The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-12
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Baaereft's history or Mckee.

Outside OF tho necessarily brief notices
contained in the encyclopaedia, English and
American readers find 1t extremely difficult to
procure formati concerning the recent and
contemporary history Of the Mexican republic.
It Ia, therefore, an important service which
Mr.. II. II. BANCROFT has rendered us in q ca
paclous volume OF 700 pages, which brings
down his HistorV Of MeIico New York. F. NJ.
Derby from the yenr 1861 to 1887. The
period covered Is, We Mood not say, the most
e~ventful in the history OF tho country since Its
liberation from Spanish rule. embracing as 1t
does the Joint occupation Of Vera Cruz by Span
ish, British. and French forces, the conquest OF
the larger part OF the Mexican territory by the
French. the establishment and collapse OF the
empire, tho rehabilitation OF republican gov
eminent under Juarez. and the successive Ad-
ministrations OF Lerdo. Diaz, Gonzalez. and
uor a second term) Diaz. For a right under
standing Of all Of the events, policies. and in
dividualities belonging to the last quarter OF n
century, this book Of Mr., Bancroft's Is indis-
pensable
1t is not generally known that the participa-
ton OF Great Britain In the tripartite interven-
ton OF the three powers to compel payment OF
tho Mexican debt. would have been averted
had Juarez been Loyalty supported by his own
countrymen. But at tho critical moment the
Legislature proved less far-sightsd and patri-
otto than tho Executive. On Nov. 81. 1851, or
almost a month before the arrival Of the Span
fish feet at Vera Cruz, Juarez had succeeded In
arranging q convention between his Minister
Of Foreign Affairs and Sir Charles Wyke,
whereby all questions at issue between Eng
land and Mexico. and especially those connect
cd with tho payment Of the bonds, we're settled.
Nothing came OF this important agreement,
because the Mexican Congress- refused to rati-
~ 1t. This refusal. which brought Mexico to
the verge Of ruin, must be attributed to Lerdo
do Tejada, whose followers controlled tho Con-
gress. The reactlonists we're also active In
many OF the Mexican States. and ZuloaRa. who
called himself President. declared in a circular
dated only four days before the seizure OF Vera
Cruz by a Spanish force. that he would favor
the tripartite Intervention, II it intended to
give the country q good government.
1t appears that. according to tho original
agreement between the three allied powers.
tho e1peditionary land forces were to consist
of 5000 paniards, 5000 French. and 700 Ing
lishmen. The Spanish commander was Gen.
Prim. who had married a Mexican heiress, the
niece OF Juarez's Minister Of the Treasury.
Prim was. We are told. acquainted with the
French plan to establish d monarchy in Mexico,
but was not instructed to lend his cooperation
because the candidature OF an Austrian Prince
was distasteful to Spain. He was careful In
the proclamation that he put forth on Jan. 10.
Aoo6s w oSihi ~ vi ~
in Mexican politics. On the other hand. the
French representative, acting under secret in
structions. issued an ultimatum. some OF whose
provisions were obviously incompatible with
Mexican independence. One OF the pecuniary
claims. also. that OF the Swiss banker Jecker
lin which the Duo de Morny Is believed to have
been interested) was declared inadmissible
by both tho Spanish and British plenipoten-
tiaries. The basis OF this fraudulent and
upuoh.talkad.o f claim VIVA n aaappa nm nparu- |
ton Of the Miramon Government. to which.
Just before 1t collapsed. Jecker X Co.
lent $75O.000. receiving therefor fifteen
million dollars in treasury bonds. France
demanded the payment Of the. whole
amount, although Jecksr did not become a
French citizen until moro than two months az
ter the exorbitant renuisition had been made.
The records Of the Mexican department show
that the whole amount due to French citizens,
including the sum advanced byJecker. fell con- !
, sidsrably short OF 90, 0 0,00O. Tho smallness OF
this obligation offers conclusive proof that
Franco had from the outset a dishonest pur-
pose In organizing tho t%ripartits Intervention
On tho other hand. Great Britain, to whose SUBJ
jects were due about s7O.0G0.000 had reusona-
BILE grounds for attempting to secure Guaran-
tees OF aymen
There is no doubt that Prim behaved we'll in
Mexico. Not only did he repudiate the Jecker
DOuQS, DuL on r6O. ~, 1907, arranRou u cOnS6n-
r ton with Juarez's Minister OF Foreign Affairs.
by which the independence Of Mexico, and her
right to manage her own internal affairs, we're
fully recognized. The French representative.
as well as the British. ratified this convention.
but within two months such grave differences
arose between the commissioner that the
Spanish and British envoys resolved to re-
embark their forces. Grateful for their refusal
to sanction the French scheme Of conquest. tho
Mexican Government offered to conclude n
treaty with Spain and England for the payment
OF their claims, and one was actually entered
into with Sir Charles Wyke. 1t is important to
keep these facts in mind II We would realize
the i~nlquity OF the Mexican expedition. The
countries which really had claims-namely.
Spain and Standardization was not only will
ing to pay. but able to do so. having arranged
to borrow a large sum OF money in tho
United States. France. to whom she owed next
= to nothing, would be satisfied with nothing less
: than the humiliation of the nations indo-
pendence.
1t is the circumstances preceding the tri-
partite Intervention which arc often misunder-
stood. On the causes that led to the evacuation
OF Mexico by the French we need not dwell, ms
they have become we'll known since tho publ
cation OF Mr.. Sewarl's diplomatic correspond
snoe. There has been of late. however. some
controversy with regard to the agencies by
which the surrender OF Maximilian was brought
about. To data bearing on this subject Mr..
Bancroft has devoted u good deal of space. As
regards the alleged dessrtion OF Macmillan by
Bazaine. Mr.. Bancroft does not think the evil
denoe collected by him ~justihes the accusation
OF treachery which has been levelled at the
Marshal There Is no proof that he offered to
surrender to Gen, Diaz ali the towns in
French possession, and even tho persons OF
Macmillan and his leading supporters.
According to Mr.. Bancroft. this charge
rests on nothing but tho misinterpreted utter
ance OF an agent sent to confer with him
about the formation of n new government. The
fact that he was never called TO account after
his return to France seems to warrant the as
sumption that In oil his acts. however brutal,
he only followed his masters instructions. Tho
insdeauacy Of Maximilian's resources after
the departure OF the French is shown by the
fact that whom he SGT out from tie canital for