The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-30
For the Democratic Advocate.
BY CHARLES L. sHIPLEY.


IACnb was " hoiAA hhOh
under the the request of President Juarez
of Mexico, our aid was solicited against
the Vaccinations of Louis Napoleon, Em-
pesor of France, who sought during the
period of our civil war to subvert the gov
ernment of our sister republic.
To explain the cause of American inter
ference it becomes necessary to briefly re-
view the history of Mexico from the time
it became independent in 1922 until the
period 1853. Subsequent to the founding
of the first empire presided over by
Augustine De Iturbide, who was deposed
and shot in July, 1924, there were wide
spread civil wars and political intrigues
without number.
During this period of forty years there
occurred between thirty and forty changes
in the administration, whereas constitu-
tionally there should have only been nine,
although through all this unrest and blood
shed, the people enjoyed a republican form
of government, independent Of all foreign
potentates and powers.
When we say foreign potentates and
powers, we must except one, the clerical
or church party. Fully one-third of the
real and personal property of the republic
belonged to the clergy of Rome, whom it
must be remembered always claimed first
OF primary allegiance to the Pontiff Of st.
Peter. The holders of this vast wealth
were vast political force with which the
government had always to reckon upon
when it desired to reform any abuse in
which the church was concerned, or to in
troduce any costly reform toward which
she should be compelled to give TO contrib
ute any part of her revenues.
Whenever the liberal or citizen party
desired to pass any laws that would prove
of benefit to the country, they were quickly
opposed by the clerical party, who with
their enormous wealth was generally sue
cessful in corrupting or defeating the pur-
pose Of intended reforms
Patience now ceased to be virtue, and
the people of the republic at all times ready
to resort to the sword for redress, resolved
to throttle the power of the Church at one
fell stroke.
In 1856 bold but unsuccessful attempt
was made TO render the government
supreme and independent of the clerical as
well as of foreign influence. Benito
Juarez, their Minister of Justice. pure
blooded Indian, but endowed with rare
qualities for popular leadership, became
one of the most earnest champions of this
movement.
The cause of the reformers being be-
trayed by the then President Comonfort,
second government was formed with
Juarez at its head.
Thus was the country forced to support
dual government, with an exhausted
treasury and unfulflled engagements,
Among the latter was large debt owing
to England, France and Spain. In 1899,
President Juarez issued decree confisca-
ting the Church property, thus bringing
down on him the intense hostility of the
clericals, who now through revenge advo-
Gated the formation of monarchial form
of government. BY another decree he also
suspended payment on all foreign debts for
two years.
In the interim while the struggle was
on between him and the powers of the
Church, the civil conflict broke out be-
tween the Northern and Southern sections
of the American Union Simultaneous
with this event, foreign intrigue again re-
appeared in Mexican politics.
! As our condition grew more critical,
foreign intrigue grew more bold and when
at last it was thought that the American
Union would be rent in twain, and there
was no one to oppose them France, Eng
land and Spain, on October, 31st, 1861,
signed joint convention by which they
bound themselves severally each to send
their quota of troops to occupy certain
Mexican ports and appropriate the rev.
enues collected from the imports to the pay
ments of their respective debts, they, how
ever, pledging themselves at the same time,
TO make no acquisition Of territory or
other special ddraatage, and TO erercise
ocer the Internal affairs Of lheeico ia IN
tuence Of a gqt,tre to impair Hie right Of
the Mexican nation 10 choose and freely
organize It's owa government, " The
United States was invited to join in this
convention, but the Secretary of State,
VIM. FL. Seward. promptly declined to
countenance any scheme to land European
troops upon this continent for any purpose
whatever. He, however, made an offer
to guarantee the interest ON Mexico s
European debts for five years upon such
security as Mexico was quite able and will
ing to furnish.
For reasons best known to themselves,
it did not suit the purposes of the Euro
pean parties to accept this liberal offer.
The commissioners of the allied powers
reached Vera Cruz, by the 10th of Janu-
ary, 1862, with an army of 1000 men.
When they met to submit the items and
amount of the claims of their respective
governments against Mexico, the French
Commissioner presented claim from his
government of S12, 900, 900, to which
large amount their grievances had grown
in almost a single day from less than 81,
900, 000
The Commissioners of England and
Spain did not disguise their surprise at this
claim of France, and quickly declined to
make themselves in any way responsible
for its correctness or for its collection.
1t now transpired, however, that France
had other purposes in view than was con-
templated by her allies, and while England
and Spain only sought the liquidation of
their debts, Louis Napoleon, whose head,
as remarked by Lord Palmerston-''w was
as full of schemes as warren was full of
rabbits desired to found in Mexico an
empire that would prove to the world that
the nephew of his uncle, had proposed
to come to the succor of the Latin race in
its unequal struggle with the Anglo-Saxon
in the Western Hemisphere. He wished
to conciliate at the same time the Austrian
and Pontifcial courts, with neither of
which he was on the best of terms, by CIV
ing an American throne and imperial crown
to the Catholic house Of Hapsburg.