ThatFrenchdemagoguewhomVictorHugoaptlycalledNapoleontheLittlewasaprimefactorinthehistoryoftheUnionandtheConfederacy。TheConfederatesideofhisintriguewillbetoldinitsproperplace。Here，letusobservehimfromthepointofviewofWashington。
Itistoomuchtoattempttopackintoasentenceortwothecomplicateddramaofdeceit，lies，andgraft，throughwhichhecreatedatlastapretextforinterventionintheaffairsofMexico；itisenoughthatintheautumnof1862aFrencharmyofinvasionmarchedfromVeraCruzuponMexicoCity。WehavealreadyseenthataboutthissametimeNapoleonproposedtoEnglandandRussiaajointinterventionwithFrancebetweenNorthandSouth——aproposalwhich，however，wasrejected。ThisMexicanventureexplainswhytheplanwassuggestedatthatparticulartime。
DisappointedinEnglandandRussia，Napoleonunexpectedlyreceivedencouragement，ashethought，fromwithintheUnitedStatesthroughthemediumoftheeccentriceditorofthe\"NewYorkTribune\"。WeshallhaveoccasiontoreturnlatertotheadventuresofHoraceGreeley——thaterraticindividualwhohasmanygoodandgenerousactstohiscredit，aswellasmanyfoolishones。Forthepresentwehavetonotethattowardthecloseof1862heapproachedtheFrenchAmbassadoratWashingtonwitharequestforimperialmediationbetweentheNorthandtheSouth。GreeleywasatypeofAmericanthatnoEuropeancanunderstand:hebelievedintalk，andmoretalk，andstillmoretalk，asthecureforearthlyills。Henevercouldunderstandthatanybodybesideshimselfcouldhavestrongconvictions。WhenhetoldtheAmbassadorthattheEmperor\'smediationwouldleadtoareconciliationofthesections，hewasdoubtlesssincereinhisbelief。TheastuteEuropeandiplomat，whocouldnotbelievesuchsimplicity，thoughtitamask。Whenheaskedfor，andreceived，permissiontopasstheFederallinesandvisitRichmond，heinterpretedthepermitinthelightofhisassumptionaboutGreeley。AtRichmond，hefoundnodesireforreunion。Puttingthisandthattogether，heconcludedthattheNorthwantedtogiveupthefightandwouldwelcomemediationtosaveitsface。ThedreadfuldefeatatFredericksburgfellinwiththisreasoning。HisreportsonAmericanconditionsledNapoleon，inJanuary，1863，toattemptalonewhathehadoncehopedtodosupportedbyEnglandandRussia。HeproposedhisgoodofficestotheGovernmentatWashingtonasamediatorbetweenNorthandSouth。
Hitherto，WashingtonhadbeenverydiscreetaboutMexico。AdroithintsnottogotoofarhadbeengivenNapoleoninfullmeasure，buttherewasnorealprotest。TheStateDepartmentnowcontinuedthiscautionandinthemostpolitetermsdeclinedNapoleon\'soffer。Congress，however，tookthemattermoregrimly，forthroughoutthedealingswithNapoleon，ithadbeenatoddswithLincoln。Itnowpassedthefirstofaseriesofresolutionswhichexpressedthewillofthecountry，ifnotquitethewillofthePresident，byresolvingthatanyfurtherproposalofmediationwouldberegardedbyitas\"anunfriendlyact。\"
Napoleonthenresumedhisschemingforjointintervention，whileinthemeantimehisarmiescontinuedtofighttheirwayuntiltheyenteredMexicoCityinJune，1863。ThetimehadnowcomewhenNapoleonthoughtitopportunetoshowhishand。