Year: 1862

to save them.


Louis Napoleon's Mexican Policy.


The policy of the French Emperor in regard
to Mexico is receiving variety of interpreta-
tions. We have seen none which have correctly
sounded the motives Of this crusade against the
political rights and independence of distant
people.


The movement is one of the necessities of the
false position in which the Emperor finds him
self. Setting out upon the double idea that
he is the representative of the revolution and
at tho same time the defender of public order
and religion. he constantly finds himself en-
barrassed by conflict of principles so incom-
patible. Thus in Italy he set the revolutionary
ball in motion, and kept it going until he found
that it was carrying him into collision with
the hierarchy and clergy of France. He then
abruptly withdrew from the war, leaving the
Italians to work out alone their political regene-
ration, and circumscribing, in regard to Rome,
the extent of its accomplishment. From the day
on which he concluded peace with Austria his
conduct in regard to the Roman question be-
came equivocal and shutting. The language of
his organs would at one time create the i'm
preston that he was about to leave the Pope to
settle his difficulties the best way he could with
his own subjects; and at another the expecta-
tions thus raised were disappointed by the re-
commendation of some plan for the accommoda-
ton of interests which he knew to be irrecon-
cileable, thus clearly showing that nothing was
farther from his thoughts than the withdrawal
of his troops from Rome. '


The truth of the matter is that Napoleon stands
in mortal dread of clerical influence. Although
well aware that the separation of the Popes
temporal and spiritual attributes, and hisreduc-
ton to his original status Of simple bishop,
are daily acquiring advocates among the infe-
rior clergy, the feeling has not developed itself
sufficiently to induce him to run the risk of
having an ecclesiastical war waged upon him
for an invasion Of the Holy Fathers preroga-
tives. We saw to what torrent of invective
he was exposed little while ago by the in
cumbents Of the principal episcopates in con-
nection with this question. The attacks thus
made caused him great uneasiness, and have,
there is no doubt, influenced his policy in re
gard to Mexico.


The connection between the two questions
may not seem very apparent; but the plans Of
such ruler as Napoleon are not to be judged
Of by the usual estimate of human actions. He
is ssgacious and farseeing, though of course
liable at times to err in his political calcula-
tions.


In undertaking to impose monarchical
system upon Mexico, he seeks to accomplish
two objects, always keeping in view his double
mission ss the representative of progressive
ideas and the defender Of public order and
religion. By placing the Archduke Macmillan
on the throne Of that country he hopes to be
able to obtain from Austria the quiet cession
Of venetia to Italy, and by restoring the
ascendency Of the clerical party in the new
kingdom he expects 10 obtain the more ready
assent Of the French clergy to his plans for the
settlement of the Roman question. Of course
the success Of this programme Is contingent
upon the view that our government will take
Of it. II would certainly never have been
undertaken if the Emperor had not thought us
powerless to prevent it.


England and Spain, who we're drawn into
the scheme by . similar conviction, have
abruptly withdrawn from it on finding that the
authority of the federal government is about
being restored over the revolted States. They
have both large colonial interests at stake on
this continent, and wisely conclude that il would
be unsafe to risk them on this Mexican venture.
The French Emperor is not trammelled by this
consideration, and thinks that he can securely
persevere in it in defiance of the dangers which
a restored Union has in prospect for him. He
has not stopped to calculate the cost Of war
carried on with country like this, at distance
of more than three thousand miles, and with
armies more powerful than he can ever bring
into the field. If his people are suffering from
the absence Of their usual supplies of cotton
and tobacco now, what will be their distress
when, to the continued deprivation Of those
staples, there will be superadded the sufferings
resulting from o war expenditure to which
those of the Crimea and Italy would be mere
bagatelles? It is hardly conceivable that when
once convinced that the rebellion is aboutbeing
brought to close the Emperor will persist in
such folly. If he does it is not straining a
smile to predict that he will find q second Mos
COW in Mexico.


SrLpELL AND NAPoLEoS.--The correspondent
of the London Advertiser writes that "the En-
peror Napoleon had assured Mr. Sliden that
IL the struggle in the States did not
terminate in six months his government, with
that of England, would feel bound to inter.
fere."