The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-16
THE FRENCH EVACUATION OF MEXICO.

| OF MI. seward. Inat M. DrOuyn de duys
had been worried to the point of exhaustion
by the American secretary's dreadful anfrac.
tuosities and vantosities, drawn out for two
or three years, and not altogether uncon-
nected with the insinuated statement and the
furtive assertion of the Monroe doctrine, was
not to be doubted. More than once the native
sweetness of his diplomatic temper was visi-
bly, dashed and curdled with an irrepressi-
bic sense of WEAKNESS and disgust And, in
solemn fact, the bore proved too much for
the poor gentleman's endurance. His public
career did not long survive the fatal business
of keeping up with Mr. Sewarl's prodigious
untiring and unmerciful prolixity on the
Mexican question. He retired from the for
eien department of the government, shat
tered and staggering, with incipient soften
| ing OF the brain, and, in word
neurologicallya ruined man, doomed to spend
the few and sad days remaining to him in
bitter Illumination over the cruel vanities and
the memorable fummeries of the diplomatic
vocation. 1t was even thought that the i'm
perial master, Napoleon, in spite of his Won
derful endowment of phlegmatic fortitude, had
broken down under the Sewardian infection.
Hence, when the threatening note of Deem
Der 6, 1856, from the state department at
Washington, protesting against the further
occupation of Mexico by the French, was fol-
lowed by the official announcement of April
%, 1866, in the Moniteur, that the French
troops would be withdrawn in twelve, eight
teen, and twenty-four months, the American
press, with few exceptions, Immediately
jumped, upon the post hoe propter hoe argu-
ment, to the conclusion that this withdrawal
was determined on in consequence of the
menace. And it is not to be denied that the
published diplomatic records of the time
almost irresistibly supported this view of the
matter. But it turns out at length that so
far as they render such support they convey
an inferential lie. 1t turns out that Mr..
Stewards threatening note was written after he
had been privately advised of the French en-
perors determination to abandon Mexico in the
manner indicated ; and that it was, therefore,
a cheap spirit of diplomatic bravado, the
ejaculation of which had about as much to
do with the actual settlement of the Mexican
question as it had with the next earthquake
or the next eclipse of the sum- Indeed, it
appears that, as far back as May, 1868, Napo-
leon, having concluded that his Mexican
enterprise was a mistake had decided to
give it up and take his army from Mexico
just as soon as he could do so without COM
promising the honor of France and wounding
the sensitiveness of the French people.
These facts are for the first time diyuloed
by the New York Times, at the instance of |
James Watson Webb, who, since Napoleons |
residence. many years ago in the United |
States, has been on terms of personal friend /
ship and private correspondence with him. Mr. !
Webb was informed confdentially through
out of the emperor's views and intentions
Mexico. and finally was made the
medium for communicating verbally and
to the president in 1865 the pur-
pose of the French government to take meas
ures for the evacuation of Mexico. We will
here quote from the Times
1t seems clear, from the documentary evidence
which bas been submitted to US in this matter,
that as early as the 22d of May, 1862 the emperor
10 bis letter 10 General Webb, declared that he
desired very much to withdraw from the Me xican
|
tire bis TROOPS just a. soon as he could do so with
honor and without wounding the sensitive pride
Of the French people. From that determination
be never erved and Mr.. Lincoln died in the fuI
faith that be would fulfill this understanding and
that the Mexican question would thus be settled |
Gen. Webb arrived at Lisbon on his way home
At the close of October, 1865 and wrote from Lis.
Don TO the emperor, announcing his intention to
ssi IN four days for New York from Liverpool |
and inquiring what he could do in regard 20 the
VI Xlcan question. On arrival at SOUTHAMPTON he |
received telegram from the emperor urging him |
TO visit Paris. He went accordingly, and on his |
arrival the evening of the 9Th of November, was
net by invitation to breakfast with the emperor
II 81. Cloud on the following morning. He went |
lnd spent more than two hours with his majesty.
The result was an agreement, subject to the aD-
)roval OF the president, that the French troops
hould be withdrawn from Mexico in twelve eigh-
cen and twenty-four months.
1t was stipulated by the emperor, that our |
Minister in France should know nothing of this
arrangement; and to guard against its becoming
'Ublc by the action Of our Congress, even Mr..
seward was not to have knowledge of it officially
And 1t was further agreed that 1t President John.
on approved OF what had been arranged, General
Webb should write to the emperor to that effect,
nd thus prevent the Arrangement getting into the
oregn Office Of either Countrywide emperor
Hedging himself 10 announce the fact in April
500, through the MOniteur.
General Webb arrived here on the 5th Decem.
er, 1865. he was prohibited from putting pen
lgton the same night and Immediately made his
eport. On the evening of the 9Th December,
S65 MI. Seward called on General Webb and in. I
1rmed him that the president approved of bis ar
sngement with the Emperor Napoleon. aud de-
red him 10 write to the emperor in his (the presi-
ents) name and express his cordisl appreciation q
the proposed settlement of the Mexican Ques-
on.
Mr.. Webb assigns as the reason for his pre-
ous reticence in relation to this subject, | 6
lat, being minister to Brazil, and an agent e
the state department under the previous
ADMINISTRATION, it was injoined upon him by
fetal duty as long as that administration >
'ntinued. But there is no decent reason D
parent why Mr.. Seward should have kent h
s lips sealed touching this secret of the q
rench evacuation of Mexico. All this while p
e emperor of France was laboring undar K
e imputation in his own country of having q
included to retire from Mexico in conse- =,
lence of menacing language on the part of T
e United States Language ut Of