Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-12-14
A. Startling Rumor.

N Oval tithb humoi.
A Washington letter to the Chicago
Times says:
A rumor of rather a startling nature
prevails here to-day, in substance as fol-
lows: 1t is said that France and Eng
land are anxious to preserve the statu
gao in Canada and Mexico respectively,
and have entered into some stipulations
for that purpose. England breads an
other Fenian invasion of Canada, and
France views with alarm the recent de-
monstrations that have been made on
our part towards Mexico. / believe the
rumor does not 90 so far as to say that
there is an alliance between France and
England which may lead to a war OF
those two countries against the United
States, if Canada is again invaded, or if
the French troops in Mexico come into
collision with ours, but such an inference
may plainly be drawn from it.
1t is certain that the military prepara-
tons that have been made by England
to repel the next Fenian invasion of
Canada are on formidable scale. And
it is said that even if Maximilian does
leave Mexico, the French must and will
remain there, for the following reasons:
After Napoleon had conquered Mexico,
in 1862, he adopted different course
for getting his indemnity for the past
and security for the future from what
we had adopted in l847. Instead of seiz-
ing upon three or four rich Mexican
States, and making French provinces of
them or instead, even of keeping pos
session of the country till its revenues
had satisfied the French claims against
Mexico, he gave to that country what he
hoped would be stable government
1t rs proved beyond all question, not
only by the early diplomatic correspond
ence fthe French Government with Mr..
Seward on the subject, but also by Napc-
Icons instructions to Gen. Forey, that
Napoleon never intended the occupation
of Mexico by the French troops to be
permanent, but that he always looked to
the moment when the last French soldier
could be withdrawn from Mexico. This
period was supposed to have arrived last
summer. The United States had ex-
pressed strong dissatisfaction at the con-
tinued presence of French troops in
Mexico. AT our urgent request Napoleon
agreed to withdraw them in three detach
ments, but only because he believed the
government of Macmillan could stand
without their aid, and only after Mr..
Seward had given him positive pledge
of the continued neutrality and non.
Intervention of the United States. All
the arrangements for the withdrawal of
the first detachment of the French troops
had been made, when it became evident,
as it is alleged, that Mr.. Seward pledge
had been violated on the part Of the
United States TO such an extent as to rem
der the throne of Maximilian insecure,
and to impose the necessity upon France,
either to abandon Mexico altogether, and
to abandon also the French claims upon
Mexico, or else to retain possession of
the country by French troops, and to as
sumo again the position occupied by
France in Mexico in 1863.
France, 1t is said, has no desire to re-
tain permanent possession of Mexico;
she has made every arrangement to re-
move her troops and her flag from that
country. But she cannot be driven off
by the United States; nor can she relin-
quish her hold upon Mexico until she has
received from Mexico full satisfaction of
her claims, She hoped to obtain tha.
indemnification gradually, and through
the workings Of Mexican government.
But since that government, as il is al
legged, has been subverted by the United
States and since, as it is further alleged,
the United States manifest disposition
to sc ize upon Mexico themselves, therefore
France will retain that possession of
Mexico which she now holds, until some
arrangements can be made by which the
French claims may be paid.
Such is the substance of the union. If
it be true, it merely places France and
the United States in the same relative
position which they occupied in 1863
France had conquered aud was holding
Mexico, and we had acknowledged her
right to make war on Mexico and to
secure the fruits of conquest, 1t does
not seem to be much of en- Improvement
upon the situation as it existed six
months ago. 1t is quite likely that the
facts upon which this rumor are based
have given rise to the statement that
France does not intend to withdraw any
of her troops from Mexico this year.