O

VIII

THE FALL OF NAPOLEON III AND CAUSES THEREOF

N the first of March, 1871, the National Assembly, in session at Bordeaux, solemnly proclaimed the fall of Napoleon III, declaring him "responsible for the ruin, the invasion, and the dismemberment of France." Who can enumerate the various causes of this event?

1. The armed coalition of France, Great Britain and Spain to exact from the republic of Mexico "a more effective protection for the persons and the properties of their subjects as well as the fulfillment of the obligations incurred by the republic of Mexico toward the governments of France, Great Britain and Spain.'

2. The exorbitant claim presented by the French commissioners their subsequent refusal to abide by the agreement of the allies (expressed in the convention of London and in the preliminaries of Soledad) to respect the right of the Mexican people to choose their own form of government, and their refusal to attend the conference of the allies at Orizaba for the discussion of the final terms of a convention with the republic of Mexico.

3. The consequent withdrawal of the representatives of England and Spain with their troops.

4. The selection of an Austrian duke with Imperial rank and powers to displace President Juarez and the republican system of government.

5. The marching of the French army to the City of Mexico in violation of the understanding of the allies with President Juarez,

6. Maximilian's engagement with the Pope to protect the property of his Church in Mexico, and his subsequent violation of that engagement,

7. Maximilian's childish extravagance,

8. The imputed infidelity and disloyalty of Bazaine, 1II, 378-385 ante.

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9. The refusal of Napoleon's Minister of Finance to respond to his call for the issue of more Mexican bonds,

IO. The incompetence of the French military staff,

II. Napoleon's insisting that the King of Prussia should pledge himself that no Hohenzollern should ever accept the crown of Spain,

12. Bismarck's perversion of King William's rebuff of the French ambassador at Ems.

These are some, though far from all, of the contributory causes which, combined, were supposed by the world to explain the King of Prussia's becoming the Emperor of a united Germany, and the captivity and exile of the Emperor of France - the proclamation by the National Assembly that he "was responsible for the ruin, the invasion, and the dismemberment of France."

The first subject of disagreement among the commissioners was the Jecker claims. J. B. Jecker was a Swiss banker who went to Mexico, established the most important bank in that country, and in 1859 negotiated with Miramon for the liquidation of the internal debt which that usurper had fraudulently contracted. In accordance with this transaction, Jecker issued bonds redeemable in eight years, or in 1867, for which he charged the government inordinate commissions. In 1860, Miramon was driven from power and succeeded by Juarez. This patriotic President repudiated the agreement made by Miramon with Jecker, and so made the latter a bankrupt. Jecker turned for relief to the government of Napoleon III, and incidentally became a naturalized French citizen by decree of March 26, 1862. This fact and his machinations for French intervention in the affairs of Mexico came to the knowledge of Juarez, and he was consequently expelled from Mexico by decree of October 2, 1862. Going to France, he there exerted himself to secure influence and support for a claim against Mexico.

Next came the intervention. The combined forces of the allies arrived off Vera Cruz between the 8th of December, 1861, and the 8th of January, 1862. On the 13th of January the commissioners of the allied powers met at Vera Cruz to draw up a note addressed to the Mexican government and accompanied by the ultimatums of their respective governments. The ultimatum presented to the conference by the French commissioners fell

like a bomb shell on the meeting. Its exorbitance indicated that it was not meant to be satisfied, but was intended as an excuse, a pretext, for invading and taking possession of Mexico. The British and Spanish commissioners refused to support it, and the conference adjourned without agreeing upon any concerted action.

While waiting to hear from their respective governments, the commissioners met at Soledad and drew up the preliminary articles of a convention, treating only of the general attitude of the allies toward the Mexican government, and disclaiming any intention of interfering in the government of Mexico. This document was ratified by the governments of Great Britain and Spain, but rejected and formally disapproved, by that of France. As a consequence, the British and Spanish commissioners negotiated for their respective governments separately with the government of Mexico, and thereupon withdrew with their troops from its territory, leaving the French to carry out the orders of their government alone. The French troops entered the city of Mexico on the 10th of June, and the empire was proclaimed on the 12th of July, 1863. The emperor-elect, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, and the archduchess on arriving at Vera Cruz proceeded directly to the city of Mexico, making no stop except at Orizaba, to give thanks to the Virgen de los Remedios for the protection she had not ceased to extend to their steamer from the day it left Trieste. So auspicious did everything appear to this young couple - he was only thirty-two, and the archduchess but twentyfour-that even the warning of Pasquin did not disturb them, though, to such superstitious natures as Maximilian's, not of an assuring character. It proved to be strangely prophetic.

