THE FRENCH SUCCESS IN MEXICO. [FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Tune

17, 1863. TILE celebrated boast of Caesar "Veni, vidl, vici," is not, at any rate, one to which Napoleon is entitled to lay claim. Who could ever have foreseen, some months ago, that the news of the fall of Puebla would take, not only the world at large, but France, by surprise ? Such, however, has been the case. So heroic was the resistance of the Mexicans, so long did they succeed in standing their ground, that to the French themselves, boundless as their military self-confidence is known to be, their own victory on this occasion was a matter of astonishment. Even after the twenty- one guns celebrating the event had been fired at the Invalides, as late as Saturday evening, persons were found in Paris shaking their heads and pointing to a mysterious connection between Admiral Bosse's telegram and the impending election of M. Gudroult. As to the Government, so little were they confident of speedy success, that fresh troops had already been designated to join the expeditionary corps, namely, two squadrons of horse of the 12th Chasseurs and half a company of artillerymen. Orders that vessels should be fitted out had also been issued since the 9th of June, and had been mentioned in the papers of various French ports.

Is anything more required to show under what strange, unwar- rantable delusions the Imperial Government was labouring, when it planned the Mexican expedition ? A belief had fondly been in- dulged at the Tuileries that the Juarez Government would be blown away with a puff ; and the Juarez Government gave such proofs of vitality as it seldom fell to any long established power to exhibit. It had been asserted that the Mexicans, harassed by a most odious tyranny, panted for foreign assistance ; and they, on the contrary, flocked with stern warlike enthusiasm round the standard of their so-called tyrant, ready to shed the very last drop of their blood for the maintenance of the principle represented by him. It had been given out that they were strewing with flowers the road the Imperial army had to tread, and it was sword in hand they welcomed their would-be liberators. They had been described as a rabble of cowardly banditti, and they turned out to be capable of keeping at bay for a long time the finest &Mica s in the world. Never had history to chronicle a more stupendous blunder than that in which the Mexican expedition originated.

No wonder, then, that that no other than official oil was burned in honour of the taking of Puebla. The feeling with which the news was received in Paris was one not of gratified pride, but of unexpected relief. Everyone, of course, was jubilant over the triumph of the French arms, and was loud in praise of an army whose unflinching perseverance and dauntless courage overcame so many dangers, were equal to so many hardships. But this is just what was expected from the victors of Solferino ; nor is less ad- miration bestowed upon the Mexicans, who, in the words of General Forey, did their duty bravely. Well may the Temps say that it expresses a general opinion, quite in keeping with the. French character, when it gives General Ortega his full share of admiring sympathies for having in the night of the 16th-17th, after declaring his army dissolved, caused them to break their arms, to spike the cannon, and to blow up the powder magazines, so as to annihilate anything doomed, if preserved, to fall into the hands of the conquerors.

It is a remarkable symptom of the persisting unpopularity of the Mexican expedition in France, that, even after the solemn announcement of the fall of Puebla, M. Gudroult, the Opposi- tion candidate, was elected by 17,493 votes against 11,016. The result is all the more deserving of notice, because M. Gueroult, who is, generally speaking, but too prone to sound the clarion, had been foremost of late in denouncing the barrenness and folly of the expedition to Mexico.

In fact, France is sick of expensive and bootless ventures. As regards Mexico more especially, she does not think the prize worth the cost. Whilst she is keenly alive to the injustice of the under- taking, its prospective advantages are far too cloudy to invite her ambition. She feels little disposed te. encourage the hopes and to countenance the schemes ' of certain courtly financiers whom she strongly suspects of viewing the triumph of European civilization across the ocean simply in the light of a good job. She considers it very hard that French soldiers should be sent far way to pine and die for the sake of money-scramblers, and should be ordered to fight the battles of usury. She echoes the voice of Napoleon, when he says, "I bitterly deplore the loss of so many brave men ;" but she turns away in sullen silence when he adds, "I have the consolatory thought that it has not been useless for the interests and honour of France and for civilization." In her opinion, neither the interests and honour of France nor the progress of civilization have anything to do with the conquest of Mexico ; but she takes theni to be intimately connected with the rescue of Poland from the iron grasp of Russia, and the mum& of the Siècle is literally true, that the capture of Puebla in Paris was bailed as a victory won by the French in behalf of the Poles.

