The New York herald., 1867-04-25

The setting sun Of the Mexican empire casts
| its baleful light over reign of terror A re-
morseless spirit Of vengeance and bloody re-
prsals marks the steps Of the advancing lib
erals while the imperialists, bafled at every
point and cut of on every side, still fight, and
with the terrible courage Of despair. AT Zaca-
tecas recently, some two hundred Of them, fall
| ing into the hands Of General Escobedo, as
prisoners Of war, were taken out and shot
This summary execution Of captured imperial
lists, if foreigners, s Justified on the ground that
they are nlibusters, and II natives, on the
plea that they are only doomed to the death Of
| traitors. Por6rio Diax, the liberal general-in-
chief, 1t appears, however. in the capture Of
Puebla, did not pursue this rule Of Wholesale
slaughter. He only executed some eighty Inn
perial officers, ~ he had threatened to do II
forced to assault the city, and gave terms Of
mercy to some who surrendered.
Thus the war goes on. The end to the i'm
perialists cannot be far Oh. They were in
vested in Queretaro, including Maximilian, his
high officers of State and the flower Of his
army, chiefly Europeans-French, Austrians
and Belgians-and there seemed to be not
loophole Of escape for them. Marquee, the
first army of1cer under the Emperor, had made
bold dash with four thousand men from the
city Of Mexico, for the relief Of Puebla; but he
was too late even to help himself; for he is re-
ported first as hemmed in between the two
cities, and next, as having been attacked by
Diaz and cut to pieces.
Vera Cruz, the most important position
Of the imperialists as base Of military
| supplies and as q base of retreat from the
country, was at the last accounts at any mo-
ment expected to open its gates to the flag Of
the republic Diaz having sent down strong
column to assist the investing forces. Now, by
the massacres already committed by the libe-
rails, and which they justify under the laws Of
war, there is reason to apprehend that with the
capture or surrender Of Queretaro, Mexico and
Vera Cruz involving all that are left in arms Of
the adherents Of Macmillan, there will be not
hundreds, but thousands of them, as prisoners
or as tugitives, mercilessly slaughtered.
How is this shocking scandal to the Mexican
republic, to the United States and to the gene
raj cause of popular Institutions to be averted !?
Only by the appealing or warning voice of our
government. We are awaiting anxiously the
news of the reception of Mr.. Stewards special
| courier of mercy by Escobedo, at Queretaro,
and by President Juarez, somewhere in that
| neighborhood. We hope that Mr.. Stewards
appeal in behalf of Macmillan will operate
not only to save the unfortunate Emperor, but
also his Mexican followers, on easy terms, and
his European soldiers and followers, rank and
Hle, with the condition that they leave the
country, never to return. But while this is
quite as uncertain as any OF the barely possible
chances Of war, we have not the shadow Of
doubt that there is a fixed purpose in the minds
Of the chiefs and followers Of the liberal
cause to exact a fearful work of ven
and degradation under the foreign
usurper. They say that "as by the audacious
| French flibuster, his Austrian servant and
| confederate robber and their followers, the
unyielding people of Mexico were proclaimed
bandits and outlaws, hunted down like wild
beasts and slaughtered without ceremony, and
as the pains and penalties and the wrongs and
outrages we have thus suffered under this
foreign bondage demand sweeping re tribu-
ton, SO will we enforce it."
Here is the great danger TO the Mexican re-
public Where, if pursued. is this account of
blood against foreign robbers and domestic
traitors to ends II can only end as the old
French republican reign OF terror ended in a
military despotism, or a Ia Texas, in the alb
sorption Of Mexico by the United States, in
view of law and order in the house Of our next
door neghbor, and 80 that the Mexican rcpub-
lie shall cease to be mockery and by-word
against our own institutions. II the French
Emperor has abandoned his "grand Napo-
leonic idea" in Mexico, If he has withdrawn his
army and left his unhappy dupe, Maximiian,
at the mercy of his enemies-if the Mexican
republic in name and substance has survived,
and If Juarcz is on the high road to his inau-
guration in 'the Halls of the Montezumas" as
President of a tree and reunited country il is
because of the powerful moral pressure Of the
Monroe doctrine from the United States.
France intcrvened TO make Of Mexico coun-
try of law, order, trade and security, with the
plea that her people needed a helping hand TO
enable them to govern themselves. We
have protested, in season and out of
season, against the assumed necessity Of any
such benevolent Intervention; and AZ Mr..
Seward has been thus successful in scoldiDg
Napoleon out Of the country, we stand under
bonds before France and the civilized world to
keep the peace in Mexico.
President Juarez and his associate chiefs of
the Mexican republic, therefore, will do well
TO remember that, as their endorsers, we are
responsible II they fail-that a nation claiming
to be civilized cannot lie tolerated in prac-
Using against its enemies the savage vendesa
Of the Island OF Corsica, but that il the Mexi-
can people, with all the teachings and chas-
lis nents they have received, cannot govern
themselves, but must be eternally cutting each