Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-11-22
MEXICO.

MEXICO.
The unhappy country of Mexico has reach
ed that stage of civil war where the con
queror lays aside the obligations of the bel
hgCrent and assumes the duties of an eXecu-
TONER Our readers are familiar with the de-
cree Of Macmillan, which assumes that the
opposition OH uarez has descended into ban
dts war and that Juarez having abandoned
Mexico, all who follow him are to be out
lawed and treated as enemies Of mankind.
He speaks of the Mexican followers Of the
President as 'miSled' and 'misinformed,
carried away by 'unpatrlotic passions, and
assisted by 'demoraiized persons and an
'unprincipled soldiery,' the last sad rem
nants of the civil wars. 1t seems very odd
to find ruler denouncing Juarez and his
followers as the sad remnants Of the evil
wars, " and at the same time inviting to his
Court such remnants" as Kirby Smith,
Magr lder, W. Allen, and Sterling Price !;
but this Is a matter Of Imperial taste, and
none of our business. He may keep as
many Rebels as he pleases, and give them
nice Offices but it seems odd that he should
be so speedy to denounce the devoted fol-
lowers of Juarez for clinging to their chief,
while he rewards the followers of jeff. Davis
ing themselves out Of love for treason.
Maximilian' decree, which goes into eff
feet on November Is, very much resembles
the decree OF the coup d etdt of Napoleon.
1t seems to bear Partisan inspiration We
are apt to suspect the argument which makes
anger take the place of rason. We are also
apt to doubt the security of power which
seeks to perpetuate itself by deeds of need
less cruelty Maximilian proposes to Go
this. He has defeated Juarez iii war, or
rather the soldiers of the French armies did
this in his name. Representing as he con-
tends, the national Will and the .'maori-
ty Of the nation, he draws his national ar
my from France and Belgium and Austria
Remembering this, we need only look to
Maximiian decree of October , to find
grave cause for suspecting the stability cf a
throne which finds indiscriminate murder
necessary for Its security. Every soldier of
Juarez taken in arms after Nov. -, is to
be sumnIarily tried by his captors and shot
within twenty four hours The guilt
does not mean war. but 1.-THE fact of belong
ing to the band Of Mexican soldiers. If a
Mexican. therefore, still adheres to Juarez,
even gives his sympathies, he is liable to be
shot by any sub-leutenant from Austria
who desires to show Imperial zeal. In or
tcE 10 uldhC jllC LHOlC ii-lO JIit
Emperor Furnishes by fine or Imprisonment
all who assist the Juarez men with money,
or who give them advice or information;
who sell them horses CT arms or food; who
hold any relations with them, who conceal
them who make false reports calculated to
disturb the peace, or who hear of their
whereabouts and refuses to give information.
The sentence Of death in all these cases is
to be executed by the officer who makes
the arrest. The Emperor desires it to be
SUMMARY There Is not to be the super
yisory power of a General IN command, nor
even an appeal to his own clemency. 1t
must be executed at once, wlshln twenty
four hours. When in the hight of our war
the President directly said that no sentences
of death should be carried into effect with
out his approval, he felt that the lives OF
his fellow citizens, even of the most noto-
rious and malignant Rebels, were in his
own peculiar keeping, and none should take
life away until he had satisfied his owp con-
! science as to the justice OF the sentence
Maximilian, on the contrary, transfers the
most solemn prerogative that can belong tC
a ruler to the most insignificant subordinate
officer in his empire.
Without attempting to decide the chan
ces of MaXimilian 5 success we must protest
in the name of humanity, against the course
/ prescribed by his decree. If Maximlllan L
really Emperor by the grace of God and thu
will of the Mexican people, why is 1T ne
ces.ary to make his army an army OF exc
cutioners? We know the horrors of mar
tial law, even when checked and curbed
but we do not know how horrible that Law
becomes when the power of life, and deatl
over the Mexican people is in the hands Q
any stupid or brutal corporal of the guard
/ We read with horror of the exeesses OF tn
cavaliers who had the power to take ever.
poor Scotehman, who would not, take tn
test, down from his loom and shoot hIm
Frenchmen would gladly skip the. pages tha
tell of LaVendee and the revolutionary bar,
tisms. No Englishman is fond of dwell
ing upon the suppression of the Sepoy rebel
lion. The great stain on the fame OF tn
present Emperor Napoleon is theindiscrlm
mate slaughter of Partisan men and women OF
theParisian boulevards during the days of De
cember. 1t cannot be that ruler so adroit a
Maximilan is about to repeat IN Mexico tn
worst crimes of old European countries II
must rule by love or never rule at all. ID
cannot be in men $ despite monarch.