Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/132

116 The emperor desires you, sir, to settle it, in conjunction with his august ally, after a loyal discussion has taken place in which Marshal Bazaine is naturally called on to join, in order to determine on the means of guaranteeing, as far as possible, the interests of the Mexican government, the safety of our creditors, and the claims of our countrymen. His majesty's wish is that the evacuation should commence towards next autumn.

You will please read this despatch to his excellency the minister of foreign affairs, and hand him a copy of it. I charge M. Baron Saillard to add such verbal explanations as may be necessary, and to bring me as soon as possible the reply, in which you will acquaint me with the definitive arrangements which are resolved on.

The second despatch, of a more intimate character aimed to establish that our government intended to get quit of the obligations it contracted in the treaty of Miramar, taking advantage of the power afforded it by the non-execution by Mexico of a reciprocal convention, since the treasury of the latter was empty, and it was no longer able to pay the troops maintained in its territory. The French cabinet added that these difficulties were nothing new, and that we had endeavoured to meet them on various occasions by facilitating loans which had placed considerable sums at the disposal of Mexico. This was carrying a forgetfulness of the facts rather too far, as these enormous loans had only placed in Maximilian's hand the comparatively small sum of about forty millions, without reckoning the eight millions which the new sovereign had personally received on taking possession of his throne. With, as it were, bitter irony, this despatch, so strange in its contradictions, while arguing from the inability of the Mexican crown to meet its engagements, seemed to take a pleasure in asserting that the sympathies and hopes of