The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-09
ANOTHER CHAPTER OF SECRET
HISTORY.

The account which General Schofeld
gives in the Century Magazine for May OF
the efforts of this government to eXpel the
French from Mexico is very interesting as
showing the purpose of the administration
of that time to maintain the Monroe doe
trine. Napoleon III had taken advantage
of our civil wal to set up an empire IN
Mexico by it's conquest. In the midst of a
terrible war the Lincoln administration
protested. but the possible nephew OF his
uncle politely minated that it was none
of our business. Abraham Lincoln and his
able secretary of state, Mr.. Seward, held
differently. Even while our civil wal was
engrossing attention, it is evident that
these Americans, Lincoln and Seward, Kept
an eye upon the movements in Mexico. In
the article in the Century General Schoteld
tells that he was put in direction OF the
measures designed to compel the French
TO leave Mexico in June, 1865; that troops
were collected on the Texan border; that he
went to Paris and had interviews with
Prince Napoleon and others high in au-
thority. and that soon after the French
retired from Mexico, leaving Macmillan to
his fate.
If General Wallace should think it worth
his while he could give a chapter of history
covering an earlier period which would
show that President Lincoln and General
Grant. even before the close of the war,
took stems to assist the Republic of Mex
leo. which at that time was apparently on
the eve of extinction. The correspondence
between Generals Grant and Wallace, In
one of the late volumes of the Official
Reports Of the Union and Confederate
Armies" gives a clew to the mission to
which General Wallace was assigned in
January. 1866. The correspondence shows
that General Wallace was sent to the
Texan border for the purpose of inducing
the Confederate leaders in that State TO
surrender and by so doing obtain the terms
which Grant subsequently gave to Lees
army. Some pretext had TO be made for
the appearance of a major general and his
staff on the border of that portion of Texas
held by the Union army, looking across the
river into Mexico. If that officer had been
assigned no command his presence would
have caused suspicion both on the part of
the French and the Confederates. SO Gen.
Wallace was there to discuss the scheme
of surrender with such officers of the Con-
federate army as he could meet. He was
soon able to open a correspondence with
certain subordinate officers, which culmin-
ated in a long visit of these officers to Gen.
WaIlace's headquarters. where they were
Toasted for two days and two nights, dur
ing which time General Wallace not only
impressed them with the Importance of
the Confederates in Texas negotiating for
peace; incidentally, he ascertained their
sentiments toward the cause of the Re
public of Mexico. The officers whom Gen.
Wallace met were SO much inclined TO his
proposals that they consented 10 send his
proposition TO the Confederate headquar-
tiers in Texas. This took some time. AS
might be expected, the reply was an in
dlgnant refusal to consider the proposition
because it involved the betrayal Of the Con-
federacy.
These negotiations took considerable
time, and time was what General Wallace