270 



DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS. 



tion of the republican government in Mexico 

 as may arise to this department, for the infor- 

 mation of the President. The Lieutenant- 

 General of the United States possesses already 

 discretionary authority as to the location of the 

 forces of the United States in the vicinity of 

 Mexico." 



Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. 

 LEGATION or THE UNITED STATES, PARIS. Nov. 8, 1866. 

 SIE : The Minister of Foreign Affairs informed 

 me on Thursday last, in reply to a question which 

 newspaper rumors prompted me to address him, that 

 it was the purpose of the emperor to withdraw all 

 his troops from Mexico in the spring, but none be- 

 fore that time. I expressed my surprise and regret 

 at this determination, so distinctly in conflict with 

 the pledges given by his excellency's predecessor 

 (M. Drouyn de Lhuys) both to you, through the 

 Marquis de Montholon, and also to myself personally. 

 The marquis assigned considerations of a purely 

 military character, overlooking, or underestimating, 

 as it seems to me, the importance which this change 

 might possibly have upon the relations of France 

 with the United States. I waited upon his majesty 

 yesterday, at St. Cloud, repeated to him what the 

 Marquis de Moustier had told me, and desired to 

 know what, if any thing, could be done by me to 

 anticipate and prevent the discontent which I felt 

 persuaded would be experienced by my country-peo- 

 ple, if they received this intelligence without any ex- 

 planation. The emperor said that it was true that 

 he had concluded to postpone the recall of any of his 

 troops until spring, but that in doing so he had been 

 influenced by entirely military considerations. At 

 the time he gave the order the successors of the dis- 

 sidents, supported as they were by large reenforce- 

 ments from the United States, seemed to render any 

 reduction of his force then perilous to those who re- 

 mained behind. His majesty went on to say that he 

 sent General Castelneau to Mexico, charged to in- 

 form Maximilian that France could not give him an- 

 other cent of money, nor another man. If he thought 

 he could sustain himself there alone, France would 

 not withdraw her troops faster than had been stipu- 

 lated for by M. Drouyn de Lhuys, should such be 

 his desire, but if, on the other hand, he was disposed 

 to abdicate, which was the course his majesty coun- 

 selled him to take, General Castelneau was charged 

 to find some government with which to treat for the 

 protection of French interests, and to bring all the 

 army home in the spring. His majesty appeared to re- 

 alize the importance of having an understanding with 

 the President upon the subject, and I left with the 

 impression that he intended to occupy himself with 

 the matter at once. There is but one sentiment 

 here about the determination of France to wash her 

 hands of Mexico as soon as possible. Nor have I any 

 doubt that the emperor is acting in good faith to- 

 ward us. The fact which the emperor admitted in 

 this conversation, that he had advised Maximilian to 

 abdicate, has prepared me to expect every day the 

 announcement of his abdication ; for such advice, in 

 Maximilian's dependent condition, is almost equiva- 

 lent to an order. That it would be so regarded is, I 

 think, the expectation of the emperor, and ample 

 preparations for the early repatriation of all the 

 troops have, I believe, already been made by the 

 Ministers of War and Marine. The emperor stated 

 that he expected to know the final result of Castel- 

 neau's tnission toward the end of this month. 



November 23, 1866. Mr. Seward, in a dis- 

 patch to Mr. Bigelow, protested against this 

 change on the part of the emperor of the 

 plans of the French Government in withdraw- 

 ing its troops. 



The efforts of General Santa Anna to enlist 



the Government in his views in reference to 

 Mexico, received no further recognition than 

 the information that the Executive Govern- 

 ment holds intercourse affecting the interna- 

 tional relations of the United States and Mexico 

 only with accredited representatives of the re- 

 public of Mexico. 



CANADA. The action of the Government in 

 reference to the conviction of persons taken 

 prisoners during the Fenian invasion of Canada, 

 is set out in the following : 



To THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary of State, to 

 whom were referred two resolutions of the House of 

 Eepresentatives, passed on the 23d o July instant, 

 in the following words, respectively : 



liesolved, That the House of Eepresentatives respectfully 

 request the President of the United States to urge upon 

 the Canadian authorities, and also the British Government, 

 the release of the Fenian prisoners recently captured in 

 Canada. 



Itesolvfd, That the House respectfully request the President 

 to cause the prosecutions instituted in the United States 

 courts against the Fenians to be discontinued, if compatible 

 with the public interests. 



has the honor to report in regard to the first resolu- 

 tion that the Government of the United States holds 

 no correspondence directly upon any subject with 

 the Canadian authorities mentioned in the said reso- 

 lution, or with the authorities of any colony, prov- 

 ince, or dependency of any other sovereign State, 

 and that, on the contrary, all its correspondence 

 concerning questions which arise in or affect or re- 

 late to such colonies, provinces, or dependences, is 

 always conducted exclusively with such foreign gov- 

 ernments. 



On the llth of June last a note was addressed by 

 this Department to the Hon. Sir Frederick "W. A. 

 Bruce, her majesty's minister plenipotentiary resid- 

 ing in the United States, of which a copy is hereunto 

 annexed. It is proper to say, in relation to that 

 note, first, that the reports mentioned therein, to the 

 effect that prisoners had been taken on the soil of 

 the United States and conveyed to Canada, and 

 threatened by Canadian agents with immediate exe- 

 cution, without legal trial, were found on examina- 

 tion to be untrue and without foundation in fact. It is 

 due to the British Government to say, in the second 

 place, that the representations made in the said note 

 have been received and taken into consideration by 

 the British Government and by the Canadian authori- 

 ties in a friendly manner. 



The resolution of the House of Representatives 

 first recited, harmonizing as it does with the spirit of 

 the aforesaid note, will, be brought to the attention 

 of her majesty's government and of the Canadian 

 authorities, with the expression of a belief on the 

 part of the President that affairs upon the frontier 

 have happily come to a condition in which the clem- 

 ency requested by Congress may be extended 

 without danger to the public peace, and with ad- 

 vantage to the interests of peace and harmony be- 

 tween the two nations. 



I have already received your directions that the 

 second of said resolutions be taken into consideration 

 by the proper departments of the Government, with 

 a desire that it may be found practicable to reconcile 

 the humane policy recommended with the main- 

 tenance of law and order, the safety of the public 

 peace, and the good faith and honor of the United 

 States. Respectfully submitted, 



WILLIAM H. SEWARD. 



Mr. Seward to Sir Frederick W. A. Bruce, 



Minister. 



DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, June 11, 1866. 

 SIR: The Secretary of War has laid before the Presi- 

 dent several dispatches, which were received yester- 

 day and to-dry from Mitjor-General Meade. who is 



