The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-30 00:00:00

A writer in a letter to a contemporary says :
" Thinking that from the recent tragic events in
this unhappy country a good share of public inte-
rest will be attracted towards it, I venture to send
you a short account of the terrible siege the capital
has just sustained—one of the worst, perhaps, taking
into account the size of the place, that this century
has seen in the whole world. This can easily be
imagined when it is known that during the 67 days
the siege lasted no food entered the city, containing
over 200,000 inhabitants, who had not only failed
to make any previous provision or preparation for
it, but during the preceding two months had been
unable to get the usual supply, owing to the partial
blockade of the place, and also to the shortsighted
policy of the Government in seizing many of the
Indians, who brought provisions, to serve in the
army, and thus deterring others from venturing to
the market with their goods. Necessaries of life,
therefore, rose to a fabulous price, bread being from
10s. to 12s. per lb., meat of lean mulch cows 4s. per
lb., horseflesh from 9d. to ls. Indian corn or maize,
which is sometimes sold for Bs. a carga of 3001 b.,
was £3O ; lean fowls Bs. each, eggs three for 2s.
Many of these prices were merely nominal ; it was
often impossible to get flour or maize for love or
money, as there was no regular sale of them in the
market. Those who bad them were obliged to
keep it a profound secret, for immediately it was
known the Government pounced upon them and gave
them to its soldiers ; they had, in fact, the power to
enter any house to search for provisions. I have
seen soldiers go into the miserable huts of the poor
and bring out a few handsful of maize that the in-
mates had carefully hoarded up. Hundreds, if not
thousands, died of starvation, and those who were

left had hardly strength left to crawl up to you in
the streets to ask for alms. The scenes at the
panaderigs, or bread shops, before their stocks were
exhausted, which happened about three weeks be-
fore the termination of the siege, was most heart-
rending. There were only three open in the whole
city ; the doors were crowded at one or two o'clock
in the morning in order to get a good place by the
time they were opened ; all day the streets leading
to them were crowded. Outside one near where I
live five persons were found dead one morning,
having dropped down from exhaustion, many others
perished by the crush, or by the swords of the
soldiers put there to guard the place. There was
sometimes an opportunity of leaving the city, of
which thousands availed themselves at the risk of
being shot on the way ; in fact, seven women and
children were killed by one shell while halfway
between the two camps, for white flags received no
respect, the only chance being that both sides were
wretched marksmen.

While the poor suffered so fearfully, the rich
had also their shares ; forced loans never to be
paid and contributions following in quick suc-
cession. Those who refused to pay were put in
prison, without anything to eat or drink, until they
did ; while others who hid themselves had their
houses guarded to prevent the entry of any food for
their wives and children. Nearly half the money,
moreover, thus collected went into the pockets of
the chief officials. All commerce, of course, was
suspended, the only life in the streets being the
movement of troops from one point to another, the
press-gang going
about seizing almost any one they
could catch, and searching houses for horses and
the carriage of the wounded to the hospitals. It is
needless to dwell on all the horrors which are
common to all sieges. I cannot, however, help
mentioning one that came under my notice. A
poor man who had lately lost his wife and was left
with three little children was seized one day by the
press-gang,
or leva, while out searching for food
for his little ones, whom he had left locked up at
home. He begged and prayed to be allowed to go
home to let them out and give them in charge to
some neighbours, or else to send and do so. This
was refused him till the third day, when he found
them dead. Another incident occurred at the in-
trenchments of the two camps. The Liberals, or
besiegers, stuck up a dead horse, with a large
placard, with ',Came pars los traidores' (meat for
the traitors). The besieged, or Imperials, answered
by putting up an old woman who had died of star-
vation, with Carrie pars los cohardes ' (meat for
the cowards), a stinging reproach for their not pro-
perly attacking the place, instead of trying to starve
it out.
Amid all this misery an anomalous scene pre-
sented itself every evening in the Plaza, or principal
square, where the band played. Crowds of caval-
leros and senoritas, decked in their best, walked
about utterly indifferent to the roar of the cannon,
which did not make a bad accompaniment to the
music, often coming in right for the bass-drum
part.
We, the English of the city, have particular cause
for rejoicing at the termination of the siege, for our
position has been anything but enviable, as the
commander, Marquez, appointed lieutenant-general
by the poor Emperor while be was at Queretaro, is
less a man than a demon, and a demon possessed of
inveterate hatred to the English. It was he who
murdered the English doctors at Tacubaya, a town
near here, ordering them out to be shot while at-
tending the wounded, and who broke open the seals
of the English Legation some years ago, taking out
$600,000. This appointment of the late Emperor
was the greatestfault he ever committed, but dearly
has he paid for it, for nearly all unite in saying
that had it not been for the obstinate resistance of
Mexico, carried on five weeks after the fall of
Queretaro, his life might have been spared. This
resistance was effected by Marquez by the vilest
lies—his assuring the Austrians, a chivalrous set
of men, 700 strong, who fought only for their coun-
trymen, that the capture of the Emperor was
only an invention of the Liberals, although he had
received official reports of the fact four days after it
occurred. He actually, on the day of his condem-
nation to death ordered public rejoicings to be cele-
brated for his victory said to be gained over the
Liberals. Five days after these rejoicings, June 21,
the Austrians in the meantime being officially con-
vinced of the fall of Queretaro, and having come to
terms with the Liberals, the besiegers entered the
city to the joy of all, in splendid order, without the
slightest tumult or least act of violence. So far
they certainly by their conduct merit the highest
praise. We oAly hope they will continue to do so,
although from the past history of Mexico no very
sanguine hopes can be entertained. As they en-
tered they certainly were a motley crew—most of
the men in rags and without shoes, and even
some of the officers in the same plight and in
their shirit sleeves, while others were decked in
all the colours of the rainbow. They were nearly
all, however, well armed. The day they entered
the aspect of the city changed as if by magic—
herds of sheep and oxen thronged the streets,
Making one's mouth water, cartloads of bread, and
long lines of mules and donkeys laden with pro-
visions. On the 20th the man who had lately eaten
a piece of bread would almost be looked on as a
phenomenon, and pointed out in the streets. On
the 21st all were hurrying home with pieces iu their
hands to enjoy the uncommon feast.
All commerce has assumed extraordinary brisk-
ness, and if peace lasts the losses and sufferings of
the last six months will soon be forgotten. The
argument in favour of our enjoying this peace is the
almost entire annihilation of one great party, the
Conservatives, or the Government of the five M's,
as they have been recently called, from the fact of
the names of the five leading men of it beginning
with the letter 111—namely, Maximilian, Marquez,
Miramon, Mejia, and Mendez. Of these five, four
were killed at one blow at Queretaro, Mail nez being
the only one left, he having hid himself in the city,
and hitherto baffled the vigilant search of his enemies.
On the other hand, the incongruous mixture among
the Liberals and the difficulty of amalgamating
them, threaten a continuance of disorder and re-
volutions. if the moderate Liberals came into
power, as it is generally expected they will, these
evils
th will
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ee
lookedaverted,
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fewo prosperous years
.
The melancholy death of the Emperor, and the
dignified, kingly manner in which he met it, have
r
produced a profound sensation here even among
many of the Liberals ; his disinterested and chival-
rous conduct, as also that of the handful of Austrians
who stuck by their prince to the last against over-
whelming odds, will meet with admiration through-
out the civilised world,