The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-04-27
philadelphia North Amerioan)

(Phlladelpnld Nortn Amerlcan)
1t had generally been considered
that the great American Civil War
closed with the surrender of General
Joseph E. Johnston to General Sher-
man on April 26, 1865, and yet very
serious menace to the peace of the
United States continued for nearly two
years afterward. This was the at.
tempt upon the part of number of
former Confederates, including such
prominent men as Generals Price,
Magruder and Maury, TO found a col
ony in Mexico and to unite with the
French under Macmillan to overthrow
| President Juarez and the Mexican gov
ernment and establish an empire in
place of the republic. They were then
/ to turn upon the United States and,
with the aid of the extreme Southern
| states. were to extend the limits of the
empire far enough north to include
these. The crisis was considered so
| grave that General Grant ordered Gen.
eral Sheridan to take command of the
| United States forces in Texas, compel
the immediate surrender Of E. Kirby
Smith. the Confederate commander,
and prevent the Mexican coalition. He
was even compelled to leave Washing
ton without being permitted to partici-
pate in the grand review of the armies
of the United States, which took place
in Washington, May % and "a, 1865.
| In the year 1861 England, France
and Spain sent several war vessels
and few thousand troops to Mexico
for the purpose Of forcing that coun
try to make payment Of several loans
which had been negotiated in Europe
In 1862 England and Spain withdrew
but the French remained. 1t was then
that Napoleon ILL.,, Emperor of France
thought he saw an opportunity to es
tablish q new empire on the western
hemisphere. The United States was
engaged In great civil war and in no
position to interpose any serious OBJ
stacles to his ambitions. More troops
we're sent from France, and the at
tempted overthrow of the Mexican re-
public was begun. The United States
protested, but without avail. On July
| 10, 1868, an assembly of notables,
named by the French commanders, Of
fered the crown Of the new empire to
Ferdinand Joseph Macmillan, brother
lof Francis Joseph, present Emperor
! of Austria. 1t was accepted, upon con
dition that the people of Mexico ratify
the choice at general election. This
ratification was easily obtained throgh
the influence of Marshal Bazaine, the
| supreme French commander, and Max
| imilian and his wife, Carlotta, who
was daughter of King Leopald OF
Belgium, landed at Vera Cruz, May TO-
| 1864.
But the French had not secured en-
| tire control of Mexican territory. Presi'
dent ,Iuarez refused to surrender his
country, and with a very considerable
following OF loyalists prepared to put
| up a stubborn nSnt III deIense OF tne
republic, Many of the native popula-
ton turned to the invaders, but the
great majority adhered to Juarez, who
was the egally constituted President.
The struggle for supremacy was still
bitterly waged when the American
Civil War came to an end. The cause
of Maximilian had been encouraged
throughout by the Southern Confeder'
acy, and now the Federal Government
looked upon the invasion of Mexico
by Southerners who had served in the
army as part of the rebellion itself
and considered that the success in put
| ting down secession would never be
complete until the French and Aus
trian invaders were compelled to quit
the territory of our sister republic. To
accomplish this muchdesired result
| Sheridan was sent to Texas and was
| cautioned that he would be completed