Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-03
MAXIMILIAN'S EXECUTION.
LAST PAYS OF NAPO. E9N'S MEXI-
CAN EMPIRE.

CAN EMPIRE.
Lincoln and Juarez- Striking Sim
ilarity Between the Presidents OF
the Neighboring Republics.
| Special Correspondence of the RECORD UNIoN.l
I MEXICO, june %, 1886.
The nineteenth anniversary of Max
imilian's execution, just now passed, brings
to mind many of the events of that stormy
period in Mexico's history. During the
preceding forty years of constant internal
feuds Chiefly between the Liberal" party
and that of the Romish Church), Mexico
had passed through thirty-six different
! forms of government, under no less than
Seceaty-ttree rulers, Naturally such an I'M
paralleled series of revolutions attracted
! the attention of all nations. In the spring
of 1861 Secretary Seward wrote to Mr.. Cor
win, then United States Minister to Mex
leo, as follows: "For years past the condi-
ton of Mexico has been such as to raise
the question on both sides of the Atlantic
whether the time has nc come when some
foreign power ought, in the general inter
ests OF society, to intervene, to establish a
pTOtectorate or some other form of govern
ment in that country, and guarantee its
continuance there"
In March of the previous year the Gov
ernments of England France and Spain
had offered mediation proposing a guar
antee to the rival parties IN Mexico that
one OF them should be permitted to estab-
fish its social reforms and the other its con-
sentative political principles The Con
seryatiyes y or Church party (which the
European powers were disposed to recog-
nize as the dc facto government Of Mexico,
while the vast majority of Mexicans dis
avowed it), invited this mediation; but
Bonito Juarez, the Republican President of
the people, sternly refused it, The decisive
battle between the contending factions was
that of Calpulalpam, on Christmas day of
1S60-after which
THE LIBERAL ARMY
Took possession of the City of Mexico fol-
lowed by JuareZ and his Cabinet But
though go1 1Opult sanctioned the Indian
Presidents course by re-electing him con-
stitutionai ruler of the Republic, peace did
not ensue. Divisions arose in the Liberal
ranks through the personal ambition of
each patriot to carry out his own individual
theories of government. Besides, dur
ing long decades OF strife each
State had been accustomed to
consider herself political entity, and
found it difficult to give up unlimited
sovereignty in submission to the superior
Federal power; while amid these conflict
ing elements were interviewer various in
| tor, ~ oil hot lol H.
ing the course of civil war, and were now
being vigorously pressed by the diplomatic
representatives. Mexico was completely
impoverished and the Government literally
without funds-to provide which Juarez
was obliged to employ such extraordinary
measures as imprisoning capitalists and
negotiating forced loans. In this great
strait ii was resolved to suspend payment
Of the interest on all debts, internal and
foreign, for the space OF two years.
THE LIBERAL LEADERS
Believed that with the money thus obtained
they could put down all armed opposition :;
that with internal peace, industry would
soon take the place of idleness and crime
in long-sulfering Mexico; and they avowed
that, this result once achieved, the written
Constitution should be adhered to and the
foreign obligations met.
|
ness was about $50 100000, and although it
was argued that the suspension of payment
was but temporary, to give an exhausted
nation chance TO breathe, it was a serious
mistake on the part of the struggling Presi-
dent and his advisers. The Ministers of
! France and England Especially the former,
who was deeply interested in the Church
party and detested the Liberals immedi-
ately resented the" outrage" and suspended
diplomatic communication. The claims of
France (only about $10,000,0 00), though abb
surdly small, were greatly exaggerated and
based upon questionable transactions, while
those of England English bondholders
S63, 900 900 and English convention So
000,000) were founded upon promises
equally unjust-over half a million being
for the robbery of the English Legation by
the very Church faction that was urging
intervention, and a large sum for indem-
nifty for outrages upon British subjects by
guerrillas of the same party, who were vio-
lently opposed to the Republican Govern
ment which was expected to pay the debt.
Macmillan has
| BEEN MIsREPRESENTED
As an adventurer. greedy for a foreign
crown-as an usurper who invited his fate
by forcing himself upon defenseless na-
| ton but the truth is that he twice refused
the crown of Mexico when it was first ten
dered to him, and only consented reluct-
antly to receive it, two years later, when
misled by what he believed was popular
call to the throne from the Mexican people
themselves.
| After Louis Napoleon, bent on establish
ing an empire in the New World, had sue
ceeded in partially subjugating Mexico,
that remarkable body called the Junta was
| elected by Romish influence. assisted by
French arms On October 3. 1868, Com
mission from Mexico, sent by the Pro-
visional Executive power" of the Catholic
| JuDta, arrived at the Castle of Miramar in
search of an Emperor. Two years before,
when the French, Spanish and English
powers were drawing up their tripartite
| treaty of alliance Macmillan had been in
| vited to the same mythical throne. His
reply at that time was worthy of his noble
nature: My cooperation in favor of the
| work of
! GOVERNMENTAL TRANSFORMATION,
On which depends according to your con-
| viction-the salvation of Mexico, could not
be determined, unless that a national man.
Hesitation should prove to me in an un-
| doubted manner the desire of the nation to
see me occupy the throne"
| These sentiments he re-expressed when
| the commission approached him with their
| flattering Offer and again declined to accept
the crown till he had heard an expression
directly from the people. This the COM
mission pretended TO obtain, and in the
| followin; March another deputation waited
upon hiti aud claimed compliance with his
! promise.
During President Lincoln's life he more
than once expressed in decided terms his
views regarding Napoleon's scheme to
create on our continent an empire of the
/ Latin race, and condemned him for taking
| advantage of our civil war to inaugurate in
MeAic, an enterprise he would not other
wise have dared to undertake He pre-
dicted that it would bring nothing but
/ t,ouble and disaster to the French Emperor
and in the end would work destruction to
all concerned in treason and usurpation
against the struggling republic. He avowed
! himself to be firm believer in the doctrine
of President Monroe, as expressed in his
celebrated message to Congress in 1923, in
opposition to English colonization schemes
on the American continent, and said he did
not believe Mr.. Monroe made that declara-
ton in Pickwickian sense" but that he
meant just Whist the language implies, and
that he (Lincolnl was determined to act up
F, to it. but" said he, speaking of Mexico,
we are engaged in this terrible struggle at
! home and can't attend 10 tho French and