New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-24
GRANT IN PEACE.
BY GENERAL ADAM BADEAU.
XXI.
THE FRENCH IN MEXICO.

| Copyright 1886.
| Grant always reg srtle tho French occupation OF
| Mexico aud the establishment of the Empire Of
Mavimilian part of the ate npt to subvert our
own Republic, and his indignation at the course
of Naooeon hi. this continent was both &C tive
and outspOken, even during the wIr l often
heard HIM declare at Civ Point that as soon as
had disposed of the CDnfelerates we must begin
with the Imperialists; and when the Rebellion
was actually crushed, it became his first object to
insure the expulsion Of tho French from the neigh
| boring country. On the first day of the grand
| review at Washington in S6j he hurried Sheridan
OFT to Texas, not leaving him time to witness the
conc usion of tho pageant, AMI gave him secret
! orders to watch the course of events on the Rio
| Grande.
| Grant in Iced at this tims hoped that Johnson
could be induced to issue n peremptory demand for
the withdrawal of the French and In of non
compliance at once offer armed assistance to the
Republicans With this hope he moved largo
body of troops to the frontier, AMI Sheridan I'M
derstood that no not to be cautious about
| provoking the Imperial forces on the other side.
| But the government of Johnson did not share
Grants views 1t is probable that tho President
himself might have been brought to concur in
| them, but Seward was entirely opposed to the
| course that Grant recommended. 1t the
difference between the soldier and the diplomatist.
Grant was for prompt action, peremptory demands,
menaces and, if necessary, war. though he did not
believe that war would ba necessary Seward
hoped to accomplish the same object by waiting for
events, by skllful management by diplomatic
notes and protocols. Besides this, seward may
nave thought the province his ON, that he
entitled to bring alb nut the result in his way
and achieve the triumph that belonged to his own
Department. At any rate he did his best to
Nv RI he 3sl y a. q "
in the Clbinet al besides in h.rmo ny with ths
Presidents domestic policy, he won the day His
views finally controlled the action Of the Govern
ment. 1t little while, however, before the
contest was decided, and when Grant first found
the influence of tho Secretary hostile, he was not
Mt all discouraged, although dlsOleassd. Since he
could not have tho assistance of Sew ard be resorted
to means of his own dsvisDy. For he was very
much in earnest, and believed that dilatorv
diplomacy might. result in the establishment of an
empire in Mexico.
Three months after the close of the he sent
General Schofed, in whose ability and discretion
he had great confidence, a peculiar erranI
Schofeld was nOminay orlered to make an in
spection of tho troops the Rio Grande, but he
was furnished with leave of absence with per mis-
sion to visit Mexico This hal granted with
the concurrence of the President, who hal full
knowledge of the object in view.
At the same time Grant wrote to Sheridan that
there must be large amount of CAPTURED ordn ance
IN hls CON nind, as we'll ~ similar articles" LETT
there by discharged Union soldiers Sheridan was d.
reCted to ssnd noue of these articles to the North
Rather place the.n," said 'iralt, convenient to
be permitted to go into Mexico, If they can be got
into the hands OF the defenders OF the DOLLY govern
ment We recognize In that country" ue continued
hope General schohed may 60 with oriors to receive
ia. 1. he u,t
en"ra ~ to et HIM n, 20 them II c"ntrary order,
not received 1t is red Diet rnn 'ton On tus part
o. t peo.o VI ' re & -, tn Liant ln tnt an
onpre shall ssta.she tnls contlnsnt ny ia.
It es il to- he avoioi bis but t viii be Srttsr to
go to war no when nut little al giy'n to the Mxlcan'
rr.,ter war ARA 10 ONE II DELAYED ntil the snpr, ia
est hilshei We wa t. tom to an the Mercans wtnout
France Between tue would o. emplrs or Msximlfan
aud tue Untea states all iic'lty can easily pe settle
observed to war MS for fonr years Tus ttle
nsonlt as e'ter OF Instruct Gus 10 De SQvermet 10y.
hoe VIII tls you my receive tn+s' instructions III
Tore ou however tnat Is gre test uese Is rlI 10 see
tl' L'neral GoVrrnmont restored III hexco' ani 40
% paao " , , saU s'u lii, 81 our 'S ~
ehs am eniotee .e ueunu Win 20 wupie 'ttengtn OF
sne Oec H' .h @i s1 u" MI ro Svs, y?a
ts,y rs tbat y"u M. dec,sd m ,,scary ali tha man
you INNS can o' nret .oun n" ~ % ~, ,eas
M wi liz '" ~, ar sx T s"u w. 49, ,n !, "
an WIZ ~ n o. si;. ~ =, t', e sr a'tT
%o s Gre N orr "'' una
This letter was delivered to SehOieli to carry to
g, !, -. - .,..,-.L = -, - ~. -.
Snerltan III was on Ohe -)CD Oh july, loo', tniC
Grant wrots: " Ii is the ixel determ alton Of the
,o,I, of RI, fr,;tai St,ta, t,,,t a, a min, .,,u
p'"P'o VI 'u" O"'o'' 'U"''' '"'" 'H '"P''' '"'"
not DO established on this continent by the All
30 for.,,, h,v,,,t. ana an tha tth of Sant.ni,sr
Vi 'oi''Su '"S'to" "i' WI 'u' Wv" y, ''opO'"'''
following Mr Seward wrote 20 Mr. Bl9eo N, our
uin,st.r ., Er,nca. " VA do not i,.st mr. cI,in
"' W " " W ~ " ~
That Mexico anu tho other states on tho American
,,,,;,o,t oh #, al ,,t tha n,,;,ic 1, ,,.t,tufn,.tn
''i''"'"' ' 'e' 'o p'' w.
which we are 50 earnestly attdchSi, out W. do
hold That the oeopls of those countries are 10
exercise the free ION Of choosing an establishing
institutions IKE our own, il theg are prcerre l."
rhe ifcrence in tone an angulgs between the
sol lier aud tho st ltesnan W., indicative of the
difference in the means they desire to employ to