Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Fortieth Congress
Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward
My Dear Sir: I have the honor to send to you a collection of documents upon the affairs of Mexico, which the French government laid before the legislative body at the opening of its session on the 18th February last past, taken from No. 53 of the Moniteur Universel, corresponding with the 22d of February aforesaid.
I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
No. 1.
EXPOSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE EMPIRE.
In the United States the work of constitutional reconstruction continues. France sincerely applauds the wonderful activity with which that great nation is repairing the calamities of civil war. In the condition of the relations which exist between the different countries of the globe, the sufferings which are produced at one point are necessarily felt at all others We have experienced the shock of events which have disturbed the Union, and we are profiting by the revival of its industry and commercial energies. No subject of disagreement exists at this moment between the two countries; on the contrary, everything is contributing more and more to bring them nearer to each other in their policy. His Majesty has received on a recent occasion the assurance of sentiments of friendship which were expressed to him in the name of the United States, and which correspond perfectly with our own feelings. We take pleasure in arguing favorably as to the future relations of the two governments in respect to the different questions on which their interests may be found to coincide.
We need not recur at this time to the necessity which caused us to undertake the expedition to Mexico. We sought the redress of grievances of every description, and the denials of justice from which our people had suffered for many years, and, animated by the generous sentiment which will always induce France to render her intervention useful wherever she shall be led to carry her arms, we did not refuse to unite in an attempt at regeneration by which all interests would have profited. But in lending its co-operation to this work the government of the Emperor had, beforehand, assigned a limit to its sacrifices, and the Emperor had fixed the end of the present year as the extreme term of our military occupation. The evacuation was to have been made in three detachments, the first leaving in the month of November, 1866, the second in March, and the third in November, 1867. These arrangements, conformable to our previous intentions, had been made in the fulness of our liberty of action, and anything which had partaken of the nature of external pressure could only have placed us in the position, in spite of ourselves, of prolonging a state of things which we wished to abridge. Reasons arising out of our military situation determined the Emperor to modify the first arrangements by substituting for a partial evacuation, at succeeding periods of time, the simultaneous transportation home of our whole corps d’ armée in the spring of the present year. These measures are now in a course of execution, and in the course of March next our troops will have left Mexico.
Far from desiring to free itself from engagements which it had contracted on its own account, and which it has publicly announced, the government of the Emperor will thus hasten their fulfilment.
Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, minister of foreign affairs, to Mr. Dano, minister of France to Mexico
Sir: I have received the despatches which you did me the honor to write to me up to the date of the 10th of March, as well as your telegram of the 13th of the same month. Baron Saillard has furnished me, on his part, with all the information he could get from Mexico.
Your language to the Mexican government, and the attitude you have observed in these recent circumstances, have been in perfect harmony with the views and intentions of the government of the Emperor. The periods at which out gradual evacuation is to take place are definitely fixed: they seemed best, in Marshal Bazaine’s opinion, in accord with our desire, to proceed prudently in the operation. Once determined upon, it was our duty to make it public. The Moniteur has accordingly announced officially the departure of our troops from Mexico, to begin this autumn and continue till the spring of 1867, and finish in November following.
Marquis of Montholon, French minister in Washington, to the minister of foreign affairs
Mr. Minister: I have the honor to transmit to you herewith a copy of the despatch* which the Secretary of State addressed to me, in reply to the letter of your excellency, dated the 5th of April last.
[Page 533]This answer, which is in a friendly tone, appears to close all serious discussion of the question, though it closes with a suggestion that reveals apprehensions of trouble from the presence of French troops that are to remain in Mexico seventeen months longer.
Accept, sir, &c.
