Maximilian in Mexico | Page 9

the minister's charges, the
French government, then anxiously hoping for such an opportunity,
supported its agent. The incident was magnified by the French papers
into an "attaque a main armee contre Saligny," and at the instigation of
France a triple alliance was concluded with England and Spain. On
October 31, 1861, a convention was signed in London, whereby the
contracting parties pledged themselves to enforce the execution of
former treaties with Mexico, and to protect the interests of their
citizens.* To this, as a pure matter of form, the United States was
invited to subscribe. Our government, of course, declined the invitation
to take advantage of the disturbed condition of the Mexican republic to
enforce its claim. Mr. Seward was not then in a position to show more
fully his disapproval of the action of the allied powers.
* For the correspondence upon the whole subject and the terms of the
London convention, see Abbe Domenech's "Histoire du Mexique," vol.
ii, p. 375 et seq.
It soon became evident that, in entering upon this treaty, the three allies
had not the same end in view. As early as May 31, 1862, the French
papers blamed the government for its lack of foresight in entering into a

cooperation with powers whose ultimate objects so widely differed
from its own.*
* See "Revue des Deux Mondes," 1862, vol. iii, p. 743.
This mistake became apparent when, on January 9, 1862, the French,
under Admiral Jurien de la Graviere, and the English, under Admiral
Milnes, arrived at Vera Cruz and found the Spanish division, under
General Prim and Admiral Tubalco, already landed.* The conduct of
their joint mission must now be determined. Already diplomacy had
been brought into play by Napoleon III to induce his allies to acquiesce
in his views and to consider the elevation of Maximilian to the throne
of Mexico. Spain had willingly listened to the idea of establishing a
monarchy, but on the condition that the monarch should belong or be
closely allied to the house of Bourbon; and it stood firm upon this
condition.
* The haste of Spain was regarded as an attempt to take a selfish
advantage of the situation, and gave rise to some correspondence. See
Domenech, loc. cit., pp. 384, 392.
IV. THE ALLIES IN MEXICO
The sound common sense of John Bull, his clearer appreciation of
foreign possibilities, or perhaps the superior intelligence and honesty of
his agent in Mexico, shine out brilliantly in a letter of Lord John
Russell, written to the representative of England at the court of Vienna,
previous to the armed demonstration made by the triple alliance.* The
letter was in truth prophetic, and showed a statesmanlike grasp of the
situation. He pointed out that the project of placing the Archduke
Maximilian upon the throne of Mexico had been conceived by Mexican
refugees in Paris; that such people were notorious for overrating the
strength of their partizans in their native land, and for the extravagance
of their hopes of success; that her Majesty's government would grant no
support to such a project; that a long time would be necessary to
consolidate a throne in Mexico, as well as to make the sovereign
independent of foreign support; and that, should this foreign support be
withdrawn, the sovereign might easily be expelled by the Mexican
republicans. The Spanish general Prim, when later, upon the spot, he
was able to appreciate the difficulties of the situation and had decided
to withdraw, wrote to the Emperor a strong letter in which his views to
the same effect were powerfully expressed.**

* See "La Verite sur l'Expedition du Mexique, d'apres les Documents
Inedits de Ernest Louet, Payeur-en-Chef du Corps Expeditionnaire,"
edited by Paul Gaulot. Part I, "Reve d'Empire" p. 37, 4th ed. (Paris,
Ollendorff, 1890).
** Ibid, p. 47.
This letter was dated "Orizaba, March 17, 1862." It is sufficiently
remarkable to be given here:
"Sire: Your Imperial Majesty has deigned to write me an autograph
letter which, because of the kindly expressions it contains, will become
a title of honor for my posterity. . . .
"On the ground of just claims there can be no differences between the
commissioners of the allied powers, and still less between the chiefs of
your Majesty's forces and those of his Catholic Majesty. But the arrival
at Vera Cruz of General Almonte, of the former minister Haro, of
Father Miranda, and of other Mexican exiles who set forward the idea
of a monarchy in favor of Prince Maximilian of Austria,--a project
which, according to them, is to be backed and supported by the forces
of your Imperial Majesty,-- tends to create a difficult situation for all
concerned, especially for the general-in-chief of the Spanish army, who,
under instructions from his government based upon the convention of
London, and