Year: 1863

| Count n1ercier's visit to Paris.
We see it announced that the French Minister


has received dispatches from the Emperor sum-


moning him to Paris. II will be remembered that


just previous to the marked change which took


place in Napole"n's policy in favor of the


South, Count Mercier was in like manner called


home, and that this concurrence of circum-
stances resulted in rather an unfavorable impress
sion towards the latter on the part of our


Northern people. We do not believe, how
ever, that there was any good ground for this
feeling. The relations of, Count Mercier with
the authorities at Washington have always been
of the most cordial character, and. whatever
may have been the views he expressed to the
Emperor, they were no doubt based on the then
state of facts


Napoleon's sending for him just now would
indicate that he desires to be more fully in
formed of the progress of the war and of the
state of public feeling here than he can possibly
be through the medium of official dispatches
or newspaper reports. His Representations
will in all probability lead to, they are not
made pretext for. an entire change in the
Emperor's policy in regard to this country aud
Mexico. The Count has q very different state
OF things to report from that which he related
on the occasion Of bis last visit to Paris Then
all was uncertainty and distrust here Now
the task of putting down the rebellion is more
than three-fourths accomplished, while the
hands Of the government are strengthened by
the cordial support Of the different political
parties. OF course, Count Mercier, like all
other sensible foreigners residing here, ac-
knowledges that under such circumstances
schemes of foreign Intervention on this CONT
nent cannot be prosecuted to a successful end
His advice to the Emperor will be to withdraw
as soon as possible from the periIous enterprise
he has engaged in in Mexco-advice which, it
will be seen, has already been offered him
in rather an unpleasant form by the opposi
ton in the French Chambers.


The truth is, Napoleon has now no other al
tentative. The refusal Of England to partici-
pate in the proposed congress has placed him
in position of terrible difficulty. he endcav-
ored to draw her into this scheme just as he
dragged her into the Crimean war, and sought
to drag her into the Italian and Mexican cam
paigns. He seeks now to isolate her in the po-
litical arrangements of Europe; but he will
fail to induce Russia, Prussia or Austria to aid
him, and without their concurrence none of
the second class Powers will venture to stir.
In the end he will find himself in the very posi-
ton in which he seeks to place England


Napoleon was fool to do anything to weak
en- the cordiality Of the relations existing be-
tween this country and France There is no
European Power to which the people of this
country incline with feelings of greater esteem
and sympathy, and we believe they are recip-
rocated by the great body of the French ma
ton. If personally the Emperor has lost favor
with us, it is because of the unfair advantage
which he took of our difficulties to push has
Mexican schemes 1t is great error on the
part of the French to exhibit sensitveness about
our supposed partiality towards their old enc
my, Russia The reception which the officers of
the Russian feet met with in New York and
Washington must not be taken as an indication
of any such feeling. There are certain classes In
both cities who are fond Of Q sensation and who
are ever ready to run after curiosity, whether
it be an elephant or Russian; but they do
not represent the disposition of the great body
Of our people. Neither in these visitors nor in
their diplomatic representatives casually in in
telligence and refinement the fag end Of their
own legatons), nor in their institutions them
selves, is there anything to command the re-
spect or favor Of Americans. We can never
forget the fact that they are the oppressors and
exterminators Of the heroic Poles, whose strug-
giles command the sympathy and admiration of
the world. The time is not far distant when
the Emperor Napoleon will think differently Of
the value Of our friendship. He will yet have
reason to bless the difficulties that prevented
him lending his aid to destroy government
which is the natural ally Of France.