Year: 1866

and the great oppression Of the Overtaxed
public; and there is no objection to the Post
Office Department manufacturing its own en-
vslopes.


New Phases Developing About the Mexi-


can Question.


The address of the French Senate, In re-
sponse to the Emperor's message to the Legis-
lature is remarkable for its phraseology and
tone upon the Mexican question and toward
the United States. It seems as though the
Senate felt 1t necessary to speak in manner
to soothe the wounded pride Of bis Majesty and
the French nation, under the disagreeable
situation they are placed in with regard to
Mexico. It declares its qualification that the
Emperor has announced "to satisfied France
that the protection Of her commercial interests
Is assured in a vast and wealthy market, now
restored to security" To this the United
States can have no objection. Nor are we dis
posed to question whether France had ever
vast and wealthy market In Mexico or has ac-
quired one now. The French people may
know If this be so; and we heartily wish them
all the commercial advantages they can &C.
qnire in the legitimate race of trade there or
elsewhere, II there were nothing else to COM
plain Of we should not complain at oil.


But the address exhibits bad feeling ..oo-
ward this country, which shows the French
government had another object in view and
has been defeated In it, Notwithstanding all the
asseverations to the contrary. 1t says:-
The firm tone Of the communica-
tions made by your Majesty's government
Ito the United States) has demonstrated that
naughty and menacing language will not de-
eide us to withdraw. France is accustomed to
move only at her own time; but she, neverthe-
less, wishes to remember the ancient friendship
between herself and the United States" In spite
of the conciating tone Of these last words Of the
sentence, the remainder is very impcrious and
anything but courteous to this country. Our
government has not been either naughty or
menacing to France. It has, in a firm and
dignifed manner, as became o great country,
asserted its fixed and long cherished policy with
regard to European interference with the re-
publics of America. France could not expect
US to swerve from this Were we to do 80 we
should merit the contempt of the world The
French government has only itself TO blame.
It miscalculated the result Of what was trans
piring in the United States The war termi-
mated differently to what it expected. 1t has
made mistake, and now IL would show its wis
dom much more by getting out Of the diff
Guilty with as little noise as possible than by
exhibiting irritation and an unfriendly tone.
The Emperor Napoleon and his Senate may
deem it necessary to use such language to hide
the fault committed and to quiet the public
mind, but we think their object would be better
attained by different course. As to ourselves,
we can afford to maintain the dignifed position
we have taken without Misrepresentation or
display Of bad temper.


In connection with this we see by our Wash
ington dispatches that Secretary Seward has
written to Mr.. Bigelow commenting upon that
part of the Emperors message relating to
Mexico, and that this despatch also is very
firm and decided. Mr.. Seward dwells with
particular severity, the correspondent says, on
that part OF the Emperor's message In which
he speaks Of inviting the United States to join
the European Intervention in Mexico. This
was evidently done by Napoleon to make it
appear that his purpose originally was not to
"plant" monarchy on the ruins of the Mexican
republic. The Emperor must have known when
he invited us that we could not enter into
any such scheme, that it was contrary to the
established policy Of this country to enter into
any European alliance whatever, AMI especially
as regards the affairs of the American continent.
The proposition was trick, and the assertion
that it was made is a trick to blind the world
as to the real issue in the case. Mr.. Seward
can very well treat this with severity. We
regret, and the people of this country regret,
that anything should have occurred to create
bad feeling or q diplomatic controversy upon
this matter; but we have only one course to
pursue whatever may be the consequences


We are informed by the news from Europe
that Austria is about to take the place of
France in Mexico, that Maximilian will be sus-
tanned by Austrian troops as the French with
draw. We can scarcely believe this statement;
for however much the Austrian government
may wish to save a member Of its royal family
from the humiliation Of being forced out Of
Mexico, such an act would be suicidal. This
Is a game the astute Napoleon would like to
play undoubtedly, for II would be carry
ing out his policy In Mexico, and would
weaken Austria at home, so that he could
more easily sever venetia from that empire,
or make war on her for any other pur-
pose whenever he might think proper. We
have no doubt he would gladly afford trans
ports, or money II needed, to send half the
Austrian army to Mexico. But this would not
serve the purpose as 10 the maintenance Of an
empire in Mexico or as TO allaying the Opposi-
ton Of the United States 10 It On the con-
trary, the people Of this country would be ex-
asperatsd at such trick and such double
daalinn Wa are onnosad 10 all Enronean