The minister of foreign affairs to the minister of France at Washington,
Marquis: In your despatch of the 1st of May, I find the Secretary of State’s reply to the note I wrote you on the 5th of April. In it Mr. Seward admirably explains the nature and extent of the communications interchanged by the two governments in regard to the evacuation of Mexico by the French troops. His assurance, in the name of the cabinet at Washington, that he will not depart from the principle of non-intervention, already affirmed, fully satisfies us, and leaves no doubt of his firm will to maintain neutrality after the withdrawal of our soldiers. In regard to the concluding observations of the Secretary of the United States, you will see they can have no influence on the delays and conditions of the departure of the troops. The cabinet in Washington cannot expect us to make other declarations on this subject than those we have already voluntarily given in our initiative. In withdrawing its forces from Mexico, it is the duty of the government of the Emperor to take all needful precautions for the health and safety of its soldiers. Mr. Seward knows this himself; and I see nothing in what we have done to arouse the suspicions of the United States. If, however, the federal government chooses to keep an army of observation on the Rio Grande, we have nothing to say against it, useless as it may appear to us. But I cannot share Mr. Seward’s opinions in his want of confidence in the sentiments and prudence of the commanders of the respective forces placed opposite to each other on that frontier. There is no danger of a disturbance on our part; and if the commanders of the federal forces have positive instructions from their government, and will be held accountable for their observance, all danger of a conflict will certainly be removed. I see no contradiction between the fears expressed by Mr. Seward and the excellent terms of his reply to our sincere hope and great desire to see a new consolidation of the good relations which have existed so long between France and the United States.
Accept, &c.
No. 5.
[For this enclosure see M. Moustier to the Marquis de Montholon, 16th of October, 1836 Dip. Cor. 1866, vol. 1, p. 387.]
Minister of foreign affairs to the minister of France at Washington
Marquis: The United States envoy came to see me a few days ago. He mentioned the many newspaper reports upon the evacuation of Mexico by our troops, and expressed a fear that this change in the mode of evacuation might not effect the Emperor’s decree. I told Mr. Bigelow that what he heard was about true; that our forces were concentrating for the purpose of leaving all at once; that he had nothing to apprehend from a military order purely practical; and I added our troops would all get back by next spring. Mr. Bigelow remarked that this would effect the first departure fixed for November next. I told him by sending the troops away altogether the evacuation would be sooner effected; and that the cabinet at Washington, so far from feeling any concern about it ought to be pleased to see a combination, the result of which was to hasten the term of our occupation.
Accept, &c.
The minister of France at Washington to the minister of foreign affairs
Marquis: As I informed your excellency, General Sherman goes with Mr. Campbell to Mexico. He had been ordered to New Mexico, but a telegram recalls him to Washington to-morrow. I learn also that a steamer from New York will soon be ready to take Mr. Campbell and his suite to some point on the Mexican coast. Mr. Sherman, as your excellency is aware, is not only a distinguished military man, but a considerable politician, which shows the importance of the mission with which he is charged in the eyes of the cabinet, and the circumstance is calculated to insure the success of the mission. Such is the reason given by the Assistant Secretary of State, who directs affairs in Mr. Seward’s absence, in my interview with him this morning, when I asked him why a minister was sent to a country still occupied by our troops, and which he could not enter without coming in contact with the commanders of our land or sea forces. Mr. Hunter seemed very confident on this point, and assured me again of the formal intention of the American government to avoid any measure of a nature to bring about a disagreement with France.
The French minister at Washington to the minister of foreign affairs
M. le Marquis: I have received the despatch which your excellency honored me with on the 16th ultimo, and have not failed in my conversation with the Secretary of State to make use of the information which it contained in regard to the object of the mission intrusted by his Majesty to General Castelnau, as also in regard to the manner in which his Majesty’s government intended to conduct the evacuation of the Mexican territory. The probability of seeing the time of our occupation shortened was received by Mr. Seward with a satisfaction which I believe to be the more sincere in that he has never hesitated to affirm, in the presence even of doubts often raised by others surrounding him, entire confidence in the ultimate accomplishment of the assurances given in regard to this matter. He has often spoken on the subject to me, and only recently, when communicating to me the instructions given to MM. Campbell and Sherman, which I have transmitted to your excellency, he again expressed to me the hope to see disappear with the departure of our troops the only question which disturbed the good relations between France and the United States.
