The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-09
FRANCE GIVES UP MEXICO.

our ears ana leave the place..
FRANCE GIVES UP MEXICO.
From the New York Evening post.l
The French government has made q
most important official declaration to
that of the United States, which Mr..
Seward ought 70 have sent to Congress
as soon as it was received. Mr.. Seward
protested against certain inhuman AMI
barbarOus acts of Macmillan in Mexico.
He directed his protest, very properly,
to the Emperor of France, as whose
agent Macmillan entered Mexico. Mr..
Bigelow communicated to the French
government this protest of the United
States against the atrocious acts of Ma
poleon's agent; and on the 30th of Nov
ember he received an official reply, in
which Mr.. Drouyn de Lhuys, on the
part of the Emperor, formally repudia-
ted not merely the acts of Macmillan,
but that person himself. Mr.. Bigelow
I'M. Drouyu de Lhuys referred to the
representation had made in regard to
the shooting of the Mexican prisoners
taken in war, and also to the case of
Madame de Yturbide. Why, he said, do
you not go to President Juarez? We
are not the government of Mexico, and
YOU do us too much honor to treat us as
such. We had to go to Mexico with an
army to secure certain important inter-
ests, but we are not responsible for Maxi
milan or his government. He is &C.
countable to you, as to any other gov
eminent, If he violates its rights, and
you have the same remedies there that
we had"
Nothing can be palmer than this.
Napoleon abandons Macmillan; Maxi
milan is no longer Napoleon's agent,
but an independent usurper, personally
responsible to us and to all the world for
what he does and has done. ave are
not responsible for Macmillan or his
government says M. Druyn de
Lhuys, speaking for his master Napo-
leon.
That is all right. We have no cause
to complain of the Emperor's decision.
We know now where to look, whom to
hold responsible, what to do. And we
trust Congress will lose no time in
taking proper and necessary measures
for the restoration OF republican govern
ment and peace in Mexico. We have
long enough suffered from the scandal
OUS ISdLllLdtiOL CduSCu Ill MCAICO ny
the Austrian adventurer whom NapO-
leon now dsOwns. Our merchants
complain that all their enterprises are
hampered, all their plans disturbed, by
this Mexican trouble. 1t is certain that
been almost destroyed by the distur-
while we are thus injured on the one
L,,J ~, tbo nthar tho oDnJ,of >f l;c
irresponsible mercenaries, and his own
attitude towards us, puts us to the ex-
pense of maintaining o large military
force upon our southern border, an ex-
pense which we ought not to be put to.
1t is the duty of Congress at once to
take such measures in regard to the
Mexican troubles as will secure restor-
alton of peace to our neighbor and ally.
That is to be done only by sending
Macmillan and his mercenaries out of
the country. The government of Juarez,
the constitutional government of Next
co, which Macmillan has not been able,
even with the assistance of France, to
English authority, whenit WAS attacked
government which had made its appear
dtlCc lOI NCdlS, ~ W 40 tilC why Vic w AlCh
seemed likely to be guided by liberal
succeeded in overthrowing one of the
most despicable, disgraceful, sanguinary
systems which ever disgraced and ex-
from the utmost poverty, and striving
of difficulties
1t has not changed. The same wise
statesman is at its head still; he and his
cabinet have still the confidence of the
Mexican people; and to restore peace
and order it is necessary only that the
Austrian usurper, who came over as
Napoleon's agent, shall be warned that
he must leave at once; and II he does
not go, we must oblige him to.
While we blame Mr.. Sew ard for con-
cealing in his desk so important a des.
patch, Napoleon cannot find fault with
him for making his necessary protest to
the French Emperor as Maximilian's
principal. Until this formal renuncia-
ton, all tue world regarded the Arch
duke as merely French agent, and it
did so on good authority. In letter of
instructions to General Forey, dated
July Sd, 1862, Napoleon wrote,
at is not at all to our interest that
the United States should grasp the
whole Gulfof Mexico, and rule thence
the Antilles as well as South America,
and be the sole dispenser of the products
of the New World. IF stable
government be established lin Mexico]
with the aid of France, we shall have
restored to the Latin race on the other
side of the ocean its force and prestige,
etc., etc.
The world had right, therefore, to
look on Macmillan as French agent;
Mr.. Seward was right in making his
protest to the principal, and not to the
agent. But now that this principal
formally disowns his agent and with
draws from the scene, it is our immedi-
ate duty to call Macmillan to account,
and to send him about his business.
l.