The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-01 00:00:00

Important Proclamation of the Emperor

Maximilian.

The following proclamation was promulgated in
the city of Mexico on the sth inst.:—
" Orizaba, Dec. 1.
_ _ _

" Mexicans,—Circumstances of great magnitude
relating to the welfare of our country, and which
increases in strength by our domestic difficulties,
have produced in our mind the conviction that we
ought to reconsider the power confided to us. Our
Council of Ministers, by us convened, has given us
their opinion that the welfare of Mexico still re-
quires our presence at the head of affairs, and we
have considered it our duty to accede to their re-
quest, announcing at the same time our intentions
to convoke a national congress on a most ample
and liberal basis, where all political parties can
participate, and this congress shall decide whether
the empire shall continue in future, and, in
case of assent, shall.assist in framing fundamental
laws to consolidate the publie institutions of the
country. To obtain this result our counsellors are
at present engaged in devising the necessary means,
and at the same time arrange matters in such a
manner that all parties may assist in an arrange-
ment on that basis.

"In the meantime, Mexicans, counting upon you
all without excluding any political class, we shal►
continue the work of regeneration with courage and
constancy, having been placed in charge of your
countrymen.

(Signed)

" MAXIMILIAN."

Advices front Mexico, in the Liberte, say :
" Mazatlan was certainly evacuated by the French
on the 13th November. Despatches from Sau Fran-
cisco, dated the 12th . December, relate what took
place nearly as follows :---‘ For several days the
Juarist generaloccupied Presidio, at a short distance
from the town. His advance posts had even ap-
t-
At eleven in the foreifoiiri-tht- French squadron,
composed of three vessels, the Rhine, the Marne,
and the Talisman, left their moorings. That act
was the signal for general confusion among both the
soldiers and people. It was feared that, on the one
hand, Corona would attack the town during the
embarkation of the troops, and, on the other, that
the squadron might bombard it in retaliation. The
American Consul immediately took steps to induce
Corona to allow the French to leave unmolested ;
but without success. The Mexican general declared
that he felt it to be his duty to inflict all the injury
he could upon the enemy. In the evening the
Liberals made an attack upon the French lines, but
without achieving anything. The next day a more
vigorous assault was delivered ; the struggle was a
fierce one, and the defenders of the position lost a
considerable number of men and some officers. Early
on the 13th the French Admiral proposed a truce to
Corona, which was accepted. The place was imme-
diately evacuated by the French. In the afternoon
the Liberals entered the city in goodurder and were
well received by the inhabitants.' "
The Political Prefect of Vera Cruz has published
the following : •
" Dec. 1.

" Inhabitants of Vera Cruz,—One of the most
acceptable events to all true Mexicans has just taken
place in the nation. His Majesty the Emperor, who
has made so many sacrifices for the welfare and
felicity of our beloved country, has given the greatest
proof of the regard which it deserves. While bowed
down by the natural emotions which agitated and
are still agitating his mind, in consequence of the
illness of his august and noble spouse, our beloved
Empress, it was for a momentbelieved that he would
abandon the country temporarily, to dedicate him-
self to her, and to comply with the sacred duties of
affording his worthy consort those attentions she
stands so much in need of in her present delicate
state of health ; but the Emperor still sacrifices him-
self for us, placing his duties as a man after those
of his honour as a monarch, and in the present cri-
tical moment, while he is traversing the country,
declares solemnly that he will remain at the front
and will struggle without rest until he has shed the
last drop of his blood in defence of the nation. Vera
Cruziaus, let us congratulate ourselves and give
thanks to Providence for having saved the integrity

of our land, and let us salute with all the ardour o:
our hearts the day of the resurrection of our nation•
ality on the eve of its disappearance.
"D. BUREAN."

