New-York tribune., 1867-05-02
BlEXICO.
LETTER TO SENATOR SUMNER on TIE CONDITION


,t9e Foryign Atdrs, United states SENATE, H@'"-
'pg'0H, d. @.
SIR: In matter that not only very greatly con
Germs the material interests Of the United States put
which. in the opinion Of very many enlightened minas
both within and without country, very seriously
touches our national honor sure you VIII agree
with me as 20 the importance OF gentleman III !Vul
high position being possessed Of such mioihlauon " "
the present condition of Mexican affairs ana 'o pr
priety Of official action the part OF our
can be effected by fair and oreditaDie 'eS''i"o"'
Testimony am prepared to render. ,..o
With vour peruission will respectfully submit 10 you
consideration the impressions when nave iOH
,roracted residence in Me~fco' personal o"leuSo
OF and ACQUAINTANCE with It's domesuc IoAtVs' anu many
., a. rtv leaders; and estimation OF the Nalue' uh-
A. fyo,eb,e auspces Of that prolific land to the manu-
featuring the mining and the commercial interests OF the
United States
I, not my object either to applaud that for
eign policy which sont Maximian 60 disputed throne
do not desire to open questions that are already deciaeu
tina minds Of most men, But do desire In the present
condition Of the affairs of that Prince ana al tnne
WHOM as il seems tome, Mexico 40 well as mhSei 10 IN
Imminent peril present to the Consideration Ol roio'
tng men such statements If true land supl. oh my
own knowledge that they are)' shoulo cohSiOcia"'
modify the action of our own people ana Government
Va, san Bias and Guadalaiara in the sum
n,er of 1854 I went to the City OF Mexico on
business which, if successful, wond seriously proh'
American citizens and aid in the process Of Mexican CIV
izatou Maximian had then but recently entered IhaF
dstrartcd country ana first saw him in the Autumn OF
that year at Guanajuao, and Iremember how ms yout
basTinS and face manners made him the oiject of adj
mrs9n OF q geoSd S neeRtf eRtf % 1ehusasic hurrahs they
styewel tho ways by which he passed with hoWeI% % ana
was 10 obtain such privileges from the Mexican Govern
inent "a should place the control of the Pacific
in the hands OF American citizens at that PERIOD an te
Mexican sea ports both shores Wen as all the pin
cipal towns ard cities through tho Empire IL ng
have been anticipated that under all the crcgs~nees ~
hs situation Maximilian would have Declined 10 IL en @
70 my proposals IL % wor neo 70 C EnTo1ean enterprise
It might have been popular to have insisted on MeA
and thrift of onr people were unknown TO that enght
suler and the concession sought for was o9talne1
THIS was the establishment by of our cmef New
York cOfnmercalhouses OF two lines OF steamships 10 he
MeEcan ports on the page G%@ Win 2 g3 mber M of
years and although diplomatic relations between O own
5oyernment and the dc fdeto administration of Mexico
were suspended commercial relations could not be- and
my position was, therefore, deprived of any official lniu-
granted was the subject of little surprise TO some OF
my foreign competitors, whose jealousy OF tne ooS9
states was no secret and whose pTOered terms mght
have been considered more advantageous tIah my OWL OWL
WSsh & SecaSh SSc op Conduct of Maximan and the
views then conceived as to his character ana wnch
native of reputation that met in the country have not
at all been shaken by later events 10 MsSg
the same encouragement at the hands OF MaAmian ana
the Empress; my efforts IN behalf ot American interests
were for second time successful
IN April last the attorney OF another eminent firm OF
mission this time extremely difficult one 1t was
than toprocure the ratification by the Governmet
Of the old Louisianaand Iehuantepee COMPANY gIant
and permission 10 change the name o the company IL
having passed into the bands Si be ia SIeso set
therfaces against the project as tey nave done @
represented they objected permitting to Americans the
exclusive control Of the valuable traffic OF and right OF
successful The affair was settled a1ter menola9ie
struggle to our own satisfaction ana tne EdnpSo S an
cree which several millions OF francs were offered by
= European company though the policy of the French
Emperor to withdraw his expeditiOnary corps from the
country already known to be fixed fact OF course
fail in suOh undertakings. But neither was am
enough 10 attribute them to any diplomatic act or
merit of mine, to amy other cause than that which
have always considered to be correct one, which IS
briefly this: Maximlian is an acute observer He IS
we-educated and humane gentleman, but by no means
devoid OF ambition that last lntlrnity OF nOble minds
% e1 wa1 TO Mfamon % after tie French he
30 Mexico with the idea at'he should be aee 10
lead its people from their anarchcal by-ways OF past
years the great natural higway Of order and pros pros
For every reason he sought like wise man, to court
the friendship Of Americans He saw IN them the genus
and the activity that Indispensable TO promotefhe
material development OF Mexean resources ana 70 re
neighbors itwas in the last degree important that
. countries. Events have falsited his hopes. His
thro9 has sumbed away d his he hangs hang ,S, on
aud ,tranquilzed, rent by civil war, and
deadly enemy because most insidious foe
BY result Of policy have given the socaed
the French bayonets hedge in the throne,
and by all appearances the cause OF NaXlmilan seems
KIT brief space since we officially sent an accredited
representative 10 the United States accompanied by one
Qlr most famous generals preceded by the truhpet OF
the press. to deal, not with MaxmilaI. whom at least
they might have found and seen but with sehor Juarz
whom they could not But that suppose could not be
helped.
eordng 10 what is called the constitution IN Mexico Jua-
rez isnOw nothing but private citizen In fac there Is
to-day legal executive in Mexico az all, such
legality with Maxmilian's tenure But the libe-
raj party in the ascendant and, deal with which
entatVe of that party we Will doubtless
nave to treat with the party when 20
the consideration Of Mexican affairs
Now Sir, let ask If you have sufficiently considered
the character Of this party compared with that Of the
AdheTents OF MaXimlian, and Of MaxinilaA himself
The % w"rs of the current charges against Msxilian is
that founded his decree Of October B. 1866 This
issued when the country was for Mexico, almost in
state Of peace-when the Liberals had organized army
In the feldwbeR IN nine out OF 10 the only forces
ind stage cOach robbers who ,cred stand and deliver"
a balsa la vida" in the name Of Juarez just they
might do under any other name. .
The prOmulgation Of il urged a necessity by all
the Ministers OF State, who themselves were eminent
Mexicans and Liberals such as Ramirez Lacunza Robles
Pezuala fSeiceo, and Others all OF whom visited the
French Intervention, and il bore their signatures.
to the system of organized piuage and murder
and win assert without fear OF eontIadic-
ton that not single officer Of the Republic,
solitary citizen of reputation. however strong his
Patg Predeletons was ever executed under that de
mans idea OF his interest mot 10 say his duty toward
his people has been TO their lives rather than TO take
Dess TO respite the condemned are OF public note,
va a ia hight S O m @ s cRe Sss eOnyeeG vi b
French Court Martial Of pundeTing at least Of hav'
gates OF the capital city. equivalent the stop
page and plunder Of the train from Baltimore
ordered the cuprit fore4ecuton, and he shot, hut
not with Maxlmans consent His efforts 70 save the
man'slfe weresprOmpt though frutess. The was
one in which, in military eyes, seemed to call for
example and TO prevent the EnperOrs respite, the
fortunste was taken ont and shot ere the EmperOrs
reprove could arrive at camp.