The Minister of Foreign Affairs to the French Minister in Washington.
Monsieur re Marquis: I have received the despatch which you addressed to me, dated the 18th July, informing me that the mission confided to M. Degollado by the Mexican government had completely failed, and that the President, on refusing to receive the letter of the emperor Maximilian, of which that emissary was a bearer, had declined all kind of relations with him. I have naturally noticed that the Secretary of State, on notifying you of this decision, took the occasion to declare that the intention of the cabinet of Washington was to continue their policy of not recognizing in Mexico but the Mexican republic and its president, Mr. Juarez. If this declaration of the federal government is to be regretted on every account, it is not less so to have it provoked by an attempt which was at least [Page 696] premature. The cabinet of Mexico, before engaging itself in such a course, should have been sure of the opportunity and probabilities of its overtures, and procure better informalion about the disposition with which they would be met in Washington. So it would have spared itself a disobliging reply, and prevented the occurrence of an incident annoying in every point of view.