abraham lincoln and the union-第34章

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ices　of　the　people。



CHAPTER　XII。　THE　MEXICAN　EPISODE

That　French　demagogue　whom　Victor　Hugo　aptly　called　Napoleon　the　Little　was　a　prime　factor　in　the　history　of　the　Union　and　the　Confederacy。　　The　Confederate　side　of　his　intrigue　will　be　told　in　its　proper　place。　　Here；　let　us　observe　him　from　the　point　of　view　of　Washington。

It　is　too　much　to　attempt　to　pack　into　a　sentence　or　two　the　complicated　drama　of　deceit；　lies；　and　graft；　through　which　he　created　at　last　a　pretext　for　intervention　in　the　affairs　of　Mexico；　it　is　enough　that　in　the　autumn　of　1862　a　French　army　of　invasion　marched　from　Vera　Cruz　upon　Mexico　City。　　We　have　already　seen　that　about　this　same　time　Napoleon　proposed　to　England　and　Russia　a　joint　intervention　with　France　between　North　and　Southa　proposal　which；　however；　was　rejected。　　This　Mexican　venture　explains　why　the　plan　was　suggested　at　that　particular　time。

Disappointed　in　England　and　Russia；　Napoleon　unexpectedly　received　encouragement；　as　he　thought；　from　within　the　United　States　through　the　medium　of　the　eccentric　editor　of　the　〃New　York　Tribune〃。　We　shall　have　occasion　to　return　later　to　the　adventures　of　Horace　Greeleythat　erratic　individual　who　has　many　good　and　generous　acts　to　his　credit；　as　well　as　many　foolish　ones。　　For　the　present　we　have　to　note　that　toward　the　close　of　1862　he　approached　the　French　Ambassador　at　Washington　with　a　request　for　imperial　mediation　between　the　North　and　the　South。　　Greeley　was　a　type　of　American　that　no　European　can　understand：　he　believed　in　talk；　and　more　talk；　and　still　more　talk；　as　the　cure　for　earthly　ills。　　He　never　could　understand　that　anybody　besides　himself　could　have　strong　convictions。　　When　he　told　the　Ambassador　that　the　Emperor's　mediation　would　lead　to　a　reconciliation　of　　the　sections；　he　was　doubtless　sincere　in　his　belief。　　The　astute　European　diplomat；　who　could　not　believe　such　simplicity；　thought　it　a　mask。　　When　he　asked　for；　and　received；　permission　to　pass　the　Federal　lines　and　visit　Richmond；　he　interpreted　the　permit　in　the　light　of　his　assumption　about　Greeley。　　At　Richmond；　he　found　no　desire　for　reunion。　　Putting　this　and　that　together；　he　concluded　that　the　North　wanted　to　give　up　the　fight　and　would　welcome　mediation　to　save　its　face。　　The　dreadful　defeat　at　Fredericksburg　fell　in　with　this　reasoning。　　His　reports　on　American　conditions　led　Napoleon；　in　January；　1863；　to　attempt　alone　what　he　had　once　hoped　to　do　supported　by　England　and　Russia。　He　proposed　his　good　offices　to　the　Government　at　Washington　as　a　mediator　between　North　and　South。

Hitherto；　Washington　had　been　very　discreet　about　Mexico。　　Adroit　hints　not　to　go　too　far　had　been　given　Napoleon　in　full　measure；　but　there　was　no　real　protest。　　The　State　Department　now　continued　this　caution　and　in　the　most　polite　terms　declined　Napoleon's　offer。　　Congress；　however；　took　the　matter　more　grimly；　for　throughout　the　dealings　with　Napoleon；　it　had　been　at　odds　with　Lincoln。　　It　now　passed　the　first　of　a　series　of　resolutions　which　expressed　the　will　of　the　country；　if　not　quite　the　will　of　the　President；　by　resolving　that　any　further　proposal　of　mediation　would　be　regarded　by　it　as　〃an　unfriendly　act。〃

Napoleon　then　resumed　his　scheming　for　joint　intervention；　while　in　the　meantime　his　armies　continued　to　fight　their　way　until　they　entered　Mexico　City　in　June；　1863。　　The　time　had　now　come　when　Napoleon　thought　it　opportune　to　show　his　hand。　　Those　were　the　days　when　Lee　appeared　invincible；　and　when　Chancellorsville　crowned　a　splendid　series　of　triumphs。　　In　England；　the　Southern　party　made　a　fresh　start；　and　societies　were　organized　to　aid　the　Confederacy。　　At　Liverpool；　Laird　Brothers　were　building；　ostensibly　for　France；　really　for　the　Confederacy；　two　ironclads　supposed　to　outclass　every　ship　in　the　Northern　navy。　　In　France；　100；000　unemployed　cotton　hands　were　rioting　for　food。　　To　raise　funds　for　the　Confederacy　the　great　Erlanger　banking…house　of　Paris　negotiated　a　loan　based　on　cotton　which　was　to　be　delivered　after　the　breaking　of　the　blockade。　　Napoleon　dreamed　of　a　shattered　American　union；　two　enfeebled　republics；　and　a　broad　way　for　his　own　scheme　in　Mexico。

