In his thirteen-page introduction to this collection of documents, Luis Chávez Orozco speculates on the reasons why Maximilian decreed the law of September 5, 1865, by which colonies of American slaves could be brought to Mexico. This does seem peculiar, especially when one considers that the Maximilian government abolished debt servitude by a decree of December 1, 1865. As Chávez Orozco suggests, the only possible explanation is that Maximilian needed immigration for Mexican development and hoped to get it by his September 5 decree. However, what little support he had from the liberals was lost by this decree and what support the conservatives gave him was lost by the December 1 decree.
The title indicates that the collected documents apply to internal Mexican problems, but most of the documents deal with 1864-1866 Mexican-United States relations. The significant decree on Negro slaves is included, but most of the material relates to Minister Matías Romero and his exchanges with Seward concerning disloyal Americans attempting to work with Maximilian and the French against the United States, and to the possible effect on the United States of the decree of September 5.