A MARTYR WANTED.—The following very comical
but genuine letter was actually received by the prisoner
Lynch at the gaol here from Roberts, the President of the
Fenian organisation :—" New York, Nov. 30, 1866.—
Robert Bless Lynch, Esq., Toronto Gaol.—Sir,—Your
letter requesting me to send to Washington affidavits of
your non-military connection with the Irish Republican
army has been received and the request complied with, in
care of Captain Fitzpatrick, and I will write to General
O'Neil on the subject. I regret to tell y.)u that you are
not going to be hanged. So great a crime upon a non-
combatant like yourself would make every Irishman in
America a Fenian, and furnish our exchequer with the
necessary moans to clear Canada of English authority in
short order—a consummation devoutly to be wished—
and, therefore, I say I regret that you will not be hanged.
It would be a glorious death for you ; and a life
that would otherwise pass away unknown, in a few
years, at most, would become an honoured portion of the
history of our race and of the times. But whatever be
your fate, pray God that yeti will act a brave, dauntless
part to the last. Remember that you not alone represent
your own weak nation, in the position in which you are
placed, but your country and your race also ; and though
much I regret that you are in the power of blood-thirsty
foes, I still trust and hope that, under any and all circum-
stances, you will make your countrymen proud of you, and
your name honoured.—l remain, yours sincerely, W: R.
ROBERTS, President F. B." The match of this production
would be hard to find. Only fancy a man writing to a
friend under sentence of death with great regret that he is
not to be hanged, and coolly giving as a reason for this
regret that his execution would bring a pile of money into
the Fenian exchequer. It reminds one of Artemus Ward's
patriotism during the late war, in determining to shed the
blood of all his wife's able-bodied male relations before he
would see the Union " burst up."— Toronto Globe, Dec. 17.
ANONYMOUS JOURNALISM.--When the Press was
first started, the squibs of briefiess barristers were often
attributed to Bulwer. Readers of " Pendennis " will re-
member the reputed parentage of some of Captain Shan-
don's articles in the Pall Mall Gazette. Mr. Lewes himself,
in his "Life of Goethe," tells us that in the Ekren, the
periodical starte.l by Goethe and Schiller, articles by the
poorest writers were attributed to the greatest. Now, we
would ask Mr. Lewes what would have been the result if
these articles had been signed by the real names of their
authors ? The mystery would have been at an end, and
with the mystery the interest would have departed.
LATEST PHASE OF RITUALISM.—The more ad-
vanced section of the Ritualistic party have lately
introduced amongst themselves two very decided novel-
ties in the English Church. They are publishing at Ox-
ford an " Anglican Missal," which contains the order of
the Communion Service, without any portion of the
Liturgy, and is illuminated as well as divided into parts,
in exact imitation of the Roman Catholic Missal. Nor is
this part of the Anglican Prayerbook over spoken of by
the Ritualists as other than " the Mass." " I have been
to high mass," or " I am going to hear low mass," is now
las common a way of speaking amongst the worshippers of
St. Mary Magdalene, Mufister-square ; St. Alban's, Bald-
win's-gardens: or St. Matthias, Stoke Nowngton, as it is
with the members of any congregation that is under Dr.
Manning's jurisdiction. Another curious fashion some of
the Ritualists have adopted is that of speaking to or of the
clergymen who adopt these views as " Father John,"
" Father James," or whatever the reverend clergyman's
Christian name may be, instead of calling him Mr. Smith,
Brown, or Jones.
A MUNIFICENT -LIFT.—We arc informed that a
member of the legal profession has set aside £25,000 for
the benefit of London hospitals. Tho name of ,this muni-
ficent donor is known to us, but, in accordance with his
wish, it is not to appear in print. The eircuthstances which
led to this gift aro said to be as follows :—The gentleman
in question is a member of the legal profession, and suc-
ceeded recently iu recovering a sum of £150,000 for a pen-
sioner of the metropolitan police. Ho made it a condition
that, in case of success, his client should set apart £25,000
for his poor relations, and that ho should place in his hands
.£25,000 for distribution to hospitals. Both conditions, we
understand, are being realised ; and, remembering how
often fortunes thus suddenly acquired have been squan-
dered in such a manner as to prove a curse rather than a
blessiug, there is very groat reason to admire the prudence
and the nobility of the proviso."—Solicitors' Journal.
HARROW SCHOOL.—llarrovians will be interested
to learn that valuable prizes of .£3O a year for the encourage-
ment of the study of Modern History and English Literature
have recently been founded by John Edward Bourchier,
who was head of the school in 1862-3. He died of consump-
tion at Bournemouth, on the 23d inst., aged 22 years.
_ _

The Morning Herald announces, with regret,
that the new Conservative weekly paper, the Monitor,
which was to have appeared with the New Year, is un-
avoidably postponed for the present.