With the highest regards, I remain, my dear sir, respectfully
yours,
Hon. W. H. Seward,
Secretary of State, &c., &c.,
&c.
[Translation.]
Monsieur Drouyn de Lhuys to the
Marquis de
Montholon.—(Confidential.)
Ministre des Affaires
Étrangeres,
Paris,
October 18,
1865.
Monsieur le Marquis: I have taken
several occasions since two months to advise you of the
dispositions of the imperial government concerning the duration
of the occupation of Mexico by the French troops. I told you, in
my despatch of August 17, that we called with our most sincere
wishes for the day when the last French soldier should leave the
country, and that the cabinet of Washington could contribute to
hasten that moment. On the 2d of September I renewed to you the
assurance of our strong desire to withdraw our auxiliary corps
so soon as circumstances should allow it. At last, following the
same ideas more fully, in a private letter of the 10th of the
same month I added that it greatly depended upon the United
States to facilitate the departure of our troops. If they would
adopt toward the Mexican government an amicable attitude, which
would aid to the consolidation of order, and in which we could
find motives of security for the interests which obliged us to
carry arms beyond the Atlantic, we would be ready to adopt
without delay the basis of an understanding on this subject with
the cabinet of Washington; and I wish to make fully known to you
now the views of the government of his Majesty.
What we ask of the United States is to be assured that their
intention is not to impede the consolidation of the new order of
things founded in Mexico; and the best guarantee we could
receive of their intention would be the recognition of the
emperor Maximilian by the federal government.
The American Union should not, it seems to us, be kept back by
the difference of institutions, for the United States have
official intercourse with all the monarchies of Europe and the
New World. It is in conformity with their own principles of
public law to regard the monarchy established in Mexico as
being, at least, a government “de facto,”
without particular regard to its nature or its origin, which has
been consecrated by the sufferings of the people of that
country; and in thus acting the cabinet of Washington would only
be inspired with the same feelings of sympathy which President
Johnson expressed recently to the envoy of Brazil, as guiding
the policy of the United States towards the younger states of
the American continent.
Mexico, it is true, is still occupied at this moment by the
French army, and we can readily see that this objection will
arise. But the acknowledgment of the Emperor Maximilian by the
United States would, in our opinion, have sufficient influence
upon the state of the country to allow us to take into
consideration their susceptibilities on this subject; and should
the cabinet of Washington decide to open diplomatic relations
with the court of Mexico, we would see no difficulty to enter in
arrangement for the recall of our troops within a reasonable
period of which we would—might—consent to fix the
termination.
In consequence of the vicinage and immense extent of the common
frontier, the United States are, more than any other power,
interested to see their trade with Mexico placed under the
safeguard of stipulations in harmony with the mutual wants of
both countries. We would most readily offer our good offices to
facilitate the conclusion of a commercial treaty, thereby
cementing the political “rapprochement” the bases of which I
have just made known to you.
By order of the Emperor, I invite you to make known to Mr. Seward
the dispositions of his Majesty’s government.
You are authorized, if you think it proper, to read him the
contents of this despatch.
I remain,
The Marquis de Montholon, &c., &c., &c.
