Year: 1868

FROM Our OWn Correspondent


VIZ MEXICO, March 81, 1868.


Three days ago. in keeping with custom of his
country the President of Mexico observed his birth
day by inviting the chief friends of the Republic to
a feast This feast took place in the historic woods
Of Chaputepec, and under the venerable Expresses
OF Montezumas arbor They do not include the
giant ancient tree which particularly appropriates
the sad celebrity of that royal sleeper 1t is but
short walk from the gate of the little wilderness in
which it stands guard like O great druid. But the
arbor forms i'll itself an extraordinary collonnade
richly bearded with the gray age of hanging mosses
and arching the scene gothlcally to q night OF
sixty or seventy feet. Time out of date the
national paomas have built their nests In these
trees and so the woods have an incalcuable popua-
tion of sweet singers. Chapultepec only ruin or
wild though magnificent one Is the h most s GoGspc
with castle built long ago by Viceroy Galvez but
not in the antique style. This hight overooks the
wonderful shadows and outlines of the mountain
eirdled Valley Of Mexico. From its rocky summit
Montezuma looked, perhaps upon his Aztec Venice,
and its canoecoSered lakes and canals and 1t Is GER
tam that the last Emperor of Mexico behed the more
modern with no less melancholy than felt his
ancient predecessor. 1t was darling idea of Maxi
milians to turn this old castle on the hill into
country seat worthy of the kings Of Europe but the
shallow empire wanted alike money and peace,
and nothing could be done save TO mend and some
what enlarge the work of Count Galvez, Here as
elsewhere, Macmillan and Carlotta expended liberal
sums in gardening, but the castle grounds do not
show so we'll for it the oweTy plots, terraces and





woods are wild and will persist in being Tank
and tarn and cypress cODsplre TO make solitude
more genial than many well-kept parks; and history
and romance must be added, also, with their mossy
traditions. In the now ruined tanks or basins OF
ChapultePec MOntezuma has bathed, and under It's
shade SLEPT royalty. One OF MaXlmllians most sue
cessfu appearances was among the people who
visited his woods freely and, doubtless, under the
historic Expresses. The suggestiveneSs of seating
modern Mexico at dinner under the vegetable shadow
of Montezuma himself need not be dwelt upon.
Here, even the hardest historian, even Robertson
himself might fancy din dinner party sitting sitting d9Tn TE
expresses of Montezuma deserve remark IN them
selves and if it were possible to discover the birth
day OF that ancient OF shade who was Sd when
with anniversary. 1t is not the least slgnlicant
of the associations of Chapultepec that true de
scendant of the ancient ABtecs not King, but a
President, was so highly hOnOred IN Montezuinas
pleasure grounds few days since.


About 500 gentlemen, including Congress IN .
honoTa bic TO him as and ruler that all parties
and interests sat in friendly accord at his under
the trees. There were many toasts, some good
speeches no orators at ALL and licensed overflow of
enthusiasm, such as one can only witness at MeXi.
can dinner after a revolution. The papers OF
worthy of the name, and the sensible
words of the President are likely TO pass
out OF memory. The feast is worth note only as an
indication of the esteem in which Mr.; Juarez is un-
doubtedy held by all classes OF the Liberal party.
He counts critics by the score and friends by the
hundred and at last friends and critics are somewhat
alike. Without hesitation it may be said that Mr.


uarez does indeed possess the respect and confidence
of that mass of Mexicans whose opinions are worth
reck oning in any moral calculation He make
noble of this confidence by training this nervous
people up i'll the lawful and constitutional way they
should 20. AS to his patience, Integrity OF
purpose. and common sense, they are admitted
even by his most nyeterate political Op-
pOnents and they, in fact constitute the historical
man. Yet Teoollectng that the three leaders OF the
opposition occupied distinguished places at the feast
1 Goubt very much whether President Juarez has
really any inveterate opponents among the Liberal
ranks So large history does the biography OF the
President dominate and cover. that all the leading
men of liberal Mexico have held place under HIM at
one time or other Thus, the leaders OF the opposi-
ton have been his cabinet officers. Few can praise
him with much effect as one OF these leaders, Mr.
Manuel de ZamacOna, who, recently chargngthe adj
ministratiOn with number OF measures OF doubt
ful policy, took occasion to recognize IN the Presl-
dent I" the Savior of his race" So far, so good.
The Presidents position and influence are great
balance in Mexican politics. and u IS Tor the good OF
the people that he and they should endeavor to main
tain these present advantages IN their integrity AS
long as this be done, his failures )f policy will
count very little history, and the ncontroyertible
facts of union and tranquility these be posi-
tivelV assured-will be applauded III the man. IL is
said that Mr.. Juarez work well with any Cabinet
of the Liberal party and considering the reputed III
stability of Mexican affairs, this does not argue
vice. but rather virtue. There is no Utopia TO be
written out of Mexcober elections, her justice, her
schools, her roadsthey all want repair ana, mean
while, the country must for its own epke be plod-
der; but the Republic has won to itshf few prac-
tica facts and the President is one of them.





of order and economy. Thus it has determined its
financial budget to the smallest CONSISTENT hgure
and doubtless in other matters will do well II II but
"dOes quickly" In speech just made the Minister
of the Treasury states that the rents OF the Govern
ment at present not sufficient TO pay the interest
upon the foreign debt, over and above the regular
expenses of the Government Consequently Congress
must set %self to the task OF supplying dehct OF
eight or nine millions supposing that the interest
upon the National debt is to be paid lntegraly This
interest is not at present imperative, and Congress
will have time to go far toward healing the breach
Reckoning the debt, the permanent budget OF the
country is about twenty-One Millions


Concerning the English packet lately implicated i'll
a wholesale attempt TO smuggle gold Congress has
INDUCED itself IN an afternoons Indignation One OF
its members went 50 Tar as to propose that BRUSH
Vessels should be prohibited from entering Mexican
ports particularly citing the outrages committed by
the British colonists of BaliZe in tomentng and aid
ing the chronic war of the Yucatan Indians against
Mexico This injudcious motion was speedily quieted
by statement of the Minister of RelatiOns-namey,
that the Government would assume no bearing
toward Great Britain not strictly in accordance with
good policy and good sense There is reason to COM
plain that the Balze British pernicious and that
the Vera Cruz British are smuggeTs, more or less ;
but these matters are not to be helped Just now
EXCEPT by police vigilance which the Mexlcans
must be- necessarily slow to put in practice,
Meanwhile foreigners who served the Empire, and
cannot prove very respectapio M ,t al ae
can citizen was mistakenly arrested, though ne has
since been released. These and other matters nave
In some way contributed to produce the iase impress
sOns that the Government of this country Is hostile
TO foreigners In general. TO hghten 1t, appears
statement In the Mexican papers credlled 70 an IN
formant of THE TRIBUNE, that President JuareZ Is
the inYeterate enemy Of Americans IN particular.
Suffice it to say that this IS not the fact ROD
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