The New York herald., 1869-03-13
Who Backed Napoleon Ont Of Mcxsco -
Who Killed Cock Robin


Who Killed Cock Robins
We have an extraordinary Minister at
Brazil He'is officially recognized as General
James Watson Webb, Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary, &C., but is
famliarly known as the Chevalier Webb. He
has been attending to the affairs Of the United
States at Rc6aneiro for eight long years, and
has managed to keep things very lively down
there pretty much all the time without getting
us into actual war. But it appears from late
mysterious exposition, published since the
retirement of Andy Johnson and his Secretary
of State, that the Cheyalier Webb, besides his
important questions of diplomatic etiquette
and his active labors in the affairs of Brazil,
Paraguay and the Argentine confederation,
and his misunderstanding with Admiral Davis,
&C., has had some other diplomatic irons in
the fre-that, in short, the country is indebted
to Webb, among other things, for the quiet
backing out of Louis Napoleon from Mexico.
The case thus made out for Webb is as full
Of dates and specifications, and is as plausible
in the argument as the statement of Cunning
ham concerning the Rogers murder. Briefly
summed up it amounts to this: That en- route
to Brazil in 1861 the Chevalier Webb
dropped in at Paris to have little
diplomatic tete-a-tete with his old
friend and pitcher the Emperor Napoleon,
which resulted in promise from the Emperor
to respect President Lincoln's blockade Of the
rebel States. Secondly, that when the said
Webb heard Of the Franco Macmillan adven-
ture into Mexico he made another trip across
the Atlantic and had another confidential chat
with Napoleon, in which he was advised to
back out of Mexico, this good advice resulting
in promise from the Emperor to back out If
we did not threaten or attempt to bully him out.
This secret understanding, it next appears,
was confined to Webb, Napoleon and Lincoln;
for, to keep it out of the newspapers, 1t was
not made known to the Secretary Of State.
So 1t was that when Andrew johnson went
into the White House in 1865 he and Seward,
both being ignorant of,Webb's arrangement,
commenced to open fire on the French usurpa-
was to be lost, and 80 the Chevalier Webb
lost no time in another trip from Brazil to
Paris and in securing another confidential
chat with Napoleon, the result of which was
the final agreement under which the French
troops were withdrawn from Mexico, our Min
lister at Paris, as well as our Secretary Of
State, still being left in the dark until the
settlement was accepted by Mr.. Lincoln.
s'Thus," says this exposition from the Cheva-
lier Webb, s'thus it appears that the State De-
partment had nothing whatever to do with
the settlement of the Mexican question"
It was all done through the Chevalier
Webb and his old friend. Secretary
Seward had the wool pulled over his
eyes, and was indulged throughout the French
occupation Of Mexico in his superfuous and
preposterous semi belligerent diplomatic cor
respondence with the French Minister Of State.
Poor old mani What a grim joke was this of
Webb against his conhding benefactor, the
man who had been the saving and the making
of Webb! Is not this requital worse than that
Of the courageous donkey kicking the dead
lion?
But the Chevalier Webb, whether hauled
over the Goals by the sage of Auburn or treated
by him with silent contempt, cannot be allowed
to monopolize the glory Of backing Napoleon
out Of Mexico. We have no doubt that the
Chevalier Colorado Jewett and the Chevalier
Thurlow Weed and other volunteer diplomats
had finger in this Mexican pie. For the
present, however, we are content in bringing
forward the rival claims Of the Chevalier
Wikof. He, too, Is an old personal friend OF
Louis Napoleon, and the friendship between
these two wonderful men began in the prison
of Ham, where friend in need was q friend
indeed. The Chevalier Wikoff can tell q
score of personal conversations with Napoleon
for every one Of these diplomatic interviews Of
Webb, and he knows all about the entente
cordials Of 1853 against Russia between Eng
land and France; for Wikoff in this matter was
the confidential messenger employed between
Napoleon and Lord Palmerston. Now, then,
for the Mexican claims Of the Chevalier Wikoff
against the pretensions Of the Chevalier Webb.
Under the peaceful dispensation of Andy
johnson the Chevalier WikoK was seized with
the brilliant idea Of solving the Mexican problem
in trip to Paris and q talk with his old
friend Napoleon, who Is always glad to see
Wikof. It was evident that Seward was
cropping in the dark, and SO Wikof, with or
without the advice and consent Of the Senate
or the State Department, went over to Paris
and laid the great mistake and the great dan
ger Of Napoleon's s'grand idea" Of protccto-
rate over Mexico fairly and freely before the
Emperor. We have sort Of an impression
that the views of Wikoff thus delivered con-
vinced Napoleon that his only course OF
safety was to back out of Mexico. We have
not the exact facts or details Of this mission
of Wikof before us, but we presume that he
will cheerfully, If called upon, supply them.
Accordingly we call upon him for the facts