The Portland daily press., 1866-11-06

The Pretended Mexican Negotiations.
rumor which first reached us through
the columns of the Boston Journal has been
repeated SO often and so positively as to de-
mand some consideration. 1t has finally
taken the form of definite announcement
chat an arrangement has been made by winch
France agrees to withdraw her troops nom
Mexico by the LIST January next, while the
limited States. in consideration Of this distin-
cuished favor, undertake to insure the pay
ment of the French Mexican claim, ana on
the part of the Mexican Republic Juarez Of
fers to cede to the United States the peninsu-
la of Lower California and the States of So
nora and Chihuahua in return for the s,,nnort
passive or active as the case may be, of the
American Government. 1t is said that Col.
Campbell, the United States Minister Tn Mex
leo, has already left Washington, with full in
sfuetions relative to this arrangement, and
that he will be followed or accompanied by
Lieut.. Gen. Sherman, who will take COM
mand OF the United States forces in Mexico if
there should be any occasion for active opera
tions.
To any careful student of contemporanc-
Gus history, the whole account reads like an
opium dream, monstrous and incredible. 1t
is incredible, in the first place, that even MIR.
johnson should carry matters with quite SO
high hand. That he, single-handed, should
attempt to bind us by a convention reversing
our well-established foreign policy and plung-
ing us into mesh of 'entangling alliances"
that he should undertake to ACQUIRE new fer
Iitory and to establish an American protecto-
rate over Mexico, and assume doubtful debts
which Napoleon has been vainly trying to
collect for more than three years-is il an
American President of whom these things
are said, or are we already living under a
monarchy
But suppose MIR. Johnson, instead of con-
Guiding this arrangement, has been graciously
pleased to await the pleasure of the BODY
hanging on the verge OF the government"
and has merely encouraged France and Next
co 70 believe that such a treaty may be con-
cluded-what then? Even in that case. the
whole story is still absurd. Comonfort, the
Mexican President, resigned Jan. ~, 1859,
and the executive power passed to Juarez.
then Supreme Judge and accordingly entitled
TO the succession by an express constitutional
provision Juarez proceeded to organize gov
eTnmeht and maintained a war with the
CHURCH party for nearly three years. That
war ended Nov.17, 1860, in the complete vic
tory OF the Liberals. Comonfort and Juarez
were electt by the Mexican people, it must
be remembered, under the Constitution of
1851. The Presidents set up during the war
by the Church party, Zuloaga and Milalncn,
had no authority derived from the people. 1t
Vas Miramon however who incurred the
debts which France, SPAN and ENGLAND M
dertook tocollect in 1868, and those debts were
repudiated by the Mexican Congress. when
1t Ieassembled after the restoration of the Lib
eral government. Juarez was elected Presi-
dent NJ 1851 His refusal to acknowledge the
debt incurred by Mexican rebels was the pres
text for the French invasion. The invasion
has come to grief We do not believe the
Mexican people viii acknowledge now the
debts they disowned in 1861, swollen by the
costs OF the war waged by their subiugation.
The United States might as well have lett to
the French the task of enforcing payment of
those debts, IL that is the plan If we are to
pay the debt, the Mexicans may not perhaps
OBJECT, but the American people probably will.
So much for one feature of the arrange
ment' The story that Juarcz has promised
to ALLEVIATE aportion of the Mexican territory
Tor consideration" is equally Improbable
Jutlez has well-earned reputation for prob
lty aud reverence for the laws. Under the laws
he has not the faintest sl1adow of authority to
make any such cession. When the Mexican
Congress adjourned on the last day of May,
1868, ten days before the occupation of the
capital by French troops, 1t had conferred up
on Juarez dictatorial lowers The constitu-
ton authorized and the occasion Justified
this action. 1t is by virtue of these powers
and by reason Of the state of war preventing
an election, that Juarez decreed prolonga-
ton OF his presidential term, which would
regularly have expired nearly year ago.
now these extraordinary powers are limited
only in respect to the alienation of national
territory. The second section of the act
reads
The Executives hereby fully authorized and
empowered to take such steps and adopt such
measures as in his Judgment may be necessary
uhder the existing circumstances without otiI-
er restrictions than that OF saoing the indeoend-
ence ana integrity of the national territora. the
FORM OF government established by the Con
sntutlon and the principles and laws of reform.
Juasez has accordingly no more authority
to cede Lower California to the United States
than he has to cede the United States to Low
erCalitornia. His dictatorship ceases with
the war, by the term; OF the act. 1t will then
he his duty to order an election of President.
and the new President will he simply the
agent OF the Mexican Congress, with which
we shall have to deal. Whether that Con-
gress will ask FOR an American protectorate is
az least doubtful Ifit does, it ought not to
be granted Let US settle our own affairs. let
US pacity our own Mexico, before we under
take to NEEDLE with matters which concern
our neighbors. France had no business
there. Very well. Now let the Mexicans.
relieved from foreign intrusion, arranse.their
domestic difficulties as they see fit.
The POPE ON THE FENIANs AND CAN.nA
In dispatch from our Minister at Rome re-