The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-19 00:00:00

i C / ~ ~6'' ✓Gtr

• "

-•-
, .
Ail
, .....- -
.._. .
- • The Empire of Mexico so,
- .., 4
A , .----,..< I` 0) %-i'''.
_
. - .
,r.i,
..., . •44 - fl'
~..:'EA' A
'*-1.-.,-,. -5...1.,v -1)
, ,
s -., ----4—'7"---s.rl,-- y, . 1,44,.. Ilti (From a Col respondent cf the Times)
f -... 4) ..-,xv, v'
2 . 4:,... ,'- - . t
~.7 , -7,*. 3,,,,, . , 4
--g
• M FXIC 0 , Oct.
'-, --,
Vk ,
u- , t-:7-7 "----'-).,---,-", e.i
e- 41 (,),,. tg 1
~,fe.,
~.,:e .
---.• ',,,..' *ki• '•
( ,---0°
q -,. t
The refusal of tie Emperor to ratify the t:
.4,.,
e-- ' S''' 1 ' .1
e ... '11.4c01.--- ..------.--- ' . X'7lk# T.---7C) • 4-I'''.. <1 A '
va ..\,..,sta
‘.,..-., "..,,i/ Ate°,4s,
... 4,.
~.. . -lit l' ' • .. , 0ri5"..,,,,,t5r1"!--:-LiV,;_ s
___
.;,,,,,,, ~,'",...4' -yet= .., .o.o' ~..., s ziori:. 10
''''-wkAar'wti-- -,,,....,-,, .
Sioll inane to M. Eicauden is generally sj.:p
It,f ~,.- .
..4,-.. --- .''''

•

PRICI3 id.
sT.A.mr.ED sd.

..\ Ell.' S Pi,,.PER
"77 ,
:- _
~ ---:;- .1
30.
.--' _ . ;-.1,--t
s L
toir
--7
. ,
....v..„2/
N Al s
1 1,

Irovecl,
alAl a leading journal, in discussing tiles aubjeec
says:—

"No Government can admit an exclusive privi-
lege 3; hick is to last for all time ;it has not even tlas
light iricvecab3y to en to th& public wealtb.
What advantages could a railroad from 'Vera Cruz
to Mexico prrs:ut if the price of transport is not to
be fixed ? lUlieved of all opposition, the company
would in reality b master of the fortune of every
citizen. As wtll invest it at ones with a monopoly
of all the agriculture, commerce, and industry ot ttie
country. So far front the company being Lutitied
to a subvention, it is the Government that ought to
be paid for thus alicoatirr, the public wealth."
It is most desirable—in fact, it is almost impera.
tive, that a railway from Vera Cruz to the interior
should be constructed with the least possible delay ;
but then the interests of the public must, to a cer-
tain extent at least, be consulted, and the Emperor
conld scarcel; be expected thus early in his reign
to abdicate all power over the trade and commerce
of his dominions.. The very fact of his having re-
fused to sanction the privileges granted to Messrs
Hottir, ger, Heine, and others by the Regency for
the formation of a National Bank (which was far
from being as burdensome to the country as the
one under consideration) ought to have acted as a
caution in the present instance, and people cannot
help thinking that some little, although quite un.
intentional, misrepresentation must have been used
to induce such men as Messrs Crawley, Gibbs,
&a., to enter into an agreement which upon the
very face of it bore the stamp of illegality. The
Emperor's well known anxiety to open up railway
communication with all parts of his vast dominions
may perhaps have led M. Eicauden to believe that he
would be willing to accede to the formation of a line
between Mexico and Vera Cruz, the first and most
important link, upon any terms; and hence he
treated the ratification of the concession granted by
Juarez as a mere formality, when, considering the
altered state and circumstances of the country, it
ought to have been made the subject of direct negoa
tiation with the existing Government. Be this as
it may, the directors of the Imperial Mexican Rail-
way Company, should they still feel so disposed,
will have little difficulty in coming to terms, and
most advantageous ones, with the Imperial Govern•
ment, and I have no doubt but that the despatches
forwarded to Messrs, Areangoez and Aidalgo upon
the subject are couched in such terms as to fecal,.
tate as far as possible this grand desideratum.
The Emperor is now supposed to be at Morelia
on his way back to this city. His presence here is
much required, as many persons, especially those
who expect the reorganisation of a country to be
effected in a few months, are beginning to complain
of a want of more decided action. Strange, is it
not, that a people, without exception, the most in-
dolent, lethargic, and apathetic in the world, who
spend most of their time in smoking yaper cigars
and drinking chocolate, should be so quick to coma
ment upon what they choose to term a want of energy
in others ? The fact is, Mexicans, ever living under
a military despotism, have been accustomed to see
each succeeding President, as he entered the palace,
shower forth decrees as thick as hailstones. Poor devil
he had no time to lose ! Carpe diem was necessarily
his motto, for if he did not at once avail himself of
the opportunity it was pretty certain that a couple
of months would see him kicked out, and then all
chance of making a fortune for himself and friends
was lost for ever. They cannot comprehend a man
quietly making himself acquainted with the charac.
ter and habits of the people, studying the resout ces
and institutions of the country, and anxious to pro-
mote such measures only as are most likely to conduce
to the happiness and well-being of the nation he has
been called upon to govern. All this is set down as
irresolution, want of character, &c. That they will
soon be undeceived is certain. The Emperor is not a
man to let the grass grow under his feet. There was
much of policy in making this trip to the interior'
It has only brought him in contact with the people,
but it was as much as to say in the different com-
missions named previously to his departure. " See
what you can do towards solving the difficulties of
our present position." When he finds, as he find
ho will upon his return, that these commissions
have literally done nothing, that their time has
been wasted in fruitless discussions upon immaterial
subjects, and that the country, if left to their tender
mercies, would in all probability remain in the same
state from now to the Day of Judgment, and he
may fairly say, " Gentlemen, you have tried and
failed—l must now see what I can do."