While fully appreciating the value of these friendly sentiments, I could at the same time scarcely refrain from calling his attention to the contrast which this mission seemed to establish between the conduct of the French and American governments. The latter taking advantage of a doubtful moment as an opportunity to make a demonstration, and that at a time when it had received assurances of efforts made by us to hasten the execution of our engagements. It was to be feared that the mere act of sending a mission to Mexico at such a moment, and a selection for this mission of the general commanding the military and naval forces of the Mexican frontiers, would provoke in France, if not doubts as to the good faith entertained by the cabinet at Washington, at least misgivings from a political and military standpoint.
The Secretary of State replied to these apprehensions by pointing to the pacific character of Mr. Campbell’s instructions, which Mr. Bigelow has been ordered to communicate and explain to your excellency. He at the same time asserted that a necessity existed for the United States to watch, to a certain extent, the situation in Mexico after the departure of our troops. This last reason, though not in strict conformity with the principles of non-intervention, has, nevertheless, a practical value which it would be impossible to misconstrue. What, nevertheless, must reassure us as to the ultimate results of this mission is the well-known disposition of the majority in Congress to refuse its support to any measure touching to cause the foreign policy of the country to degenerate into conquest and adventures, to which at this moment the entire sentiment of the American people is opposed.
Receive, &c.,
The minister of foreign affairs to the minister of France at Washington
Monsieur le Marquis: I have this instant received your despatch of the 15th of this month.
You acknowledge the receipt of the one I had the honor to write you on the 16th of October, [Page 535] and you inform me that Mr. Seward had received with much satisfaction the communication which you were instructed to make to him, and the announcement that our troops, which were not to evacuate Mexico till the end of the year 1867, would all leave together in the spring of the same year, from causes arising from the actual state of the country and the duties which the health and security of our army imposed upon us. Being in doubt as to whether you have given a copy of my despatch to Mr. Seward, I write you by telegraph to do so, and not to restrict yourself to a simple verbal communication.
Accept, &c.,
Telegram communicated by Mr. Bigelow, minister of the United States, December 3, 1866.
The despatch of M. Moustier to M. de Montholon, of October 16th, will be used properly and in a friendly manner.
John Bigelow, Esq., &c., &c.
The minister of foreign affairs to Mr. Bigelow, minister of the United States in Paris
Sir: The cause which has prevented the French government from commencing the evacuation of Mexico in the month of November, has been explained in a despatch of the 16th of October, addressed by the minister for foreign affairs to M, de Montholon. The purport of that despatch has been communicated to Mr. Seward. The latter had seemed to be satisfied with the declarations which had been made to him by our representative. I am therefore surprised at the misunderstanding of which you spoke to me.
The intentions of the French government are not changed; but, owing to military considerations, it has deemed proper to substitute the return to France of our troops, in a body, to their withdrawal in detachments, and our corps of occupation will embark in the coming month of March. I have to add that the French government is fully disposed to have an understanding with that of the United States in view of the eventualities which may arise in Mexico.
Accept, &c., &c,
For the minister for foreign affairs, now absent, and by authority—
The minister for foreign affairs to M. Berthemy, minister of France at Washington
Sir: As you are aware, the minister of the United Stales has been instructed by his government to bring to our notice the subject of the new arrangements made for the return of our expeditionary corps from Mexico, and he has expressed to us the regret that they had not been officially notified of it at Washington, adding, furthermore, that he did not see in this aught but a misunderstanding susceptible of an explanation satisfactory to both parties.
In order to do away with this misunderstanding the government of the Emperor has not hesitated to give the orders to the Marquis de Montholon to officially inform Mr. Seward of the instructions which I had addressed to him under date of October 16, and a copy of that despatch has likewise been handed to Mr. Bigelow. Desirous, moreover, to fully enlighten the cabinet of Washington respecting our intentions, we have also transmitted to the envoy of the United States the accompanying communication; the assurances which it contains are conformable to those contained in my despatch of the 16th of October to M. de Montholon, which I had besides already developed on the 1st of November last, in a conversation with Mr. Bigelow, of which you will find a statement in my despatch of the 8th of November to your predecessor. As I then said, if we have been obliged to defer our departure, it has been from considerations purely practical. In order to guard the security and health of our troops, [Page 536] we have substituted a return in a body for partial withdrawals; but neither our policy nor our intentions have changed, and the return of our expeditionary corps will be effected at the beginning of next spring. You are authorized to renew the assurance of it to the cabinet of Washington.
