Year: 1866

4 war at the present moment between
France and the United States would open
such disastrous prospects to both countries
that prudent men on both sides will resort to
every possible means in order to avoid push
ing matters to so calamitous an extremity.
Strong as is the power of France, and stable
as may be the Emperors Government, the
shock of war with the United States might
prove a serious trial both to France herself
aud to her institutions EVENT. she succeed
ed in carving 1t to successful conclusion, it
could only be at ruinous charge. for which
no acquisitions in the thankless soil of Cen
tral America would offer any adequate com
pensation. Nor, on the other hand, could
anything be more unfortunate for the nlied
States at the present moment than war with
a powerful foreign country. Ii Is evident
from the lamentable accounts which reach US
from the Southern States that nothing but
complete rest and Gloss attention to matters
Of domestic policy can afford any chance of
recovery TO the South, and the United States
is hut half itself until that great wound is at
least in fair way of being healed. They,
too, might find that a war with France on
their Southern border would increase their
domestic difficulties, and they are as little
able as France to afford to add another vast
item to their national debt. The interests,
therefore, of the two Governments are exact
" identical. 1t is the interest of France to
withdraw as soon as possible from periious
position, and it is the interest of the United
States to render that withdrawal as tar as
possible spontaneous. instead of having to
enforceit. Whatever language the Emperor
may have used in 1862, the people Of Ameri-
ca may be sure that he can have no inteutiou
of sustaining an Austrian Prince in Mexico
by French bayonets against the wish Of the
al IL, ,,f ,kr,,l
with the United States, and, it may be added,
in spite of the constant murmurs of his own
subjects. Every probability indicates that he
will peaeeably withdraw, sooner or later.
Either the Government of the Emperor Max
imilian will prove so welcome to the Mexi
cans as to need no foreign support, or else 1T
will demand an amount of support which the
Emperor will be unable to give. In either
case the French cannot fail to withdraw, and
il is the interest OF the United States to suffer
the difficulty TO be thus solved by natural
means. The only course which would tend
to prevent this natural solution would be the
adoption of buling tone on the part OF the
United States. which would rouse the sensi-
tiveness of French honor, The Emperor
could not consent to retire from Mexico under
a threat, nor, if he were disposed to do so,
would the French people allow it. 1t is,
therefore, essential to American interests,
and to the interests of the worlG, that Amerl-
pan statesmen should abstain at the present
time from inconslderate expressions OF feel
ing on this subject. 1t would be worse than
folly to expend blood aud treasure in the
pursuit of an object which may be equally
obtained by fair words and conciiiation. Eu-
ropean interference in the affairs of America
is impossible in the very nature of things, and
if the Americans will but quiet for the while
not unnatural sensitiveness, they will find
oil their difficulties on this score disappear,
probably without the necessity of any serious
avartions