Earl Cowley to Earl Russell (Received September 11) Paris, September 10, 1861 My Lord, A communication has been made by the Spanish Ambassador to this Government that orders have been sent to the Captain-General at Havana to take possession of Vera Cruz and Tampico for the protection of Spanish interests in Mexico. The Spanish Government at the same time professes its desire to act in concert with Great Britain and France. (signed) COWLEY Earl Cowley to Earl Russell (Received September 18) Paris, September 17, 1861 (Extract) I met the Spanish Ambassador at M. Thouvenel's this morning, who immediately turned the conversation on the affairs of Mexico, expressing the hope that the Governments of Great Britain, France and Spain, would concert measures for common action in order to obtain the satisfaction due to them from the Mexican Government. I replied to M. Mon that I had heard from M. Thouvenel that the Spanish Government had the intention of acting alone in this matter, and had already given orders for the occupation of Vera Cruz and Tampico; that having transmitted this information to Her Majesty's Government, Sir John Crampton had been instructed to make inquires of the Spanish Government, and that Marshal O'Donnell had denied that any orders of the kind had been given: I should be glad, therefore, to ascertain how this matter really stood. M. Mon replied that I must be aware that the Spanish Government had more than once meditated the employment of force to obtain the satisfaction due to them in Mexico, but that they had much rather act in concert with Great Britain and France. It would only be in case of the refusal of those two Powers to co-operate with Spain that she would proceed to act alone. I related to M. Thouvenel what had passed between myself and M. Mon, observing that the Spanish Ambassador's language to me did not quite tally with what his Excellency had stated, the last time I had seen him, had been M. Mon's language to himself.. M. Thouvenel answered that he had not intended to convey more to me than that orders had been transmitted to the Havana to make every preparation for an expedition against Mexico, the Spanish Government hoping to employ it in co-operation with British and French ships. M. Thouvenel proceeded to express the hope that Her Majesty's Government would not refuse this co-operation, observing that 3,000 Spanish Infantry could be sent from the Havana. I should mention that when the Spanish Ambassador urged the joint action of the three Governments, I stated to him the value which Her Majesty's Government must attach to freedom of religious profession and worship. M. Mon said that he considered that questions of that nature ought to be left to the decision of the Mexican Government. He abjured at the same time, on the part of Spain, all desire to impose any particular Government on Mexico; all she desired was a Government chosen by the Mexicans. Which would make itself respected and would scrupulously fulfil engagements taken with foreign Powers. (signed) COWLEY Back to Table of Contents: Booklet No. 8, Mexico 1861-67 Back to El Dorado List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by The South and Central Military Historians Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com