500 



MEXICO. 



plans^suggested by him could bo properly ma- 

 tured, much less put in successful operation. 

 These certainly -would have delayed the finan- 

 cial ruin impending over Maximilian's empire; 

 and might, possibly, in the event of certain 

 contingencies, have averted it altogether. The 

 last decree issued by him is characteristic of the 

 rigid measures considered necessary to buoy up 

 the sinking ship of state. It ordered the imme- 

 diate collection of the international duties at all 

 the ports on the coast, and contained a retro- 

 active clause imposing an additional duty of 

 thirty per cent, on all stocks of goods on hand 

 on which duties had previously been paid, and 

 authorizing the government officials to visit 

 warehouses and ascertain, by investigation, 

 whether the stocks on hand corresponded with 

 the reports rendered. This was strenuously re- 

 sisted by the merchants, a deputation from whom 

 visited the emperor to remonstrate against the 

 enforcement of the decree. Maximilian refer- 

 red the memorial to his council of state, but 

 Marshal Bazaine, with small regard for the con- 

 stituted authorities, ordered the decree of M. 

 Langlais to be carried into effect forthwith. 

 After the death of Langlais all became confusion 

 again in the incompetent ministry of Maximil- 

 ian. An empty treasury, large outstanding en- 

 gagements, and current expenditures, which 

 seemed daily to increase instead of diminish, 

 stared them in the face, added to which embar- 

 rassments were the growing strength of the 

 Republicans in the north, and the rumors fast 

 gaining in credibility of the contemplated with- 

 drawal of the French troops. A situation more 

 critical could scarcely be conceived. Never- 

 theless the unpractical men who controlled the 

 government consumed week after week in dis- 

 cussing the budget, proposing retrenchment and 

 additional taxes and a variety of schemes of re- 

 form, but doing actually nothing to avert the 

 fall of the empire. 



At this crisis the rumors of the return of the 

 French received an official verification, which 

 proved none the less -alarming because it had 

 been so long anticipated. The first orders look- 

 ing toward this act were issued on the 18th of 

 October, 1865, in consequence of a suggestion 

 made by our minister, Mr. Bigelow, that the 

 United States would recognize the empire of 

 Maximilian, which was even then in a tottering 

 condition, so soon as the French had departed. 

 This suggestion was made by Mr. Bigelow upon 

 his own responsibility, and he insisted that the 

 departure of the French must precede recogni- 

 tion. The President disapproved of Mr. Bige- 

 low's tender of recognition, but France was in- 

 formed that she might rely upon our friendship 

 and neutrality; and on the 5th of April, 1866, 

 M. Drouyn de Lhuys, referring to Mr. Seward's 

 pledge of non-intervention after the departure 

 of the French troops, informed the Marquis de 

 Month olon, Napoleon's representative in Mexico, 

 that the emperor had decided that the troops 

 should evacuate Mexico in three detachments, 

 the first being intended to go in November, 



1866 ; the second in March, 1867; and the third 

 in November of the same year. This decision, 

 when announced in the Mexican capital, pro- 

 duced a less embarrassing effect than might 

 have been supposed, for, by giving the alarm 

 to the Conservative party, which had cooperated 

 with the now almost defunct Church party in 

 bringing about French intervention, it rallied 

 that powerful organization, comprising all the 

 landed and financial aristocracy of the country, 

 to the aid of Maximilian. Both these classes, 

 which had, out of shortsightedness, distrust, and 

 egotism, withheld loans so long as they feared 

 that their country might become a dependency 

 of France, now that this suspicion was removed, 

 became alarmed for another reason. They were 

 afraid of retaliation on the part of the Liberals, 

 which would assume the shape of an extensive 

 spoliation, as had already happened in the for- 

 mer civil wars of Mexico. This afforded tho 

 key to their last demonstration in behalf of 

 the empire, on which they now leaned, not on 

 account of any sympathy, but simply as a mat- 

 ter of personal security. Almost immediately 

 they began to negotiate for renewed alliance 

 and cooperation with the alienated Church 

 party, and, it was said, urged prominent eccle- 

 siastics to authorize the sale of valuable but 

 unnecessary church furniture, rather than suffer 

 Maximilian, who, better than any one else, 

 could afford them security, to leave the country. 

 To show their sincerity in the matter, they 

 came forward themselves, first of all. and sup- 

 plied the immediate needs of government by a 

 loan of several millions. 



Toward the close of July Maximilian, with a 

 view of identifying himself more completely 

 with the only party on which he could now rely 

 for support, remodelled his ministry so as to 

 make the Conservative element predominate in 

 it. On the 20th ho notified Lacunza, President 

 of the Council, and Minister of Finance since 

 the death of Langlais, that his services would 

 no longer be needed by the government, and 

 also issued decrees appointing General Osmont, 

 chief of staff of the expeditionary corps, Minis- 

 ter of War; and General Friant, the intendent- 

 general of the same corps. Minister of Finance. 



Other removals of minor importance were 

 made, and several departments which seemed 

 rather ornamental than useful were merged into 

 more important ones or discontinued. The re- 

 tiring ministers belonged to that section of the 

 Liberals which accepted the empire, and which, 

 as is well known, Maximilian endeavored to 

 conciliate and attach to him by giving it the 

 most important employments. As a bid for 

 a renewed lease of power, the dismissal of the 

 Liberals was doubtless the best thing to be done 

 under the circumstances, and the appointment 

 of French officers to the most important posts 

 seemed to indicate a desire to solicit further 

 aid from Napoleon, and, if possible, retain a 

 portion of the expeditionary force in the coun- 

 try. The latter object, as will subsequently be 

 seen, was entirely defeated. About this time a 