Beware Maximilian! Return promptly to Miramar. The frail throne of the Montezumas is a Gallic snare a cup full only of froth. He who does not remember the timeo Danaos, instead of a purple shall find a halter.

The unlucky Maximilian ascended his throne on the 12th of June, 1864. The following April, Jecker succeeded, through agents in Mexico, in effecting an informal financial agreement with Maximilian. In order to hasten the settlement of his account, he reduced the amount from over five and a half million dollars to $4,532,000, to be paid in three instalments: one of $1,532,000 on the 15th of October, 1865; one of $1,000,000 on the 15th of December, 1865; and one of $2,000,000 on the 15th of February, 1866.

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The first two instalments were duly paid, but the last one Maximilian himself repudiated, in 1866, as ruinous to Mexico and as compromising to the credit of France.

In due time came the French and German war, one of the results of which was the mobbing and burning of the Tuileries palace and the seizure by the Communists of tons of the correspondence of the Imperial cabinet. Several volumes of such correspondence have been printed, not to speak of what was retained in private hands. Among the former was a letter from Jecker to C. E. Conti, the late French Emperor's Chef de Cabinet, in which, say the Commissioners charged with the publication of the captured correspondence, "Mr. Jecker explained the causes of the Mexican expedition." From this letter I give a few paragraphs of ghastly significance.

Sir:

PARIS, December 8, 1869.

Do not think it strange that I address myself preferably to you, having to discuss with you a matter which especially concerns the Emperor. You must have heard enough about my cheques to know a little about them. Well, I find that the government regards that subject with too much indifference, and that if it does not attend to it, its failure to do so may have disastrous consequences for the Emperor.

You doubtless do not know that I have had as associate in this business the Duke de Morny, who engaged himself, in consideration of 30% of the profit, to make the Mexican government honor and pay as it had done from the beginning. A voluminous correspondence with his agent, Mr. de Marpon, was held on that subject. In January 1861, I was approached by these gentlemen in Mexico to treat of this matter. This arrangement was made when my house was already in liquidation, so that everything relating to the arrangement belongs exclusively to this period.

From the time when the arrangement of liquidation was concluded I was perfectly sustained by the French government and its legation in Mexico. The latter had even assured my creditors in the name of France that they would be fully paid, and had exerted a strong pressure on the Mexican government for the fulfillment of my contract with it, reaching the point, in the ultimatum of 1862, of requiring the pure and simple execu

tion of its provisions. Since that time I have been constantly exposed to the hatred of excited parties, who have thrown me into prison, and afterward banished me, confiscating my property.

Thus the matter rested until the occupation of Mexico by the French. Under the empire of Maximilian and at the instance of the French government, the regulation of my business again received attention. In April 1865, by the aid of French agents, I succeeded in making a transaction with the Mexican government. About this time [March 1865] the Duke de Morny died, when the signal protection which the French government had accorded me completely ceased. The French minister of finance permitted the payment of the first drafts on Paris which the Mexican government had given me to cover a part of what was owing; but the French agents in Mexico opposed their payment under instructions which they had received that they should deliver me drafts for ten millions of francs in full of my claim, in spite of the fact that I had perfectly complied with all of its conditions, and which the Mexican [Maximilian's] government was disposed to pay me, having at this very time at Paris a credit of more than thirty millions of francs. As the French government had declared in the Chambers that it was opposed to the execution of this contract and that it had appropriated to it all that was due, I was obliged as liquidator of my house and after exhausting other ways of conciliation, to make an appeal to the Council of State. Unhappily this step had no result, for this tribunal has just declared itself incompetent, according to representations made on this point by the minister of finance in his defence.

Completely ruined by the expedition to Mexico, having nothing more to do here and being unable to do anything there, I am obliged to return to Mexico to render account to my creditors of my administration. Although I have neglected no efforts to pay all I owe them, as I have not been able to do so in consequence of extraordinary circumstances which it has been impossible for me to avoid, they will take no account of the enormous sacrifices I have made to protect them and will treat me without any consideration whatever.

They will wish to know the motive which led, in 1861, Mr. de Saligny, then minister to Mexico, to promise them in the name of France that they would be paid what my house owed them, and