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Sir: My attention has been called to a statement made by M. Corta, a member of the French corps legislatif, in the sitting of that chamber of the 11th ultimo, while discussing the Mexican question, in which he, in conformity with the policy of his government, (whose agent he has been in Mexico,) tries to impeach the patriotism of the constitutional president of Mexico, using the most slanderous means, and averring that President Juarez has twice offered the State of Sonora to President Lincoln for seventy-five millions of francs.
M. Corta said (Le Moniteur Universel of April 12, 1865, page 433) as follows:
After these words of General Smith—(he has just quoted some words which he means to attribute to General Scott, calling him General Smith, as he names President Jackson where he means President Polk)—Sonora and the property confiscated from the clergy have been offered to the United States, to President Lincoln, for a sum of seventy-five millions. Well, the American government, the actual President of the United States, has refused this concession proposed by Juarez two different times.
I have been the only representative in Washington of President Juarez’s government during the whole time of President Lincoln’s administration, and I do not know of any such offer ever having been made to the United States through me or anybody else. Mr. Corwin, late United States minister, negotiated, it is true, in the city of Mexico, a treaty by which the United States were to loan to Mexico eleven millions of dollars, but no sale of Mexican territory was ever offered to this government, and only the guarantee of the product of some of the revenue of Mexico, to wit: the product of the sale of the national property lately in the hands of the clergy, and of the public unoccupied or vacant lands in the country, which are in Mexico a source of revenue as well as in the United States.
As for any previous offer of this kind by President Juarez, we have his statement denying flatly that he ever intended any such thing. I send you a copy of his statement making such denial.
It is my duty, as a Mexican and the representative of a government struggling for the independence of self, free, popular government and republican institutions, against foreign conspiracies and encroachments, to expose the intrigues of the enemies of my country, by which they expect to prejudice public opinion against us. Only this duty makes me intrude upon you, begging you to have this letter and its annexed published.
I would thank you for this favor, and remain, sir, your most obedient servant,