What has ever been wanted in Mexico is a spirit
of association. There has never been any unity of
action. Each capitalist worked for himself. Such
a thing as a company being formed to carry out soma
great public works has never been heard of. Every
man distrusted his neighbour. So long as this state
of things existed no good was to be expected—it is
satisfactory, therefore, to find that a railroad is
being formed to connect Mexico with Chaim, a
distance of 16 leagues, that several applications
have been made for shares in the Vera Cruz line,
that companies are being formed for sanitary pure
poses, and that, in fact, a spirit of association is
beginning to show itself. So much is this the case
that, if report speak true, I may shortly have to
notify the formation of a company which will de-
monstrate most unmistakably to our friends in
England that London, Paris, and Hamburg are not
the only cities where capitalists exist,
At 2 o'clock on the morning of the 31 I was dis-
turbed in rather a sound sleep by what appeared to
me the measured tramp of five or six men entering
my room. Upon raising myself in my bed to lay
hold of my revolver I soon became aware that it
was with no mortal enemy I had to deal. The rock.•
ing of the bed, the dancing of the picture frames,
the clattering of the china, the creaking of the
beams, and the general animation which seemed to
pervade chairs, tables, wardrobes, and other articles
of furniture, soon satisfied me that mother earth
was heaving violently, and that an earthquake was
at its height. The shock was a severe one, and
lasted about 30 seconds ; it seems to have travelled
from southeast to northeaest, and was felt at Vera
Cruz about eight minutes before we were sensible of
it at Mexico. How far north it extended is not as
yet known, but it is said to have been felt at
Morelia. In Puebla the tower of the church of San
Augustin, a part of the convent of Sau Juan de
Dias, and several houses were shaken down, and,
what is still more to be lamented, 30 persons have
either been killed or wounded. In Tehuacan the
wall of the Convent del Carmen has been shaken to
its very foundation, and the church is in ruins. The
hospital of San Juan de Dias and its church has
suffered severely, and almost every house is in such
a state that, had the shock lasted a second or two
longer, the whole town must have been destroyed,
and with it the greater portion of its inhabitants.
The towns of Coscatlan, Teotitlan del Camino, Za•
patitlan, San Andres Chalchicamula, and the suns
rounding pueblos have also been very severely
handled. Orizaba is also said to have suffered much,
although no lives were lost. The city of Mexico
fortunately escaped with a good shaking; no
damage of consequence was done. This is the most
sa envde et si
is to
ot
oc k
bteh
ha to
pheads
tbheaetn
mf ea int y
yi necaer ej uwniel ell aBpssB;
before such another may be experienced.
There is little news from the interior. Mate-
mores was occupied by General Mejia on the 26. h
of September, without a shot beiug fired. Cortina,
who only two days previously had published a most
warlike proclamation, calling upon the inhabitants
to make a defence worthy cf their ancient renown,
and promising to place himself at their head, was,
of course, the first to surrender. The victory gained
by Colonel 11Iartin at Estanguala has completely
dispersed the only force which still remained faith-
ful to Juarez in that part of the empire. Letters
from Durango state that the troops of Ortega. and
Patoni are disseminated into groups of fugitives;
that whole companies daily lay down their arms ;
and that the number of officers who had already
made their submission was very considerable.
Admiral Mazieres had taken the command of the
Pacific fleet, and it is expected that active opera-
tions will at once be commenced against Mazatlan,
San 13;o, and other ports on that coast.