The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-07-27
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
Justice to Mexico.


gentleman long resident in Mexico writes to New
York paper:
The retrograde party of the that Europe
ever produced had the date of Mexican independence
settled their grip upon every element OF progress that the
country possessed Soul and body held in bondage
that could shaken off in short revolutionary contest
Every shadow of liberty, which they drank in from the
republican ideas of the and old world, quickly
crushed by dominant church party, which chung the
ideas that gave Germany her long religious The
first efforts of that dominant element was to establish
monarchy under Ferdinand VII of Spain, which would
link church and state and leave the retrogade power intact
The refusal of the Indians and creoes to bow to the yoke
gave birth the first internal revolutions and from that
Mexico began struggle upwards each year gaining
ground in liberal views and each year shaking off some
from the body polite
So the contest went on until the final great blow that ruined
and drove desperation the church party struck by
REFORM and the conscaton of the of the clergy
These followed by sturdy campaign OF two years, drove
the reaconary faction to their last ditch and the contest
which had lasted half century, virtually closedibera
principles triumphant and the great Mexican constitu
tion in 1857 about to become the organic law of
the land In all this time there had been but two
great parties in the country who shifting vcissitudes
of the death, ebbed and flowed into power, creating
the numerous governments we have seem.
The retrograde seeing the power slipping from them had
already through Santa Anna several times appealed to
Europe for monarch and now driven to the last extreme
they introduced Macmillan to prop them into another
five years existence We all know how Macmillan
elected. Marshal Forey appointed thrtyve reactionary
and Saas and the Archbishop of Mexicowho had all been
leaders in inviting the monarchy These elected
assemby-all noted reactionists-and among them were
found of the who made Mexican horrors pro-
verb The farce closed with election of Macmillan
and when General Bazane made the eeconeerng with
forty thousand bayone at his heels seveneghths of the
population of Mexico and twenty-nine-thi of its
territory beyond the lines of French protection accord
ing to reliable French calculation. Yet Macmillan
accepted this unanimous vote To say that he ignorant
of the he elected insult his ntelligence
for if nothing else existed at the time to prove the utter
adherence of the great body of the Mexican people the
INVASION the sege of Pueb of the most heroic defenses
in history, sufficient.
party of its last ditch and set its legs again. to
combat republicanism this continent and it very
natural in selecting tool to carry out the design that they
should the retrograde throne in Europe for
prince Austria readily listened to the demand and Maxi
milan the exponent virtually of the idea which we have
long since buried in the march of civilization entered Mex
co But mark this the very party that clustered about
Macmillan had furnished the leaders, whose dark deeds
gave Europe the plea intervention and those very
Immediately employed in the most responsible situations
under the empire.
With the crushing and unprncipled hand of Bazaine
handling forty thousand French troops and the retrograde
contingent that French gold supported, the empire
menced the desoation of Mexico In this it aided by
William H. Seward United States Secretary of State, who
apparently mpeded every effort of the republic to obtain
in the United States while all ports appeared be
open to the empire from New York to the Rio Strand AT
length the empire managed hold possession of just those
lines along which its bayonets cleaned AT period of its
existence, before AFTER could courier carry letter
safely between two great cities without an escort AT this
stage OF the imperial game Maxmilian exasperated at the
desperate defense of the country issued Decree October
looodo not forget pray you that he went there teach
the Mexlcans civilizaon-whch for barbarity has not
been eualed and far spasses the modern his brother
Francis Joseph against the Hmgarans Under this decree
the meaneSt ohcer OF the empire could have arrested Pre
dent Juarez and shot him inside twenty hours without
mercy; under this Mexico put to the sword myself
nave seen the effects Of its savage application Northern
Mexico especially marked for desoation and hous-
ands OF the first people of the country bent to the bloody
tornado that spared neither age nor sex have passed
through village after village eveed with the ground by
imperial fiat, after this decree was promulgated Did the
world cry out then with horror? did the empire stihe
with its gold the gurge OF the blood it flowed from the
veins of the republic?
There not Mexican family but cried vengeance for
murdered relatives Had Macmillan the advantage of