Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/257

Rh haste from the United States, where it was believed that Maximilian had now embarked for Europe: he was commissioned to prepare the ground for two plenipotentiaries accredited to Juarez. In this interview M. Otterbourg announced to the commander-in-chief the approaching visit of his two countrymen, and the aim of their journey, and sought to sound him as to the mode in which he intended to deal with events. Subsequently, in an official conversation, he intimated that he was charged by his own government, acting in accordance with the court of the Tuileries, to restore, in conjunction with the commander-in-chief, the Mexican republic.

'The time has come,' said he, 'to look out for the Juarist general, to whom it will be best to give over the city of Mexico, so as to avoid the disturbances which may break out at any moment.' Porfirio Diaz appeared, in his opinion, to be worthy of being selected by the French. It would, therefore, be prudent, looking forward to contingencies, to invite him to approach the capital. He also apprised the commander-in-chief that he had already obtained from the bankers of the city funds sufficient to meet the pay of Porfirio Diaz's troops for a month.

The marshal manifested all the astonishment he felt at finding things so far advanced, and declared plainly to M. Otterbourg, that 'as long as Maximilian trod the Mexican soil and had not abdicated, he remained in his eyes the only lawful chief of the country who had any right to the French protection; that, until this moment arrived, no fresh measures could be taken, and every disaffected general necessarily preserved his character as a rebel, and must be dealt with as such.' Subsequently, when the archduke was once embarked, he could not see any objection to organising a