English lawyer, Sir Robert Collier,' but he was subjected to such severe criticism that he was compelled to decline further employment; and Adams records in his diary: "No lawyer of eminence will have the courage to repeat Mr. Collier's experiment." Robert J. Walker, Secretary of the Treasury under Polk, was sent to Europe by the Treasury Department in connection with government finances. The mission of Messrs. Forbes and Aspinwall for the Navy Department has just been noticed. Quite a number of other agents of the departments were in England, and on the continent from time to time, besides various self-constituted agents. Some of these occasioned our ministers in Europe much anxiety and no little annoyance. Mr. Adams

writes: "It cannot be denied that ever since I have been here, the almost constant interference of government agents of all kinds has had its effect, however intended, of weakening the position of the minister.. I doubt whether any minister has ever had so much of this kind of thing to contend with." 2

Our relations with Great Britain during the war cannot be dismissed without a recognition of the invaluable services rendered by our minister, Mr. Adams. He remained at his post throughout the entire period of the war, and was untiring in devotion to his duties. No other minister of the United States has ever passed through so long a period of intense excitement and critical responsibility. He displayed diplomatic skill of the highest order, and a patriotic spirit unsurpassed by his fathers. Mr. Lowell, who afterwards occupied the 1 Supra, p. 385. 2 Charles Francis Adams, by his son, 356.

same post, has well said: "None of our generals in the field, not Grant himself, did us better or more trying service than he in his forlorn outpost in London."

The end of the Civil War, which happily terminated our anxiety over foreign intervention, was also marked by the tragic death of President Lincoln, which not only plunged the country into mourning in the hour of victory and rejoicing over a restored Union, but sent a thrill of horror throughout the world and brought forth a manifestation of sympathy from all nations and peoples such as had never before been witnessed in the annals of time. These testimonials of sympathy from all quarters of the globe were compiled by the Department of State, and published by special resolution of Congress in a large quarto volume of over nine hundred pages, entitled "Tributes of the Nations to Abraham Lincoln." It constitutes a unique work, and graphically illustrates how strongly this simple but majestic American has impressed his personality on the world—a personality which is destined to be the central figure of our country's history in the estimation of mankind.

1 This volume has been republished as Part 4 of the Diplomatic Correspondence of 1865.

CHAPTER XI

AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

THE most important subject connected with foreign relations which called for the attention of the government at the close of the Civil War was the situation of affairs in Mexico. The disturbed condition during the Buchanan administration, to which I have already referred,' afforded a sufficient pretext or reason on the part of foreign governments to intervene in behalf of their injured subjects in Mexico, and the Civil War in the United States released them from any fear of active interference from this country with their designs. Accordingly, on October 31, 1861, Great Britain, France, and Spain united in a tripartite agreement for a joint military expedition, avowedly to enforce the claims of and secure protection to their subjects, in which they expressly disavowed any intention to secure territory or coerce the nation respecting the form of government; and they sent a combined naval and military force to Vera Cruz.

The United States was asked to become a party to the agreement and expedition, but Mr. Seward declined, and in guarded language stated that the United States could not enter upon warlike measures to enforce claims 1 Supra, p. 355. 2 Dip. Cor. Mexican Affairs, 1862, pp. 134, 135.

against its neighbor, nor could it consent that any foreign government should acquire territory in Mexico or exercise any influence to interfere with the free choice of its people. In a few months the British and Spaniards discovered the real designs of Napoleon, and withdrew from the country, leaving the French alone in Mexico to pursue their plans. The Emperor Napoleon gave assurance to our government, in June, 1862, after the rupture with his allies, that "the French troops do not go there to interfere with the form of government, nor to acquire an inch of territory," and that his only object was to secure a settlement of French claims; and he repeated this assurance constantly during the following three years.1

1

The French forces had a comparatively free hand during the Civil War, although our government continued its relations with Juarez as the lawful president, and firmly and steadily declined to recognize the socalled Emperor Maximilian, who had been placed on a throne erected and supported by French bayonets. But when the Civil War was happily terminated, a large army of observation under General Sheridan was dispatched to the Rio Grande frontier, prepared for such action as circumstances might determine. General Grant favored the expulsion of the French troops from Mexico without delay, but Mr. Seward felt sure that a temperate but firm insistence upon our position maintained during the war would accomplish the desired end, and his representations through our minister in Paris

1 Dip. Cor. 1862, p. 348 ; Ib. 1863, pp. 96–109.

22 Grant's Memoirs, 545, 546.

led to the assurance by Napoleon that his troops would be withdrawn; and this was gradually accomplished without a break in our relations with France.1 Maximilian, left to himself, was soon overthrown by the Mexican republican troops, and he deservedly paid the penalty with his life for his attempt at the establishment of a monarchy on this continent by force.

An event which occurred in 1866—the successful laying of the Atlantic telegraphic cable has had a greater influence on the methods of diplomacy than any other physical fact of the century; and it is gratifying to note that this achievement was mainly the result of the untiring efforts of an American, Cyrus W. Field. Mr. Seward, in his dispatch of congratulation to Mr. Field, said: "If the Atlantic cable had not failed in 1858, European states would not have been led, in 1861, into the great error of supposing that civil war in America would either perpetuate African slavery or divide this Republic ;" and he added: "Your grand achievement constitutes, I trust, an effective treaty of international neutrality and non-intervention." 2

Upon the succession of Andrew Johnson to the presidency, after the assassination of Lincoln, Mr. Seward continued in the Cabinet, notwithstanding he subjected himself to the severe criticism of his party, which soon broke with the President, he feeling that in

1 The official correspondence and documents of these events are very voluminous; see Dip. Cor. Mexican Affairs, volumes for 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865-6, 1867. For evacuation of French, H. Ex. Doc. 93, 39th Cong. 1st Sess. vol. 12.

2 3 Life of Seward, 333.