Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/91

Rh would be salutary in the future. For, although the French army were then masters of every position, the Mexican army would be called upon to succeed to it. The marshal also calculated on the defection of some of the imperialists.

. . . There is no time to be lost in placing yourself in a complete position to meet every contingency, and I venture to solicit your majesty to forgive my persistency for the sake of the motives which dictate it.

The future immigrants demanded to be received as citizens, on their accepting all the legal conditions; they engaged to disband themselves before their admission, and their arms were not to be restored to them until they were subsequently needed for the defence of their homes against the free Indians. Their secret agent, whom we do not wish to name for fear of compromising him, repaired to Mexico, and, in accordance with the imperial decision, prepared either to treat for their admission into the empire or to announce their surrender to the United States. A kind of half-measure was proposed by the cabinet of Mexico; it was urged that the 25,000 Confederates should be looked upon in the first place as prisoners of war. The partisans were deeply dissatisfied, and negotiations were suddenly broken off by the capture of Jefferson Davis. Now that the United States were completely triumphant, there was nothing more to be hoped for from them, and on this occasion, too, a chance of success was lost.

To whichever party in the United States victory leaned, Maximilian was well aware that it would be dangerous for his policy if he did not secure for himself, without delay, this Confederate corps; for he had been informed that, in the early part of the month of February, a conference had taken place at Hampton