[Sidenote:  Napoleon’s plans.]

[Sidenote:  Action of the United States.]

[Sidenote:  Withdrawal of the French, 1868.]

444.  The French in Mexico.—­Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, seized the occasion of the Civil War to set the Monroe Doctrine at defiance and to refound a French colonial empire in America.  At one time, indeed, he seemed to be on the point of interfering, to compel the Union government to withdraw its armies from the Confederate states.  Then Napoleon had an idea that perhaps Texas might secede from the Confederacy and set up for itself under French protection.  This failing, he began the establishment of an empire in Mexico with the Austrian prince, Maximilian, as Emperor.  The ending of the Civil War made it possible for the United States to interfere.  Grant and Sheridan would gladly have marched troops into Mexico and turned out the French, but Seward said that the French would have to leave before long anyway.  He hastened their going by telling the French government that the sooner they left the better.  They were withdrawn in 1868.  Maximilian insisted on staying.  He was captured by the Mexicans and shot.  The Mexican Republic was reestablished.

[Sidenote:  Purchase of Alaska, 1867.]

[Sidenote:  The fur seals.]

[Sidenote:  Boundary controversy.]

445.  The Purchase of Alaska, 1867.—­In 1867 President Johnson sent to the Senate, for ratification, a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Russia’s American possessions.  These were called Alaska, and included an immense tract of land in the extreme Northwest.  The price to be paid was seven million dollars.  The history of this purchase is still little known.  The Senate was completely taken by surprise, but it ratified the treaty.  Until recent years the only important product of Alaska has been the skins of the fur seals.  To preserve the seal herds from extinction, the United States made rules limiting the number of seals to be killed in any one year.  The Canadians were not bound by these rules, and the herds have been nearly destroyed.  In recent years large deposits of gold have been found in Alaska and in neighboring portions of Canada.  But the Canadian deposits are hard to reach without first going through Alaska.  This fact has made it more difficult to agree with Great Britain as to the boundary between Alaska and Canada.

[Sidenote:  Grant nominated for the presidency.]

[Sidenote:  The Democrats.]

[Sidenote:  Grant elected, 1868.]

446.  Grant elected President, 1868.—­The excitement over reconstruction and the bitter contest between the Republicans in Congress and the President had brought about great confusion in politics.  The Democrats nominated General F. P. Blair, a gallant soldier, for Vice-President.  For President they nominated Horatio Seymour of New York.  He was a Peace Democrat.  As governor of New York during the war he had refused to support the national government.  The Republicans nominated General Grant.