Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/213

 No other causes than the real ones need be sought for to account for the late events; these causes are well known to his majesty, as our reports have thoroughly described them to him.

Your excellency, too, ought to know them, but I will abstain from again enumerating them. In short, the imperial government can dispose, as it has before done, of all the elements of the national army; but it is only honest in me to say that, if the recruiting and the administration are not better managed than in times past, and if, on the other hand, there is not more energy, fidelity, and devotion shown on the part of the said troops, the imperial government will act wisely in not relying with any certainty upon its help.

The liberal camp of Porfirio Diaz was better informed than our head-quarters authorities as to the proceedings of our government. Just at the time when the envoy of Napoleon was ascending, the high plateaus, the republican newspaper thus expressed itself:—'The packet from St. Nazaire has just brought over General Castelnau and the Marquis of Galliffet, both of them aides-de-camp of Napoleon III. . .' '. . . Castelnau makes no mystery of his important mission; he says that he has brought the order to make Maximilian abdicate. It is asserted that, after the fall of the Austrian prince, a convention will make its appearance, which has been concluded beforehand between the cabinets of Washington and the Tuileries as to the French debt. It will be understood that Maximilian's abdication is inevitable, either voluntary or forced; the proceedings of France are well comprehended; and the sun of the new year will see the triumphant arms of the republic glittering all over the Mexican territory.'

Our troops continued to concentrate on the centre of the country. After the last orders were received