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BONAPARTE (NAPOLEON III.) 51 the auspices of Napoleon, who came out of this contest with enhanced prestige. The birth of the prince imperial on March 16 increased the festivities of the court, while a large concourse of visitors to the capital added to the com- mercial prosperity which he had from the first sought to promote, especially by providing oc- cupation for the discontented poor in new public works. He exchanged visits with Queen Victoria, had a friendly interview with the czar in September, 1857, and became the principal mediator between Switzerland and Prussia in the Neufchatel question. At the same time he gave greater prominence to the navy, and dazzled the public mind by his occupation of New Caledonia and by joining England in the warfare against China, and subsequently by expeditions to Japan and Cochin China, the last resulting in conquest. Attempts had been made upon his life by Pianori and Bellamare in 1855; and another was made in January, 1858, by Orsini and others, chiefly Italians, on the very eve of Napoleon's interference in favor of Italy. Cavour, who had cultivated excellent relations with him during the nego- tiation of the treaty of Paris in 1856, met him again at Plombieres in August, 1858; and on the following new year's day, when the diplo- matic corps presented their respects to the em- peror, he created a great sensation in Europe by abruptly expressing his regret to Baron Hub- ner, the representative of the emperor Francis Joseph, at the altered relations between Austria and France. This was followed at the end of the same month (Jan. 30, 1859) by the marriage of the princess Clotilde, daughter of Victor Emanuel, with Prince Napoleon, and in May by the emperor's formal declaration of war against Austria, which had taken the initiative in at- tacking Sardinia, while Francis Joseph de- nounced Napoleon as a revolutionary firebrand. Setting out for the seat of war with the avow- ed purpose of making Italy free from the Alps to the Adriatic, Napoleon nevertheless brought the contest to an incomplete termination while flushed with the brilliant victories at Magenta (June 4) and Solferino (June 24), and he per- sonally arranged with the emperor of Austria the preliminaries of peace at Villafranca (July 11), mainly resulting in the nominal cession to France of Lombardy, which was at once trans- ferred to Victor Emanuel. This abrupt peace, when it was generally expected that the war would be followed up by the total extirpation of Austrian domination in Italy, was ascribed to his anxiety to close the conflict before the aid of Prussia should enable the enemy to turn the tide of success, to the complications grow- ing out of the continued protection of Rome by the French army, and to a certain reluc- tance to make Italy too powerful. Cavour, however, despite the stipulations of Villa- franca, which were confirmed by the treaty of Zurich (November, 1859), opposed the plan of an Italian confederation proposed by Napoleon, and insisted upon the establishment of the kingdom of Italy. While ostensibly attempt- ing to have the Italian question settled peace- ably by liberal reforms on the part of the pope and the king of the Two Sicilies, and by a con- gress of sovereigns in Paris, Napoleon allowed Victor Emanuel to extend his dominions ; and his tacit connivance with the aggrandizement of Italy was rewarded in 1860 by the cession of Savoy and Nice to France. This led to a protest on the part of Switzerland, and revived in Europe generally suspicions of aggressive designs on his part, though in an interview with the German potentates on June 15, 1860, he strove to allay these apprehensions. Great Britain was now more friendly disposed to him than most other powers, especially as he lost no opportunity to ingratiate himself with Eng- lishmen individually, and concluded in the same year with Cobden personally a com- mercial treaty in the interest of free trade. This measure, however, alienated from him the good will of the protectionists in France, and was abandoned after his downfall. He also lost ultramontane supporters by his Italian policy, by the suppression of the society of St. Vincent de Paul, by the appointment of M. Re- nan to a professorship, and by other measures which pleased the liberals, whom he further propitiated by removing (Nov. 30, 186.0) some of the restrictions on elections, and enlarging the scope of the legislature and the liberties of the press. The Anglo-French war in China was brought to a successful termination by the capture of Peking in October, 1860; and his prestige in the East was increased by the ex- pedition to Syria (1860-'61), for protecting the Christian populations against a renewal of the Damascus massacres. The emperor was at the zenith of his prosperity at the time of the outbreak of the civil war in the United States. As this had a disastrous effect upon French industry and commerce, short crops aggravating the situation, Napoleon surrender- ed in favor of the legislature, at the urgent re- quest of Minister Fould, his previous absolute control of the treasury. He recognized the belligerent rights of the Confederate States, but officially informed the United States gov- ernment (May 16) that he did not consider this as recognizing the former as an independent power. Ostensibly he assumed a conciliatory attitude toward the United States, and repeat- edly offered his friendly services for the restora- tion of peace. He entertained, however, un- official relations with the Confederate agents, who claimed to have many influential friends of their cause at the imperial court. An ex- pedition projected in June, 1861, by France, England, and Spain, avowedly to obtain ma- terial guarantees for claims against Mexico, degenerated after the withdrawal of the two latter powers (April, 1862), under Napoleon's sole direction, into a war of conquest against that republic ; and in April, 1 864, he establish- ed the Hapsburg prince Maximilian on the throne of Mexico as emperor. This was rep-