Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/35

 CHAPTER II.

OW commences the second phase of the French expedition. Now we leave the domain of diplomacy and politics to enter upon the field of war. Here also mistakes were made, and they were followed by disastrous consequences. After the rupture of the convention of La Soledad, the French troops, reinforced by 3,500 men brought by General de Lorencez, commenced hostilities. The line of the Chiquihuite had not been repassed, as the convention of La Soledad had stipulated. This violation of the promise which had been given formed but an unhappy beginning, and produced a deplorable effect. A civilised people, who made it their boast that they were about to teach a nation which was almost barbarous a respect for justice and for plighted faith, commenced by thus treading under foot a solemn promise. It was a double error. Besides diminishing the prestige of our force, we became the first to open the door of treason. Moreover, the Mexicans imagined, and vied with one another in repeating in their bragging language, that the French had been afraid to give up to them the pass of the Chiquihuite, 'a formidable position that we should not have been able to pass a second time if it had been defended by the noble sons of Cortes.' To anyone who knew anything about it