The Washington herald., 1906-12-30

| The mystery surrounding the purposes
OF Louis Napoleon, Emperor Of France,
in allowing many regiments Of French
/ troops to remain In Mexico in the civil
war days, after England and Spain had
withdrawn. and the reasons for the final
evacuation. are fully explained in letter
| from the Emperor 10 Gen. James Watson
Webb which has been recently dlscOv-
cred, says the Boston Herald. The
French Emperor states that he was
drawn into the Mexican affair through
Spain and the misdeeds Of Juarez that
it was much against his wishes that he
should be required to conduct a campaign
/ in Mexico. and that he would withdraw
as soon as honor would permit. He did
not withdraw his troops in 1861
/ The United States government had
! been bringing pressure 10 bear on France
10 quit Mexico, and IL was generally sup
posed at the time that this pressure and
la lack Of desire on the part OF Napoleon
/ to conduct "a campaign against the United
States were responsible for the With
drawaI, but in IS letter. written four
years before, the Emperor said that 10
wished TO leave the country az that time.
/ The existence Of this letter has long
/ been known, but diligent search has fail
ed to bring il TO light. Recently. how
ever Frank EdgertOn Webb. the son Of
/ Gen. Webb, who was an editor and dpiO-
mat in the confidence Of Napoleon, found
/ IL while going through a number OF old
papers in a chest which belonged to his
| father.
/ The letter follows.
Paris, May -. 1869.
My Dear General. I have received
/ your letter Of the Sth Of March with the
interesting note incIosed. after having
read il I burnt it, such being your de-
4 sire and have not mentioned it to any
one. The questions treated by you are
very important and very delicate. never
theiess ! viii reply to them with per
/ feet frankness.
You are greatly in error il you think
| that ambition or covetousness drew me
( 10 Mexico. Drawn into this enterprise
! through Spain. and through The mis-
deeds Of the government Of Jaurez, I
first sent against them 20.000 men, the
national honor having then been com
promised. my forces were increased 500
men, finally, the check at Pueblo in
yolvtng the military honor. / placed in
the field $500 men. II is very much
against my wishes that I am compelled
/ 10 carry en- a campaign so far from
France. and IT was not through any de-
sire to acquire the mines Of SOuvea that
my soldiers We're in battle, but. now
that the flag Of France is in Mexico. il
is hard to say Just what the end will be.
II is my desire, in any case. 70 with
draw Is soon rs honor and the matters
now at issue viii permit.
Did Not Want Quarrel.
The United States viii be wrong 10
seek a quarrel with me in this matter
for such threat would bring about A
complete change in all my disinterested
plans.
I profoundly regret the war which
now desolates America, for I do not
foresee the end and it is not for the
I interest Of France 20 see the United
States weakened by a struggle without
7 the best results possible. In a country
as sensitive as America. it is not by
force Of arms that disputes and dissat-
| isfaCtionS should be determined, but by
votes, meetings. and assemblies. In
Europe, also, we are having trouble. and
grave questions have TO be solved. with
this object France needs the alliance Of
England Therefore, I am always turn
ing my efforts TO strengthen the ties in
spite of the antagOuism Of the English
government
Il have truthfully stated to you my
position. You viii see that. in so doing,
1 have recognized the frankness. Of your
communication. Be always persuaded.
my dear general. Of the interest I bear
to your country. and Of the friendship
and high esteem that I entertain for
you and your character. With these
sentiments. 1 remain, yours most AZ
fectionately. NAPOLEON"
A later letter was written from Biar-
ritz in September 1853, which said:
Matters in Mexico are causing much
annoyance. All that I desire is 10 see
the country pacified. when I will with
draw my troops" and this, too, was
written and signed by Napoleon.
Considant of Napoleon.
Cen Webb's connection with the case
is explained by the fact that in the years
in which Louis Napoleon was an exile in
New York, before he became Emperor,
the American general was one Of his
closest friends and that this friendship
remained strong in after years. The mat
ter Of the evacuation of Mexico was placed
in Gen. Webbs hands. by President Lin
coin il being understood that he should
personally manage the matter, and that
it should not go through the hands Of
the ambassadors Of either country. Il IS
a probability that the letter remained in
the possession Of President Lincoln for
some time. and that later Gen. Webb was
able to get it from the State Department
and place il among his effects.