THE FRENCH IN MEXICO.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 44, 10 April 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE FRENCH IN MEXICO.

■^ig EMPEROR NAPOLEON'S DECLABA-«-^l| TION OF .POLICY. ' WSlThe purport of the subjoined letter tlm the Kt&peror to General Forey has An already given in one of that officer's Qjj ocl'\mationß0 cl'\mationß in Mexico ; but the imilriSFice of the document induces us to lect it from the diplomatic papers just Pasi\d before the two Chambers at na H « Fontainebleau, July 3, 1863. lAA|"My dear General,— At the moment JJhen you are about to start for Mexico, E "^£rged with military and political Iwers, I think it useful to make you tell acquainted with my ideas The . Ine of conduct you will have to follow nlftf i: — Ist. To publish on your arrival a re Pjroclamation, the principal points of r °4-hich will be indicated to }ou. 2nd. To treat with the greatest kindness all B [he Mexicans who shall present them--3rdl {elves. 3rd. Not to espouse the quarrel imsf any party ; to declare that everyr tilling is provisional, so long as the •jonfifexican nation shall not have expressed k? "*fts opinion ;to show great deference for ! -°f Teligion, but at the same time to tran- ] tuiliae the holders of national property, fjjjkh. To feed, pay and arm, according to ,t lyour means, the Mexican auxiliary t fjtroops, and make them play principal tiniparts in the combats. sth. To mainItain among your own trtops, as well as the auxiliaries, the most severe .Idiscipline; to vigorously repress any • jact or word insulting for th.p Mexicans, 5 y for the pride of their character must not ,i Jbe forgotten, and it is important for the n jsuccess of the enterprise to conciliate the t.Hgood feelings of the people. When we 'rtjshall nav e reached the city of Mexico it ?n ]is to desired ihat the principal persons of ! ,Jjall political shades who shall have emJ braced our cause, should come to an Jj understanding with }-ou to organise a , e { provisional government. That governiqj ment will submit to the Mexican people cc] the question of the political regime w\ which is to be definitely established. An assembly will be afterwards elected * according to the Mexican laws. You will aid the new Government to introI, duce into the new administration, and n particularly into the finances, that regu--1 larity of which France offers the best " tnodel For that purpose capable men will be sent to second its new organisa'j tion. The object to be attained is not !' to impose on the Mexicans a form of 1 government which would be obnoxe iovs, but t3 assist them in their jforts to establish, according to their , own wishes, a Government which may f have a chance of stability, and secure to > France the settlement of the injuries of ! -which she has to complain. It follows ias a matter of "course, that if the McxiLnns r> ref er n monarchy it is for the « / interest of France to support them in that path. There will not be wanting people who will ask you why we expend men and money to found a regular government in Mexico. In the present state of the civilisation of the world the prosperity of America is not a matter of indifference to Europe, for it is that country which feeds our manufactories and gives an impulse to our commerce. We have an interest in the Republic! of the United States being powerful and ' qrosperous, but not that she should take possession of the whole of the whole of the Gulf of Mexico, thence command the Antilles as well as South America, nnd be the only dispenser of the pro • ducts of the new world. We now see, by sad experience, how precarious is the lot of a branch of manufacture which is compelled to procure its raw material in a single market, all the vicissitudes of "which it has to bear. If, on the con trary, Mexico maintainsher independence and the integrity of her territory ; if a stable Government be there constituted with the assistance of France, we shall have restored to the Latin race on the other side the Atlantic all its strength and its prestige; we shall have guaranteed security to our West India colonies and to those of Spain ; we shall have established our friendl} influence in the centre of America ; and that influence, by creating immense markets for our commerce, will procure us the raw materials indispensable for our manufactures. Mexico, thus regenerateu, -will always be well disposed towards us, not only out of gratitude, but also because her interests will be in accord with ours, and because she will find support in her friendly relations with European powers. At present, therefore, our military honor engaged, the necessities of our policy, the interests of our industry and commerce, all conspire to make it our duty to march on Mtxico, to boldly plant our flag there, and to establish either a monarchy, if not incompatible with the national feeling, or at least a Government which may promise some stability. "Napoleon. A zealous but indiscreet flatterer of the Emperor is at the pains to cut from •under him an excuse which. M. Billault might have found very useful when the question shall be brought before the Corps Legi?latif in the debate on the address. The Pays, so far from representing the Quixotic idea of fighting on behalf of the Latin race in the new world as one that has surged up incidentally since the French troops landed in Mexico, boasts that it was the mainspring of the expedition from the first. " This idea," it says, " was long since ripened in the mind of Napoleon 111., and if we read his works we shall find it revealed and embodied by him during the studious and fruitful hours of his exile. This expedition is, beyond all doubt, one of the most gigantic <-nt rprises of the preent reign, and 0 "> which the events now passing in America render singularly opportune." " One of the most gigantic enterprises of the present reign." That is what M. Jules Favre complained last year it would turn out to be ; but then it suited the Government to treat it as a mere promenad*mUitaire of small importance j

i The JVWsays that the Emperor has lately availed himself of the occasion of a dinner at the Tuiieries- to speak to some members of the Senate and the Legislative Corps upon the true objects of ° the Mexican expedition. The Emperor having asked what was the state of public opinion in their depart-, ments, one of the deputies remaaked that everyone was talkiug of the expedition to Mexico. His Majesty replied, "Tbey do not understand the thought which dictated this expedition to me ; it will be judged later by Us results, and everyone will see that it has been one of the most important and glorious acts of my reign.'' The' French Government has receireQ dispatches from Mexico, which announce the taking of Puebla. As might have been expected, the Mexicans made little resistance to Gen. Fovey s forces. It will be, however, some time before Mexico can be reached and captured. . ta Patrie publishes the following :— "Advices received via San Antonio, informs us of the defeat of Gen. Ortega by 5000 men of our avant-garde against 23,000 Mexican troops. Gen. lorey, at Puebla, was waif'ng for reinforcements. Six thou^nd French have landed atTa'mpicf*