Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/248

232 A second secretary of legation had been dispatched by the Marquis de Moustier to the Marquis de Montholon; and, on his return from America, he obtained an advancement of rank.

Certain secret envoys, such as Colonel Estevan, who had had an audience of the emperor at Saint Cloud about this time, and a Frenchman of the name of Moreau, had been seen at Washington. At length M. Marcus Otterbourg, the American consul, preceding the 'Susquehannah' frigate, landed at Vera Cruz, and proceeded hastily to Mexico. Convinced that for the future General Castelnau was the mainspring of action, he resolved to unmask the intentions of the French policy at one stroke, and to compel it to decide openly one way or the other. Maximilian had by his side the Abbé Fischer, a well-practised diplomatist, inured all the tricks of the trade, who directed the thoughts the young sovereign, as well as his pen and his conscience. Under his ascendancy, the emperor now regretted that he had not received General Castelnau; for he thought that it would be interesting to have heard from his mouth the latest utterances of the Tuileries. M. Larès, the president of the council at Mexico, was charged to invite Napoleon's aide-de-camp to enter into some explanations. This attempt failed. General Castelnau, faithful to his part, replied to M. Larès that the presence of the marshal was necessary, the latter being qualified to deal with matters. MM. Larès and Arroyo were compelled to proceed to the French head-quarters, where they met the three French authorities. After this interview, the two Mexican ministers drew up a note, which was a faithful summary of the explanations exchanged, and sent it to the marshal: it was dated November 4, 1866.

In the first place, they declared formally that General