Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/88

 to Matamoros of an imperial commissioner furnished with special powers could not at this moment awaken the jealousies of the Northern States, which in their desire of conquering the secessionists would have seen with pleasure General Slaughter's cessation of hostilities, and Lincoln would probably have shut his eyes to the passage of 25,000 Confederates into the neighbouring territory as Mexican subjects. The marshal hastened to call Maximilian's attention to this question of such deep importance to the future of the monarchy.

Mexico, May 29, 1860.

Sire,—The late events in the United States and General Negrete's movements on the northern frontier of the empire make it my duty to lay before your majesty the actual state of things, as I understand them, and to invite your earnest attention to certain contingencies, which, without constituting any imminent source of danger, are still of deep importance.

It is now beyond all doubt that the agents of the Juarist party are endeavouring to throw upon the Mexican empire all the difficulties and trouble which the cessation of hostilities between the Northern and Southern States renders inevitable.

The public enlistments which have been organised in the principal towns of the Union, and the appeals which the American press are making for emigrants to Mexico, abundantly prove the intrigues of a party which holds Mexican nationality so cheap, and show that the sympathies of the American people, whose adventurous spirit is unhappily too well known, are all in favour of this party.

Your majesty has nothing to dread for the present. All my preparations are ready for repulsing any bands of filibusters which may attempt to invade the south of the empire.

The abortive attempt of General Negrete, which can only be explained by the hope that he had of being supported by these armed bands, has ended in nothing. It has only proved that the pretended allegiance of certain persons, amongst others, that of Cortina, was entirely fictitious, and that the odious part taken by the latter renders him for ever unworthy of your majesty's clemency.