The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-03-24
CURIOUS CHAPTER OF HIS
IDKN.
General James Watson Webb in
His Capacity OF tontldrntlal
Friend OF the Emperor Napo-
leon, - Prevents War with the
United States.
w:lu SEGuTIATEp THE WITHDRAW 4"
THE FRENCH FROM MEAlG".

wuu SEGuTIATED THE WITHDRAW Al OF
THE FRENCH rE"M MEXICO.
The General impression "I The pub.
liz, based upon The puh.l-hrG hIpi"'
matte rrrurd> at The time. - HAT ih"
withdrawal "f the trrnrh 'r""p. from
MrXiro WAS til" r"-tiii at Mr.. Seward {"
lriu and rather mrmarIn" not" "i l'r'
rrrni,rr Il. lSI;J. to NJ. M"uth"l"n. ID"
French Minister. But al! persons ai
all familiar with diplnn ltlr history are
; welt aware tmat formal notes brlw"'n
nations ON romrrnvrrlrd points often
| time, simply record results Which
have been accomplished by other
means. In niue rasr> ont Of ten. the
real aliu>imrut OF international dis.
! pllirS j. effected in quiet conversations
between the ronlrudin% parties. or
those who represent lhrir interests.
and tho diplomatic correspondence"
; which follows merely puts lnl" "ili"ial
! form the result, thu, reached. AS Il
matter Of rnmr>r. This correspondence
4 j. ail the public -'r'> or knows OF III"
, W hole tran.arIium. and give. {" IL the
, shape un,l color which il bears in his
; tory.
We have reason 10 believe that the
withdrawal Of the French from McXic"
/ affords no exception to the general
rule. and that while seeming 10 have
! brcn The result ct til" diplomacy of the
two Governments. and especially OF
! the threatening note from Mr.. Seward.
already referred to. it was in reality
accomplished in Il very different man-
! ncr and by IN entirely different agency.
, Indeed, il il scarcely conceivable that
so samariou, ruler ~ the Emperor ut
France should have allowed himself tn
be forced into Il step which he must
| have known from the outset WAS 4 po-
! lilical necessity. and which hr should
have accepted rs such in anticipation
OF measure, Oh our part which would
expose him TO rrpruarh ami mI.con-
<trIcti0n al home. Indeed, in view Of
; the attacks which have been made up
on him on this very point. il is little
| singular that he mas not long hincr sci
! the real fnrt- Of thr case before the
people OF France.
We have read the original papers.
correspondence and memoranda rcla-
tin. to this subjrct. and may. 1T some
! future day. lay them before the public
-cumtrnting ourselves for the present
with stating that they show that The
real arrangement by which the En-
pcror agreed to withdraw his troops
from Mexico was made by him with
President Lincoln, through the person.
al agency Of General !. Watson Webb,
the former editor OF the Courier and
l;nquircr, who had become personally
acquainted with Louis Napoleon, when
the latter came rs uu exile from France
to this country from Brazil, in 1888, for
whom he had always cherished n warm
personal friendship, and with whom he
had maintained q constant corrcspon-
dcncc. When General Webb was ap-
pointed Minister 10 Brazil in 1861, In
tending to 70 to Rio by way Of Europe,
he waS requested by Mr.. Lincoln to
see the Emperor and learn his views
in relation 10 our then blockade Of the
Southern coast. The interview took
place ut Fontainebleau on the 29th Of
July, and General Webb's report to
President Lincoln Of that interview,
and Mr.. Dayton's representation Of its
influence upon his position was so
satisfactory that q great weight OF
anxiety was removed from tho mind Of
the Executive.
General Webb next visited Lord
John Russell, to whom he was person.
ally well known, and, by invitation,
spent most of a day with linn at Pom