New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-30
MAXIMILIAN AND THE CLERICAL
PARTY OF MEXICO.

MAxIMILIAN AND THE CLERICAL
PARTY OF MEXICO.
The letters addressed by the Pope and by
some of the Archbshops and Bishops OF Mexico
to the Emperor Macmillan, and intended to
induce him not to abandon the old platform OF
the Church party of Mexico, have entirely failed
to have any effect. The Emperor not only
refuses to aceede to their demands, but he
severely rebukes their pretcnsons. In addition
To several other recent acts of his Government
which clearly indicated the liberal policy he
means 10 pursue, We now have his reply to the
manifesto of the Archbishops Of Mexico and
Michoacan and the Bishops Of Queretaro and
Oaxaca This letter is a more explicit conilrma-
ton than any we have as yet received Of the
breach between the Emperor and the Church,
and it clearly proves that radical rcconstruc-
ton of political parties in Mexico has actually
begun.
After few general remarks, the Emperor
tells the Bishops that they are but very imper-
icctly Informed about the history Of the diplo-
ma.io negotiations between his Government and
Rome "You do not know" he says, what
has passed at Rome between sovereign and soy-
; $50, 49, $50, t,cu present az the nego-
tiations with the Nuncio you are. consequently,
unable % Judge on which side are the usurpa-
tons, if usupa,ons there have been. As a
good Catholic and a sovereign, faithful to his
duties, must draw vail over certain affair,
leaving TO God and TO history the care OF my
justification"
The Emperor then proceeds to state the most
important facts Of the diplomatic correspondence
between his Government and the Pope. His
Minister Of Foreign Affairs had sent by his order,
an urgent note, explaining the condition OF
ecclesiastical afrars in Mexico and the necessity
for the Government to find solution, if a
satisfactory arrangement should not be promptly
arrived at This note was received in Rome be-
fore the departure of the Nuncio for Mexico. On
his arrival in the Mexican capital, the Nuncio
was received with more than usual hOnors. He
was at once invited 10 long conference with
the Emperor, who with the greatest irankness,
perhaps with too much confidence" stated to
him in what points the Government could, and
in what points it could not yield. The Nuncio
declared that he had powers with regard to some
points and that the others would be regulated
al Rome by a concordat
This seemed to be satisfactory; but knowing
'the excessive delay in the dispatch of business
at Rome" the Emperor requested the Nuncio
TO find, in concert with the Minister of Justice
and Worship, an expcdient which, until def
mite solution of the difficulties should be found
would tranquilile the public mind. In his first
conference, the Nunco expressed himself in the
same sense as the Emperor, but twenty-four
hours later he cOntradlcted all he had said. II was
impossible for the Mexican Government to wait
| any longer for the solution of question of 50
vital an interest to the entire country. The
great majority of the nation justly demanded
a solution. OF this, the Emperor aiIlrms, he is
better able to judge than the Bishops, for while
the latter, since their return from exile, had re-.
manned in the capital, he had visited a large
portion of their dioceses. After having listened
to the opinions Of worthy thcologiaus. the En-.
peror, therefore, adopted measure by which
he thought proper ~ secure to the citizens " the
free execution Of the law" while it in no way
interfcred with the doctrines of the Catholic
Church.
| In conclusion the Emperor tells the Bishops
that the Church Of Mexico has, in the past
meddled too much with politics, and therefore
neglected the instruction OF the people. A large
portion of the Mexican people lis not yet Catho-
lie in the true sense Of the Holy Gospels" The
Emperor again assures the Bishops that he
is "a good Catholic" and names among his
references the Holy Father and the churches of
Germany and Jerusalem; but, he says, good
Catholic N am, shall also be just and lib
eral prince"
This letter is in more than one respect re-
markable. There is hardly a single prince in
Europe who has so openly rebuked the policy
of the Pope and Bishops as the prince through
whom the Church party Of Mexico hoUed to