The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918 Page: 346
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
of the government, were seized for accounts and claims against
the department by a Mexican firm of Monterey, P. Milmo & Co.,
to whom they had been entrusted for shipment from Matamoras
to Eagle Pass, Texas. This company also, immediately bought up
all debts claimed against the department by small companies and,
supported by Governor Viduarri at Monterey, declared its inten-
tion of seizing all cotton shipped through border points until the
debts were paid. The agent protested and demanded his funds,
but without success. General Smith took the matter in hand and
sent three commissioners to Mexico with instructions to demand
that the funds be turned over to the revenue agent. He prohib-
ited all exportation of cotton to Mexico, refused to allow any prop-
erty belonging to Mexicans to cross the river, and announced that
all transfers of such property would be illegal from the date of
his order. His letter to Governor Viduarri was diplomatic but
firm. He expressed his surprise at the occurrence and his hope for
a speedy settlement; he declared his agents clothed with ample
powers to adjust this difference, that debts justly due Mexicans
would be paid, and that "a refusal to release the funds after their
attention had been called to, their illegal detention would seem to
raise for discussion and action the unpleasant questions whether or
not the Mexican government had or intended to. assume a hostile
attitude to the government of the Confederate States." The mat
ter was amicably adjusted.73
Some of the general's relations with the French are worth not-
ing. He sent by special agent, in September, 1863, to Mr. Slidell,
the Confederate commissioner at Paris a summary of the condi-
tions in his department and urged him to use every effort to secure
the intervention of Napoleon III.74 He pointed out the several
advantages such a policy would bring to the French protectorate
in Mexico. With this same thing in mind in 1864, he gave one
of his officers, Major Polignac, a Frenchman, leave of absence for
six months, without referring the matter to the president, in or-
der that Polignac might go to France and if possible arouse in-
"aFor the whole affair see Off. Recs., LTII, 931-951; Galveston Tri-
Weekly News, March 11, 1864.
'"Smith to Slidell, 'September 2, 1863, Off. Roes., XXII, ii, 993-994.346'
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918, periodical, 1918; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101073/m1/352/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.