The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-12


 guel Miramon effected a coup d'etat of the presidency of Mexico. and Mi ramon returned to Chapu1tepec. while the leader who had deposed him went to a prison cell
 This was but one of the many dra- n1atic incidents of the great civil war in which Mexico was engaged from 1857 to 1867 In the troubles of the last few years in unhappy Mexico, history has been repeating itself i Then as now, the Constitutionalists opposed the military dictators; then, as now. the internal turm oil brought about foreign intervention
 The constitution of Mexico, which is still a bone of contentions was es- tab1fshed in 1S57- It provided for form of government, similar to that of the United States The various States of the federation were left free to manage their local affairs The i,atfoua1 federal government was vested in the legislative, judicial and House of Representative were to be elected by direct vote, while senators were to be chosen indirectly The President was to be elected by e1ec- tors popularly chosen in a general election, to serve term of six years
 when the new Constitution was for raulated, C0monfort, the Madero of his time, was President of Mexico Gen. Felix zuloaga, the Victoriano Huerfa of the period, was the coms mander of the forces. Comonfort had no sooner been seated in the Presidential chair than Zu1oaga be- gan matching a military conspiracy against him. The Constitution was rot popular with the wealthy land owners of the country, and they h- nanced Zu1oagz,s movement forSits overthrow. The sequestration of the 6roperty of the church had alienated fne clergy from the Liberal party. and the launching of a reformed church ed the Catholic leaders. so that they fell I'm readily with the plans of the anbftious military chieftain-
 Early in 1858 Zuloaga, as the rep resentatfve of the church party, is- sued a proclamation abrogating the Constitution. on the ground that it
 was not acceptable to the people +at large Counonfort was permitted to \ retain the presidential office pro- vfded he would call session of Congress to frame a new Constitution.
 Comonfort. perhaps fearing for his life assented to this plan for a tines but his attempt to restore the Con- stitlxtion brought the wrath of the military dictator down upon him. zu- 1oaga marched into Mexico City at the head of the army, abolished the Constitution, ordered Conlonfort inn peached and driven from office and established himself as provisi onal President
 with Cononfort deprived of the Presidency, his successor under the Constitution, was the Vice President, Benito Jnarez. The new leader of the Liberals or Constftutionalists was q fulI-blooded Indian. but man of great force and ability as both states man and general While zu1oaEa held the palace in the capital Juarez was declared Constitutional President at Vera Cruz, and his government was immediately recognized by that of the United States.
 The great civil war was then on in earnest The armies of the Liberals or -Const1tukiona1ists and the forces of the Cbericals >or Reactionaries clash ea on. many bloody fields. While Jsarez and his patriot army were oc- casiorally defeated. and Juarez was forced to change his capital several times. the cause Of liberty was con- ntantly advanced, and zuloaga be- came uneasy While seeking to dis tract tzae attention of the people from the mazn issue by an -Gringo campadgn. the military dictator sought foreign intervention. He DkHnged the country into debt, and soun became unpopular even among xh8sDe4ctfouar1es.
 In 1859 the church party decided that sZuIcaga had become impossible .as a leader. and Miguel Mframon, a general in Zuloaga's army, was cho- sens assh1s successor by the junto- For g time Miranons one of the most bEaziauf officers Of the Conservative REu1ys remained true to his chief, but in Fse1Jruary the opposition to Zuloa- ga Asad become so strong that the die- tabur abdfcated-, British ships of war had already been sent to Mexi- can waters to protect English sub 5ectg,- and other countries, notably Trance and Spain, were threatening .4ntazVeutzon-
 Mzrexnou, when he succeeded Zu1oa- .ga.s governed the capital without any lregzrd for the rights of Foreigners. Late in 1859 M1ramon defeated the Liberals under CoEima, and in 1860