In　June　an　English　politician　of　Southern　sympathies；　Edward　Roebuck；　went　over　to　France；　was　received　by　the　Emperor；　and　came　to　an　understanding　with　him。　　Roebuck　went　home　to　report　to　the　Southern　party　that　Napoleon　was　ready　to　intervene；　and　that　all　he　waited　for　was　England's　cooperation。　　A　motion　〃to　enter　into　negotiations　with　the　Great　Powers　of　Europe　for　the　purpose　of　obtaining　their　cooperation　in　the　recognition〃　of　the　Confederacy　was　introduced　by　Roebuck　in　the　House　of　Commons。

The　debate　which　followed　was　the　last　chance　of　the　Southern　party　and；　as　events　proved；　the　last　chance　of　Napoleon。　　How　completely　the　British　ministry　was　now　committed　to　the　North　appears　in　the　fact　that　Gladstone；　for　the　Government；　opposed　Roebuck's　motion。　　John　Bright　attacked　it　in　what　Lord　Morley　calls　〃perhaps　the　most　powerful　and　the　noblest　speech　of　his　life。〃　　The　Southern　party　was　hardly　resolute　in　their　support　of　Roebuck　and　presently　he　withdrew　his　motion。

But　there　were　still　the　ironclads　at　Liverpool。　　We　have　seen　that　earlier　in　the　war；　the　carelessness　of　the　British　authorities　had　permitted　the　escape　of　ship　290；　subsequently　known　as　the　Confederate　commercedestroyer；　Alabama。　　The　authorities　did　not　wish　to　allow　a　repetition　of　the　incident。　But　could　it　be　shown　that　the　Laird　ships　were　not　really　for　a　French　purchaser？　　It　was　in　the　course　of　diplomatic　conversations　that　Mr。　Adams；　speaking　of　the　possible　sailing　of　the　ships；　made　a　remark　destined　to　become　famous：　〃It　would　be　superfluous　in　me　to　point　out　to　your　lordship　that　this　is　war。〃　At　jest；　the　authorities　were　satisfied。　　The　ships　were　seized　and　in　the　end　bought　for　the　British　Navy。

Again　Napoleon　stood　alone。　　Not　only　had　he　failed　to　obtain　aid　from　abroad；　but　in　France　itself　his　Mexican　schemes　were　widely　and　bitterly　condemned。　　Yet　he　had　gone　too　far　to　recede；　and　what　he　had　been　aiming　at　all　along　was　now　revealed。　　An　assembly　of　Mexican　notables；　convened　by　the　general　of　the　invaders；　voted　to　set　up　an　imperial　government　and　offered　the　crown　to　Napoleon's　nominee；　the　Archduke　Maximilian　of　Austria。

And　now　the　Government　at　Washington　was　faced　with　a　complicated　problem。　　What　about　the　Monroe　Doctrine？　　Did　the　Union　dare　risk　war　with　France？　　Did　it　dare　pass　over　without　protest　the　establishment　of　monarchy　on　American　soil　by　foreign　arms？　Between　these　horns　of　a　dilemma；　the　Government　maintained　its　precarious　position　during　another　year。　　Seward's　correspondence　with　Paris　was　a　masterpiece　of　evasion。　　He　neither　protested　against　the　intervention　of　Napoleon　nor　acknowledged　the　authority　of　Maximilian。　　Apparently；　both　he　and　Lincoln　were　divided　between　fear　of　a　French　alliance　with　the　Confederacy　and　fear　of　premature　action　in　the　North　that　would　render　Napoleon　desperate。　　Just　how　far　they　comprehended　Napoleon　and　his　problems　is　an　open　question。

Whether　really　comprehending　or　merely　trusting　to　its　instinct；　Congress　took　a　bolder　course。　　Two　men　prove　the　antagonists　of　a　parliamentary　duelCharles　Sumner；　chairman　of　the　Senate　Committee　on　Foreign　Relations；　and　Henry　Winter　Davis；　chairman　of　the　corresponding　committee　of　the　House。　　Sumner　played　the　hand　of　the　Administration。　　Fiery　resolutions　demanding　the　evacuation　of　Mexico　or　an　American　declaration　of　war　were　skillfully　buried　in　the　silence　of　Sumner's　committee。　　But　there　was　nevertheless　one　resolution　that　affected　history：　it　was　a　ringing　condemnation　of　the　attempt　to　establish　a　monarchy　in　Mexico。　　In　the　House；　a　joint　resolution　which　Davis　submitted　was　passed　without　one　dissenting　vote。　　When　it　came　to　the　Senate；　Sumner　buried　it　as　he　had　buried　earlier　resolutions。　None　the　less　it　went　out　to　the　world　attended　by　the　news　of　the　unanimous　vote　in　the　House。

Shortly　afterwards；　the　American　Ambassador　at　Paris　called　upon　the　imperial　Foreign　Secretary；　M。　Drouyn　de　L'huys。　　News　of　this　resolution　had　preceded　him。