Page:Vol 6 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/235

Rh negotiated in France, and for the heavy war expenses. The Vera Cruz and Tampico custom-houses were surrendered to the French agents as guarantees. A great part of these receipts being already hypothecated, and the advance of the republicans cutting off one resource after another, so small a revenue remained with which to conduct the government that bankruptcy was inevitable. Both sovereigns must have recognized the uselessness of the convention; yet they signed it, one because he was obliged to, and the other to save appearances.

Notwithstanding the effort to seek better terms from Napoleon, Maximilian had taken several steps to secure his position in case of need, and among them ranked foremost the reorganization of the army. Napoleon had promised his aid for the formation of a European army, to embrace the Austro-Belgian volunteers of some 7,500 men, and the foreign legion of the French expedition, placed in the Miramare treaty at 8,000 men, and Bazaine was occupied in organizing a Franco-Mexican body, under the term of cazadores, or chasseurs, which should become fully as strong. Add to this the 25,000 or more of rural guards and auxiliaries in different parts, one third mounted, and 600 pieces of artillery, together with the means for manufacturing arms at more than one of the fortified points in the empire, and the strength of Maximilian appeared by no means insignificant.