Unfortunately, from the diplomatic negotiations so eagerly entered upon by the Emperor, the inference may safely be drawn that the wishes of France will be once more baffled and her sym- pathies once more disregarded. The moment the surrender of Puebla came to hand there was a burst of conflicting surmises as to the course the Imperial ruler was likely to follow under the circumstances. Some thought he would be but too happy to take advantage of so good an opportunity to extricate himself from the difficulties of an enterprise, the success of which does not bid fair to compensate either for past losses or future entanglements. To others it appeared next to impossible that the Emperor, consider- ing the fall of Puebla as a decisive event, could resist the tempta- tion to march on to Mexico. The letter of Napoleon to General Forey is now before the world, and can hardly be said to supply the solution of the problem. There are in that letter certain ambiguities of language which the uninitiated are very much at a loss to clear away. The sentence "Our aim is not to impose on the Mexicans a Government against their will, nor to make our success serve the triumph of any party whatever," sounds well indeed, but happens to be ominously contradicted by what follows, "I desire that Mexico may acquire a new life, and that shortly regenerated by a Government founded upon the national will, &c. . . ." This seems to imply not only the occupation of Mexico, but the overthrow of the Juarez Government, and reminds

us of the declarations of M. de Saligny in the celebrated Conference held at Orizaba, on the 9th of April, 1862, between the Commis- sioners of the then Allied Powers, England, Spain, and France. At that time, be it remembered, the British and Spanish Commissioners thought it their duty to withdraw from the intervention in Mexican affairs, "in consequence of the determination of the French Com- missioners to disregard entirely the preliminary convention between General Prim, on behalf of himself and his colleagues, and General Doblado, signed at Soleda.d on the 19th of February," also in consequence of "the intention of the French to move forward on the city of Mexico, taking with them General Almonte, Padre Miranda, and others of the reactionary Church party, who are proscribed refugees." The following is an extract of the despatch of Lord Russell conveying to Sir C. Wyke the unqualified approval of the conduct of the British Commissioners by the British Govern- ment :— " Her Majesty's Government consider that the presence of General Almonte in Mexico, under the protection of the French

army, might fairly be considered as a provocation to civil war, and

Her Majesty's Government could not have approved of a measure having that tendency ; for at that time the Government of Mexico was a Government with which the allies were conducting negotia- tions with a view to a peaceful settlement of their differences. Her Majesty's Government are also of opinion that you acted rightly when, in answer to M. de Saligny's declaration of his unchangeable resolution not to treat with the Government of Presi- dent Juarez, you refused to affix your signature to the answer addressed by the French Commissioners to General Doblado, and thereby broke up the conference and put an end to the joint action of the Three Powers." t These are facts which we must bear in mind, rightly to appreciate the policy, whatever it may be, which the Emperor will think fit to adopt respecting Mexico. Should he consent to treat with Juarez, which he ought to have done a year before, he will have to answer for an enormous outlay wantonly incurred, and for torrents of blood shed to no purpose. Should he, on the contrary, fall back on his original scheme, what will be the probable conse- quences? First of all, the city of Mexico, which is seventy-six English miles from Puebla, is to be reached ; and even supposing that there will be no impediments thrown in the way, that the town is unable to hold out, what next ?

It will be easy enough, of course, to stir up a small party of reactionists to demand a monarch, and to bring universal suffrage: properly managed, to a successful issue ; and to restore the priest faction to power by means of a plibiscite, if needed. But how long would this last?

The intervention of France with a view to organize a new Government in Mexico has already excited strong feelings in the United States, being regarded as a most dangerous violation of the principles which constitute the Monroe doctrine. Napoleon will do well to ponder over the retaliatory measures with which Mr. Adams once threatened Earl Russell in the event of the Old World being brought to act upon the New.

But, apart from the intricacies likely to spring up, in this respect, from the occupation of Mexico, it would certainly not reflect much honour on the Imperial Government to uphold the very party by which the country was plundered and deluged is blood—the party of Miramon and Marquez.

Then the question is whether the Mexicans, after being defeated, will be subdued. Mexico is a very extensive country, in which Juarez and his followers are sure to find a safe refuge. There are beyond the capital impassable tracts and mountains, where the natives can maintain themselves without difficulty and with little peril. From what we know of the determined resistance offered to the invaders by Juarez, it is obvious that his is the Government founded on the national will. What kind of universal suffrage could possibly be deemed more peremptory than that armed uni- versal suffrage which so spontaneously declared in favour of the existing rginie ? At the time when Mexican traitors, in the pay of the Imperial Government, were employed to seduce the generals of Juarez from their allegiance, one of the renegades, having written to that effect to Generals Negrete and O'Haran, the former contented himself with replying that he was unable to find words to express his indignation. The latter's answer was as follows :— " Change your name. There are certain errors which cause a cankerous remorse that continues throughout one's life. Such is your position. Tell me the name you shall have adopted, in order

* " Correspondence respecting the Affairs of Mexico." Commodore Dunlop to the Secretary to the Admiralty (p. 129).

Ibid, p. 135.

that I may write to you, and that my letters may afford Yiqhe some consolation."

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Men who speak thus may be vanquished, but will never submit \