Receive, &c.,
The minister for foreign affairs to the minister of France at Washington
Sir: I took charge of this ministry on the 5th of October, and one of my first occupations was to furnish to the government of the United States friendly explanations respecting our policy in reference to Mexico. The Emperor was then at Biarritz; so soon as the return of his Majesty permitted me to ask him his orders, I addressed a despatch to your predecessor, dated the 16th, in which were stated the considerations of a nature purely military which determined us to recall our corps of occupation no longer by detachments, but all together and at one time, in the coming spring. M. de Montholon has made known the tenor of this document to Mr. Seward, and the correspondence of our representative at Washington shows that the Secretary of State of the United States had been satisfied with it. I should have preferred that M. Montholon should have immediately given him a copy of it. If I did not transmit him a formal order to do so, it is because at so great a distance a certain liberty of personal appreciation must be left to our agents. However, having supposed that I could infer from his correspondence that he had simply read it to him, I hasten to advise him by telegram to complete by transmitting the despatch itself to Mr. Seward, the communication which he had only made to him verbally, but which I thought bore a character sufficiently official.
We have not, in fact, as the American agents seem to think, the habit of not attributing that character only to written notes, and I will remark in passing that the persistence which they show in wishing to treat in that form all affairs, has, in practice, some real inconveniences. The moment Mr. Seward had received favorably the announcement of our resolutions, I could not suppose that some days thereafter, without informing the minister of the Emperor at Washington of it, he should have instructed Mr. Bigelow to raise here objections to the manner of evacuation adopted by us.
Were these objections otherwise very serious ? The important point for the government of the United States was to know when its liberty of action should be returned to it, that is to say at what time the last French soldier should quit Mexico. The date of the first departure was altogether a secondary matter, and a delay upon that subject could give rise, at most, to the expression of some fears in reference to our new intentions, and those fears, besides, were removed of themselves in view of our spontaneous explanations. It was only on the 28th of October that Mr. Bigelow came to make his verbal observations to the government of the Emperor. They were probably caused by instructions from his government; but these instructions, which were not destined to be communicated to us, have remained entirely unknown to us. We have only had, in order to answer the minister of the United States, to place before his eyes the despatch of the 16th of October.
In the mean time M. de Montholon having left the original of that despatch in the hands of the Secretary of State, Mr. Seward, satisfied with that communication, which made known nothing new to him, but which, in his view, he perhaps considered as a necessary formality, hastened to send a telegram to Mr. Bigelow, which that agent made known to us on the 3d of December, and is thus worded:
“Washington, December 1, 1866.
“The despatch of M. Moustier to M. de Montholon, of the 16th of October, will be used properly and in a friendly manner.
“WILLIAM H. SEWARD.”
It was therefore perfectly established between the minister of the United States and ourselves that at that moment there was no longer any subject of misunderstanding between the two governments, and Mr. Bigelow then wrote to his own government that our language could not authorize any doubt as to our intentions. This took place some days prior to the meeting of Congress. There was therefore no reason why, among the documents submitted to the federal representation, a despatch of the 23d of November, to Mr. Bigelow, should be made to figure—a despatch which, as I have stated above, was not intended to be communicated to us, has not been communicated, of which we have not been enabled to refute (which would have been very easy) the arguments, in the main not very equitable, and not very obliging in form, and which, in any event, at the moment it was inopportunely made public, had no cause to exist.
[Page 537]I do not further insist upon this incident, the causes of which, perhaps local, escape me, and which must be consigned to oblivion, now that the relations between the two governments tend to become more and more cordial and amicable. The speech of General Dix at his audience of reception has given still more strength to the character of our relations with the United States. The Emperor has been entirely satisfied with it, as the reply of his Majesty proves, and I can do no less than to encourage you again to foster these good dispositions.
Receive, &c.
- For enclosure see note from Mr. Seward to the Marquis de Montholon of the 25th of April, 1866, Dip. Cor. 1866, vol. 1, p. 378.↩