Page:The Fall of Maximilan's Empire.djvu/109

 almost impossible to exercise towards him an act of generosity which, although it would have thrown censure on our government, would have excited the admiration and provoked the eulogies of the world and of posterity. To-day the pardon of the Archduke of Austria could not be granted without incurring universal censure, there being very few who would believe that we were influenced solely by the noble sentiments of humanity and magnanimity. These same friends of Maximilian and enemies of the government of the republic would comment on this act in a manner most unfavorable to our dignity. They have always endeavored to produce the belief that the Mexican people, and, to the nations of Europe, that the republican government is in a state of traitorous dependence upon the United States; and with the known bad faith of those men try to throw in our face our obsequious docility, or worse—that we but obey (for certainly such was the order of Seward) the brusque commands of the American minister, Mr. Campbell. . ..

. . . "At the beginning we were vacillating between the reign of justice and benignity and pardon in regard to the Archduke; but on reflecting on the matter, and in view of the impolitic (or impolite) letter of Mr. Seward, and considering the proof of obstinacy given by the Archduke himself, in his strong desire that in no way the only government which the nation has recognized should be