkward dilemma of
recalling his ministers and countermandmg
their instructions, or supporting them in oppo.
sIlion TO the de tdctO Government of the country.
Mr.. Seward ought to have learnt, by his expert
enCe in the inception OF the empire, that the
assurances OF the French Government needed to
be taken with some abatement. But the failure
to withdraw a division of the French troops at
The appointed time would have been trivial
matter, if MaXimilian had not, mean while, taken
1t into his head to disappont all the ezpecta-
tions, and disconcert all the arrangements,
which had been founded on his assumed abdi-
cation.
Macmillan refuses to abdicate, and is engaged
in the attempt to reoIganize the empire on a
popular constitutional basis. His plan Is, to
assembly Congress or Convention OF all the
conflicting interests, to have this Convention
devise new organic law on liberal basis, and
to transform the empire, with the consent of
the nation, into a limited constitutional mo.
narchy. If Macmillan possessed the sagacity,
duuleSS, anu SlI6DHlu OI CudIdCIeI Vi lulpG-
rial French patron, this might be possible; but
MaXimilian being what he is, ii is the desperate
struggle OF proud man against the destiny
which threatens to degrade him from the rank
OF soveregns to that OF subjects, and consign
him to history AS the most signal failure OF the
age in which he lived.
But, for the present our Government, by lis
indiscreet haste and its unwary reliance on
French promises, is placed in position which
cannot be considered as enviable. By arresting
Ortega, by snubbing Santa Anna, by bullying
MaXimllan, by resentful remonstrance to
Napoleon, and, though last not least, by sending
a great soldier to support our envoy, our Gov
eminent has contrlyed to do all that any Gov
ernment could do to combine and concentrate
all the internal and all the external opposition
to Juarez. The afIronted Mexican leaders must
have Influence enoEgh in the country to disturb
Juarez, or our Government would not have
thought 1t necessary to obstruct them. The
sehulng OF General Sherman may be too easily
construed as a military menace to please the
| great body OF the nation, which aspires rather
at independence than change OF foreign
| masters. ....H.. .. .. ..
Macmillan must naturally resent it as an
! attempt to put him in his coffin before he Is
! dead and the Church party is understood to be
| adverse to the United States. All parties and
interests in Mexico, and all parties and interests
| out of Mexico, except the supporters of Juarez,
have thus been furnished with fresh m olives for
! resisting American influence. statesman skill
! full and energetic enough to manipulate and
combine these elements of opposition might
| perhaps support himself on the throne. Each
tactlous Mexican leader would prefer his own
chances of ascendancy to the continuance of
the empire; but as between the emp ire and
| Juarez. he might find it easier to submit to a
monarch than to rival. But MaXimilan does
not possess the Vgor or the statecralt to work
| up such q situation. 7 01 l.''. .ar.1 .r'-
Our Government could not do otherwise than
support JuareZ; but it was not necessary 10
take any hasty, ill,judged steps. Till Macmillan
was fairly out OF the country, ii would have
been better to have conniYed at the efforts oI
the Santa Anna and 0rtega factions against
Maximilian. than to have turned them against
Juares by indignities and proVocations. The
sending of great soldier, with fame enough to