Office of the Historian

STEPS TAKEN BY MAXIMILIAN TO OBTAIN FROM THE UNITED STATES A RECOGNITION OF THE SO-CALLED EMPIRE OF MEXICO.

[Translation.]

Señor Arroyo to Mr. Corwin.—(Confidential.)

New York, March 2, 1865.

My Dear Sir: Under date of the 10th of January last his excellency Don José Ramirez, minister of state and of foreign affairs of the Mexican empire, authorizes me to address myself directly and confidentially to the honorable Mr. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, upon determinate points, which I will indicate to you when I may have the satisfaction of seeing you for the purpose.

The same Mr. Ramirez tells me the following: “You can see Mr. Corwin in my name and avail yourself of his influence, manifesting to him that I have regretted not to receive his reply to the letter which I addressed to him in August last.” I therefore heg you to be pleased to aid me with your influence, in order to bring about and see whether the object of my commission can be obtained, not doubting that your kindness will cause you to assist me with your counsels and opinion.

I think that you will be of opinion that I should go to your city (Washington) to solicit, verbally, the two points to which my mission is concreted, and I will accordingly do so; but, before undertaking the journey, I would be pleased if you would do me the favor, if you have an opportunity, to indicate to Mr. Seward my expected journey, in order that, if he have no objection that I should see him extra-officially, he should so indicate it.

You can at once, if you think proper, intimate to Mr. Seward that one of the points of my commission is to see whether the habilitation (recognition) of our consuls can be obtained because of the embarrassments which exist in consequence of their non-habilitation, (non-recognition;) and while in Mexico the exercise of their functions has been continued without embarrassment to the American consuls, and that the government, which was that of Don Benito Juarez, does not exist either de facto or de jure.

You will excuse me for writing to you in my own language, as I do not know the English with the requisite perfection.

I avail myself of this occasion to place myself at your disposition as your most obedient servant, &c., &c., &c.,

LUIS DE ARROYO, Box No. 4202.

Mr. Thomas Corwin, Washington.

Note.—The foregoing letter was submitted to the Secretary of State by Mr. Corwin in the early part of the month of March, 1865.