THE MONROE DOCTRINE 401 



Seward fell the burden of opposing French aims without 

 offending the French emperor. It at once became Mr. Sew- 

 ard's object to prevent Great Britain and France from com- 

 bining in a common cause against the United States. The 

 task of the diplomatist was certainly not an easy one. Both 

 powers were thought to favor the success of Southern arms 

 against the North, and both Avere actually united in an 

 aggressive movement against Mexico, which was hostile to 

 American interests. At such a moment the observance of 

 a mere political tenet was of little relative importance. The 

 Secretary wrote to Mr. Dayton, Minister to France, March 

 31, 1862, as follows : - 



You will intimate to Mr. Thouvenel that rumors of this kind 

 [that France is a party to the scheme to "subvert the republican 

 American system in Mexico"] have reached the President and 

 awakened some anxiety on his part. You will say that you are 

 not authorized to ask explanations, but you are sure that if any 

 can be made, which will be calculated to relieve that anxiety, they 

 will be very welcome, inasmuch as the United States desire noth- 

 ing so much as to maintain a good understanding and the most 

 cordial relations with the government and the people of France. 



It will hardly be necessary to do more in assigning your rea- 

 sons for this proceeding on your part than to say that we have 

 more than once, and with perfect distinctness and candor, in- 

 formed all the parties to the alliance that we cannot look with 

 indifference upon any armed European intervention for political 

 ends in a country situated so near and connected with us so 

 closely as Mexico. 



Mr. Seward subsequently explained the mildness of his 

 protest by saying, that u nations, no more than individuals, 

 can wisely divide their attention upon many subjects at one 

 time." 1 The one subject of civil war at home was fully 

 ample to occupy the attention of every branch of the gov- 

 ernment. 



The assurances given that France did not intend to colo- 

 nize Mexico or to take Sonora or any other section of the 

 country permanently enabled the United States Government 

 to defer the definite protest which it held in readiness to pre- 



1 Bancroft's Life of Seward, Vol. 2, p. 425. 

 2o 



