The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-01-28

(l0571. BY the Constilntlon Of 1857 fhe preai-
Dental term was to begin on the lei o. Deem
Der (ies5l, and continue for four yenrs. On
that day General Comonfoft hppeared before the
asnsmblsd Congress 10 the Ciiy Of Me1ico, took
the oath to support the new Constitnlion. and
wns daily inauRurated as President. Within
month afierwafd he had been driven from n.
capital, and military rebellion had assigned lhs
supreme power 81 the Repnblic 10 Gen. ZuIoaaa.
The Consultation provided thut n the absence
O. The President hls ofiee should desolse upon
the Chief Justice Of the Supreme Court. and
General Comcnfort having lett The country, this
functl0nary, General 1uaffx, proceeded 10 form.
az Guanaiuato, constitutional Government.
Before this was officially known, however. Al
the capital. the GoveFnment 81 zulosga had
been recognised ~ the entire diplomatic corps.
including the Minister Of the united States, az
the g facie 1ovefnment of Mexico. The con.
stitutlonal President, hevedhaiess, malntal0sd
his position with frmneps, and was soon estab.
lished with hls Cabinet af Vera Cruz. Mean.
while, The Government Of Znl0aga WINS earnest
ly resisted in many parts N the Republic. and
even IN the capital, aportion OF the army hav-
Ing pronounced against Il, IL functions were de-
clared terminated and an assembly Or si,lzsns
was invited Tor The choice 81 Z new President
This Assembly elected Gen Miratnoa, bus that
officer Fepudiated the plan under which he was
ehosen, and zuloaga was thus restored 10 his
previous position. He assumed Il, however
onlyto withdraw from n, and Miramon, having
become, By hin appointment, President Subsii-
suse, eohinues, with that title, at The head Of
the insnTgent party.
ln my last annual message ! communicated
20 Congress the circumstances under v hieh the
late Minister Of the United States suspended his
official relations with The Central Government,
and withdrew from the country. IA was IInpos-
slhle to maintain friendly intercourse with d
GoveTnment, ike that It the Capital under
whose usufped authority wrongs were constant
" committed, but never Felrsssed. Had this
been An established Government. with lie power
extending, ~ the consent ef the people, over
the whole Of Mexico, ! resort 10 6osiillliss
against Il would have been quite jnsii6able, aad
indeed necessary. Bat tie country was prey
10 civil war; and II was hoped that the success
Of the constitutional President might lead to
condition ~ things less luxurious 10 The United
States. This success became so probable that,
N January last, employed q reliable agent 10
visit Mexico, and report 10 me the actual cOndi-
In consequences Of his repart, and nom infoFma-
tion which reached me from other sources, IA
yorable TO the prospects OF the constitutional
cause, ] fell j1stI6sd in appointing new min
ister 70 Mexico, who might embrace the earliest
suitable opportunity Of restoring our Diplomatic
relations wiihthat Republic. For this purpose a
distinguished citizen Of Maryland was selected,
last, with discretionary authority to recognizes
the Government Of President Juarez, u ON his
Arrival In Mexico be should tiud il entitled to
such recognition, according 10 the established
practice Of the United States D
On the It'll of April following, Mr.. McLane
presented his credentials TO President Juarez,
having no hesitation s.in pronouncing the Gov
ernneit Of Jaarez to be the only existing Govern
Ement of the Reputlicy, He was cordially re-
eelyed by the authorities at Vera Cruz, and they
have ever since manifested the most friendly dis
position toward the United States. Unhahnily,
however, the Constitutional Government has moi
been able t0eslabiish its power over the whole
/ Republic. u i supported BY large majority Of
the people and the States, bat there are import
ant paris Of tho country where II can enforce 10
ohedienea. Gen. MiFampn maintains himself al
the capitag and ID some ~ the distAnt provinces
there are military governors who pay little re-
lspect to the DEGREES Of either government. Iii
/ themean time, tie exercises which always attend
upon civil war, especially In Mexico, are con.
stantly recurring. Oatrages Of the worst descrip-
4 ton are committed both upon persons and
i property, There Is scarcely any form Of
injury which has not been suffered BY ON
citizens IN Mexico during the last few years
Il We have been nominaily at peace with that Re.
public, but, $50 far as the interests Of our com
/ metee or Of our citizens who have visited the
/ country as merchants, shipmasiers, or IN othel
.
& been Ut WARP Life has been insecure, property
unprotected, and trade impossible, excsptat
risk Of loss which prutent men cannot be ex.
lpeeted 10 incur. 4. 4. ss @ ri
Important contracts, Involving large expendi
lures, entered into by the Genital Government
have been set at defiance BY the local Govern
ments, Peaceful American residents. occupying
their righful possessions, have been suddeni
expelled the country, In defiance Of treaties, an
by the mere force of arbitrary power. Even th
Fl course Of Justice has not been safe from contFo
and q recent decree Of Mifamon permits the Ii
teryention OF Government 10 ali Suits where eithe
party is foreigner. Vessels ofthe DATED State
|, have been seized without law, and n c0nsull
officer, who protested against such seizure, hs
Z been fined and imprisoned for disrepsct 10 Ii
auihoTitles Military contributions have bee
levled In violation of principle Of right, M
{, the American who resisted the IaNiess deman
I has had bis properly forcibly taken away, an
I has been himself banshed From conflict
! authority IN different partsof The country, tart
3 dulles which have beer paid Ia one place hav
I. been exacted over ag III 10 another place. LaTq
= numbers Of our citizens have been arrested an
|. Imprisoned, without any form Of examination,
K any opportunity for q hearing, and, even Whe
= released, have only obtained their liberty aft
y much snffeTing and injury. and without aay hoE
= Of redress. The wholesale massacre Of Crabt
4 and his associates, without trial. 10 Sonol q,
4 we'll a. the seizure and murder Of four sic
q Americans, who had taken sbeief ~ the house
= an American, upon the s6itof the Quilted State
n was communicated to Congress- Al It's hast sessio
i Murders OF still moro aiF0cious character hav
, been commitied in The very hesri OF MexIc
4 under the authority Of Mitamep,s Government
4 during the present year. Some Of these we
!. only worthy Of haFbaroas age, and, It they hu
n possible in country which Claims 10 be civiize
n 1f thia dissertation was the hFnfaI ms ara