questing him to remonstrate against the collection of this tax from foreigners, he would be glad if your excellency would inform him what course the Mexican government proposes to pursue in reference to this matter; whether or not it proposes to collect this tax from foreigners and Mexicans indiscriminately. The undersigned renews to your excellency the assurances of his high consideration.

The undersigned, minister of foreign relations, has had the honor to receive the note of his excellency Mr. Thomas Corwin, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, dated on the 10th instant, and the copies which he encloses of a communication from the consul for Acapulco, in relation to the law which imposed a tax of two per cent. upon capitals, and of the reply which his excellency was pleased to make to him."

The undersigned has not failed to perceive but with the most positive satisfaction the prudence, learning, and probity of his excellency Mr. Corwin, in the matter under consideration, and for which he returns to him his most sincere thanks. And in reference to the suggestion of his excellency Mr. Wycke, which has also been particularly addressed to the undersigned, there has been addressed to him in reply that which was given by this department to his excellency Mr. Wagner, under date of the 12th of January last past.

In replying with this statement to the aforementioned note of his excellency Mr. Corwin, it is gratifying to the undersigned to renew to him the assurances of his very distinguished consideration.

His Excellency THOMAS CORWIN,

MANUEL DOBLADO.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

of the United States of America.

Mr. Corwin to Señor Doblado.

D 1, with No. 20.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF America,
Mexico, March 13, 1862.

SIR: In the negotiations now pending between the governments of the United States and Mexico, it becomes necessary that the government of the United States should be satisfied on the following points:

First. Can the United States make a loan to Mexico, in the present state of the relations between Mexico and the allied powers, without departing from the duties of a neutral, which is the relation my government now sustains towards the three powers and Mexico in the conflict now existing between the two latter. To resolve this proposition it is necessary to ascertain whether the present relations of Mexico with the three powers is one of war or peace. If the former, then a loan of money by a neutral nation to one of the belligerents, to be used in carrying on a war against the other, would be considered a violation of neutral obligations.

If, however, the present relations of Mexico with England, France and Spain are not of a warlike character according to international law, then the United States government would be perfectly justified in making the loan proposed, and the undersigned is authorized to assure the government of Mexico that it would give to the government of the United States great satisfaction to do so. The government of the United States, as is well known, has been and is anxious to do everything in its power to aid Mexico in extricating herself from the difficulties which have brought her into her present unhappy relations with the allied powers. But she is bound by obligations which she cannot disregard to maintain peaceful relations with those powers. For these reasons I have to ask your excellency to state in what light the Mexican government regards her present relations with the allied powers, whether they are that of peace or war, or whether the present state of things is merely a temporary armistice, which, should the proposed negotiation terminate unfavorably, would result in the resumption of warlike operations by both parties.

Should your excellency be able to satisfy the undersigned on these points, then it is indispensable that the value and amount of the lands and property proposed to be hypothecated by Mexico to secure the payment to the United States of the loan proposed should be authoritatively made known, in a form as authentic and satisfactory as possible.

Your excellency cannot fail to perceive and estimate truly the importance of the information most respectfully asked in this note, in facilitating the negotiation to which it refers, and which the undersigned is most anxious to bring to a speedy and favorable conclusion.

The undersigned takes great pleasure in renewing to your excellency the assurance of my distinguished consideration.

THOMAS CORWIN.

His Excellency El Sñ. Don MANUEL DOBLADO,
Minister of Foreign Relations.

D 2-Despatch No. 20.]

[Translation.]

NATIONAL PALACE,

Mexico, March 11, 1862.

The undersigned, minister of foreign relations, has received the note which his excellency Mr. Corwin, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, has been pleased to address to him on the 13th instant, for the purpose of explaining certain points relating to the pending negotiations between the government of the United States and Mexico, and in reply he has the hopor to inform his excellency that the Mexican government has made no declaration of war against the allied powers, and that after the preliminaries signed at La Soledad, on the 19th day of the past month, the probabilities of a peaceful solution of the pending questions have so increased as to become a fact.

Thus, therefore, the citizen president thinks that the United States do not fail in the obligations of a neutral nation by making a loan to Mexico, the more so since its employment can never be shown to be for the purposes of war, and on the contrary, this aid helps the government of the republic to comply with its engagements, and, consequently, to fulfil one of the conditions to obtain a firm and lasting peace.

With respect to the second point referred to in the note now being replied to, the undersigned cannot transmit, for reasons well known to the minister, an arithmetical statement of the value of the lands and property of the Mexican government, but he does positively state, under the faith of an official communication, that those values exceed by far that of the loan which is being negotiated, and

that they fully guarantee the same. But if the case should arise that any sum should be wanting the Mexican government would promptly pay it, insuring the same now to the satisfaction of the United States.

The undersigned avails himself of this opportunity to reiterate to his excellency Mr. Thomas Corwin the assurances of his very distinguished consider

ation.

His Excellency THOMAS CORWIN,

MANUEL DOBLADO.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

of the United States of America.

Mr. Corwin to Mr. Seward.

No. 22.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Mexico, April 28, 1862. SIR: On the 18th of this month I sent a special despatch and a treaty by Colonel A. C. Allen. Being in some doubt as to their safety, I send herewith a duplicate of my despatch. Should the treaty be lost it can be easily duplicated here, as an exact copy, already ratified, is in the archives of the state department in this city. Nothing has occurred which changes materially the state of affairs here from that presented in my letter to the department under date of the 16th of this month.

I send, with these, translated copies of the correspondence between the three foreign powers, respectively, and this government, which has recently been published here. This presents a strange and certainly unexpected state of relations between Mexico and those states which united in the intervention treaty at London.

