The Minister of Foreign Affairs to Marquis Montholon, French minister to the United States.
Marquis: In a conversation with the United States minister a few days ago, he made known to me the dispositions of his government in regard to Mexico, and read me several passages from despatches addressed to him by Mr. Seward, Secretary of State.
Mr. Bigelow said the people of the United States were attached to republican institutions, and, regarding them from their own experience as most suited to assure the prosperity and greatness of a nation, could not favorably look upon the establishment of a monarchy among their neighbors. The cabinet at Washington had to adopt the same opinion; yet they understood that peculiar conditions of races, climate, geography, past habits, and traditions, might incline another people to prefer for themselves a government different from that which was thought the best in the United States. But we must confess, added Mr. Bigelow, that the trial of democratic republican institutions for half a century in Mexico [Page 692] is far from being favorable, and has done more harm than good to that unfortunate country. The United States government, therefore, has no intention to oppose the experiment now to be made with full liberty there; nothing could be more contrary to its principles than to prevent a neighboring nation from choosing at pleasure any form of government. Resolved to observe a scrupulous and impartial neutrality in regard to what is passing in Mexico, we hope the attitude will prevent any difficulty between us.
The anxiety caused in America by our intervention originated from the fear to see us inaugurate a system of monarchical propagandism in the New World, and was increased by the idea that we entertained hostile feelings towards the cabinet at Washington during the dreadful crisis that was rending the United States. The federal government will not be deceived by these hypotheses, nor deviate from the line of conduct it has traced out, as long as the honor and interests of the republic are not injured.
I thanked the United States minister for the assurances he gave me in the name of his government, and, congratulating him on the wisdom of the act, I took a note of his declarations. I reminded him that our Mexican expedition was solely to sustain the just claims of our citizens, which the government then existing in Mexico had neither the will nor the power to sustain. That government, having really no foundation, though some provincial brigands carried its colors, fell at our approach.
With our assistance a new government has been formed, which is conscientiously laboring to effect a new political reorganization, promising protection to all interests, and a peace and security long unknown in that wealthy country. There was no absolute system of monarchical restoration in our conduct, nor the least shadow of intentions of conquest or propagandism. Towards the United States, during her four years of painful trials, we have constantly remained faithful to the duties of exact neutrality; and we have always shown our desire for peace in a country that has shown sympathy for us since its foundation. The few slight disagreements that have unavoidably risen, despite our scrupulous impartiality, show how hard it is in practice not to deviate from promised neutrality with the most loyal intentions.
We are pleased to hope, I said to Mr. Bigelow, that the government of the United States will soon be induced to establish friendly relations with the new government of Mexico. Commercial interests, moreover, require a closer relation between the two countries, and we hope this also will soon be accomplished in the political domain.
Such, marquis, is the substance of my answer to Mr. Bigelow’s communications.
Accept the assurances, &c.,