The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-04-24

The Withdrawal OF the French from
Mexico-The Omcial Notification.
We have the information from Washington
that Count Montholon, the French Minister, on
Saturday last waited upon the Secretary OF
State and presented the formal adhesion OF
the French government to the American prin-
ciple Of non-intervention as explained by our
government" that the Emperor Napoleon
kindly and cordially replies to the United
States, and engages to withdraw his troops in
three detachments, one Of them next Novem-
Der, and the others in May and November,
1867. An abstract Of the correspondence on
the subject, in answer to recent resolution
Of the House of Representatives, was laid
before that body yesterday by Secretary Sew
ard and published in the HERALD this morning.
Accepting these promises of Napoleon in
good faith, and with the full belief that he has
relinquished the "grand idea" suggested by
Marshal Forey, we may now consider the
Mexican question settled in favor of the Mon
roe doctrine. We accept the engagement to
withdraw the French troops as the surrender Of
the whole case by Napoleon, the inevitable
alternative resulting from the downfall of Jef
Davis. Upon this point it is not unlikely that
in the outset Napoleon was led astray by
the dazzling representations Of Slidell OF
the monopoly of American commerce
by Southern consederacy, and
French protectorate in Mexico, established I'M
der firm alliance on the basis of free trade.
Napoleon, however, is prepared for q graceful
retirement He falls back upon his Mexican
indemnities. For these he looks to Macmillan,
and to secure them he delays the recall of the
last instalment of the French troops till No
vember, 1867. In the interval Macmillan
must "make his hay while the sun Shines" but
as it appears that no French reinforcements
are going in to supply his losses in the field
we shall not be surprised if the removal OF the
first detachment were to start his Imperial
Majesty of Mexico out of "the halls of the
Montezumas" on the road to Vera Cruz. The
liberals, in some mysterious way, are beginning
to be supplied with efficient arms, and from
their present activity between Matamoros and
Mazatlan we are inclined to think that the de-
parture Of the first instalment Of the French
will be the signal for a combination of liberal
movements which will give them their capital.
1t must be remembered, meantime, that, ac-
cording to Napoleon, the government of Maxi
milan is a creation of the Mexican people, as
expressed in special election in the presence
of the French troops. After the withdrawal of
those troops, therefore, and the set
Element of certain French indemnities,
If the Mexican people should forcibly
expel or earnestly invite Macmillan
to remain and rule over them, it is their affair,
and not Napoleon's. He is pledged to the
French people, after the fashion of the Bona
parties, to respect the popular will. Thus the
nephew and his uncle were each confirmed as
Emperor of the French, and thus Macmillan,
by the popular will, as the French have been
made to understand it, is Emperor of Mexico.
While Napoleon, then, withdraws his troops
in Difference to the United States, he leaves
Macmillan still subject to the will Of the Mexi-
can people. This Is doubtless the understand
ing between Louis Napoleon and Andrew
johnson, and We incline to the opinion that
it will be perfectly satisfactory TO President
Juarez and the Mexicans. In "the formal sd-
hesion Of the French government to the Amer
lean principle Of non-intervention" we secure
all that we desire from Napoleon, and IL would
be absurd to suppose that Austria, with or
without his consent would undertake to estab-
lish a transatlantic imperial protectorate
which Napoleon has formally abandoned as
blunder and failure.
1t is stated that the Secretary Of State has
given instructions to our Minister at Vienna
regarding the sending of Austrian soldiers to
Mexico, and that he protests against such
action in terms that cannot be very well mis-
understood by the Austrian government
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