When these powers came here, with their respective contingents of land and naval forces, they held out the olive branch to Mexico, and it was at once accepted. They entered into the preliminary treaty, a copy of which I forwarded to the department. They jointly acknowledged the existing government of Mexico, and agreed to meet its diplomatic agents on the 15th of this month at Orizaba, to treat of their respective claims against Mexico. About the 8th of this month, the allies differed as to the proper construction of a clause in the treaty of London, and agreed that each party should act without reference to that treaty.

At this moment the English and Spanish commissioners are in conference at Puebla with General Doblado, the present minister of foreign relations, while the French, who so lately with the other two powers recognized the present as the legitimate government of Mexico, now seem willing to give some aid to Almonte, who, as the papers which accompany this will show, proposes himself as the only hope of good government left to the republic.

I believe I but give utterance to the general opinion of those best informed when I say that Almonte has no such popularity as to warrant the belief that any considerable force can be rallied under his auspices. It is the general opinion that the invitation of the French to rally under him will not bring into the field any force beyond the robber bands under Marquez and Zuloaga, numbering all together not more than four thousand ill-appointed troops. There are now mustered under the orders of the government, in the States of San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, and Jalisco, about twenty thousand men, in three divisions, under the commands, respectively, of Ortega, Ogazon, and Comonfort, while the republican forces under Zaragosa, on the road from this city to Vera Cruz, amount to about ten thousand men; so that, unless France deter

mines to engage actively to overthrow the very government with which it treated a month ago, there is no prospect of speedy change in the form or personnel of the Juarez government.

Very respectfully,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

THOMAS CORWIN.

Secretary of State of the United States, Washington, D. C.

P. S.-The state of affairs is such as to render the treaty ratified here on the 6th an imperative necessity to Mexico. It will also insure the United States against incalculable future danger.

Hon. W. H. SEWARD,

THOS. CORWIN.

Washington City.

[Enclosures with despatch No. 22.]

No. 1.

Despatch from Talavera to the commander-in-chief of the army of the east.

ARMY OF THE EAST-GENERAL-IN-CHIEF BATTALION OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

OF CORDOBA.

COSMOCATEPEC, April 17, 1862.

On the 14th of the present month I received a communication from the collector of rents at Cordoba, to the intent that he had received orders to procure resources for the forces stationed at that district. On the same day I started for those places, with the object of organizing them; some have already united, and if I do not give you an exact account of them it is because this place has been invaded by the French, which was the cause why said forces were obliged to leave immediately for different points, and up to this moment I have not any reports. The French have returned to Cordoba, giving orders to the magistrate not to give any aid to the forces of the supreme government, as any one that should so do would be held personally responsible. I beg you will do me the favor to say to what point I must apply for arms, as the prefect (gefe politico) of Cordoba has written to me in a private letter that they are to arrive at Huatusco. Liberty and independence.

The general-in-chief of the army of the east, IXTAPA.

F. TALAVERA.

MEXICANS! We have not come here with the object of taking any part in your dissensions; we have come to put a stop to them. What we wish is to call upon all honest men to aid us in consolidating good order, and in regenerating

your beautiful country. In proof of the sincere spirit of conciliation with which we are animated, we have, in the first place, directed ourselves to that same government against which we have motives of the most serious complaints. We have asked it to accept our aid in establishing in Mexico a state of things that might in future avoid us the necessity of these long expeditions, the greatest inconvenience of which is the suspension of commerce, and the cessation of those relations which are as advantageous to Europe as to your own country. The Mexican government has answered to the moderation of our conduct by taking measures to which we never would have given our approval, and which the civilized world would reproach us for sanctioning by our presence. Between it and ourselves war is now declared. But we do not confound the Mexican people with an oppressive and violent minority. The Mexicans have ever had a right to our warmest sympathies; it remains to them to show themselves worthy of them. We appeal to all those who may have confidence in our intervention, no matter to what party they may have belonged. No enlightened man can ever believe that a government, born from the suffrage of one of the most liberal nations of Europe, could for a moment have had the intention of restoring in a foreign country ancient abuses and institutions, which no longer appertain to the age. We wish equal justice for all, and we wish that this justice should not be imposed by the force of our arms. The Mexican people must be the first instrument of their own salvation. Our only aim is to inspire the honorable and pacific portion of the country-that is to say, to the nine-tenths of the population-with the courage to declare their free will.

If the Mexican nation remains inert, if she does not comprehend that we offer her an unexpected occasion to escape from an abyss, if she does not lend by her efforts a sentiment and a practical morality to our support, it is evident that nothing is now left for us to do but to occupy ourselves with the necessary interests, in view of which the convention of London was concluded. Let all men so long divided by quarrels without an object hasten to unite with us; they hold in their hands the destinies of Mexico. The French flag has been planted upon Mexican soil, and that flag shall not retrocede. Let all upright men hail it as a friendly banner; let the insensate dare to attack it!

E. JURIEN, A. DE SALIGNY, Plenipotentiaries of his Majesty the Emperor of the French, in Mexico. CORDOBA, April 16, 1862.

No. 3.

General Prim to General Zaragoza.

ARMY OF THE EAST-GENERAL-IN-CHIEF-BODY OF EXPEDITION TO MEXICOMAJOR GENERAL'S STAFF SECTION THIRD.

ORIZABA, April 13, 1862.

EXCELLENT SIR: I have just received your excellency's communication of yesterday, in which you inform me of your arrival at Ingenio, and in which you ask me upon what day the forces under my command will evacuate this city; and therefore I have to inform your excellency that on the afternoon of the 19th this place will be entirely evacuated by our troops and materiel. God preserve your excellency many years.

His Excellency Señor Don J. ZARAGOZA.

COUNT DE REUS.

APRIL 22, 1862.

LAZARO GARZA AYALA, Secretary.