Despatch from Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow on the subject of the French troops leaving Mexico, dated October 8, 1866.
Sir,—The question which you submit to me in your last despatch—namely, 'What our government would think of the recall of the whole body of the French troops in the course of next year, instead of their retiring in three detachments during the space of eighteen months?' has never been directly laid before me.
What I have to say on the subject is this: The arrangement proposed by the emperor for the recall of his troops in three divisions, the first of which would leave in November, was likely to be forgotten (in the midst of the political agitation which has accompanied every Mexican question), even before the execution of the above arrangement had commenced.
The frequent and varied incidents mentioned by the press both in France and Mexico, and represented as manifesting a disposition on the part of the emperor not to fulfil this engagement, have had the inevitable effect of creating and spreading doubts even as to the sincerity of the emperor in entering into the engagement, and on his fidelity in carrying it out.
Through this very fact, this department has continually found itself under the evident necessity of protesting against acts which were calculated to weaken the confidence of the people in hopes which were as just as they were well defined.
The government, however, most confidently hopes that the emperor's engagement will be fulfilled at least to the letter; and it has even expected that, going beyond the mere letter, this promise would be kept with a sincerity of intention which would have hastened, instead of retarding, the departure of the French forces from Mexico. But, at the present time, we have not yet seen even the beginning of the evacuation. When this operation is completed, the government will willingly listen to any suggestions wherever they may come from, which tend to ensure the re-establishment of tranquillity, peace and a native constitutional government in Mexico.
But, until we are permitted to verify the commencement of this evacuation, any attempt at negotiation would only have the result of misleading public opinion in the United States,
