Year: 1867

the United States Government cf unheard of atroe


tiles in Its conduct Of our recent war to persuad


the world In the interest Of monarchy that the peo


pie of Mexico are a nation of cst-throats and tha


the executions which were Venial in a prince ar


murdcrous when imposed by republican President


The fact s that Benito Juarez one Of the most en-
| ightened, magnanimous, and merciful men on earth


1t was not until March last that he retaliated th
barbarities Of Mazimilians decree; and then the,


were reluctantly instituted on tho principle that


cause which holds out beyond reasonable prospect


simply for the purpose Of dying with seIat is en-


titled to no quarters from those whose lives it un


necessarily destroys.


But Macmillan wrote his own death-1arrani


when he signed the iendish decree of Octobar Js6s
and he challenged its full execution on himself by
carrying warfare beyond the boundaries Of hope


However much his courage, or his attachment "a his
wife, may commend him 70 the imagination Of
young persons his presents not the least con-


slderation for the mercy Of his conquerors Even
at his death he N Se mock beduest of his pretaod
ed empire; and it tonld have been miserably weak
or the part of nation, whose every househsld has
been debsuched by his brutal foreign soldiery, and
whose every door-stone was black with the accnrou
lated blood of its buchesed youth il il had not ex
acted from the pirate chieftain the penalty which
was due to public justice. Instead Of being behind


the humanity Of the age in putting him to death
the Mexicans would have sunk below the attitude
of manhood had they spared him; and uarez and
his Cabinet would have been smiled at BY every
body as a government Of towards As it is, they
have vindcated their courage intelligence and for
ttnde, and taken republican position which, while
it confers reflected dignity upon the United States
consigns it to secondary attitude in diplomacy and
resolution. For these gnominious results we are
Indebted to the melancholy feebleness and pusil
lanimity Of Mr.. Seward and we believe it to be
the imperative duty of the sitting Congress to pass
such vote of eensuse on him. in the premises as
will oblige him to resign In advance of that pos
sbility however we think il also tc be the duty of
our Congress to come TO the support of Mexico al
once by resolutions congratnlatng her upon the tri
umph of her arms ever the combined cohorts of
monarchy and treason. The public sentiment Of
the United States requires at present scn1e guide
and protection against the insdious wes Of disloyal
and arstocratic writers. Moreover Mexico and
her people deserve such eongratulatory expression
at our hands, Never was there 8 more concerted,
laborious and atrocous plan Of defamation than the
writers of all foreign governments as well as of the
South and its cofreres have, for years, by common
consent launched against the civilization of Mexico
and the South American republics. By the same
concert and consent they have almost defed the
image of Maximilian, though he is the butcher of
Arteaga, Salazar, and the scores Of young Mexican
officers who fought for independence under the ban
ners of their country And it is therefore high time
that the lovers of liberty here should come to the
Of the truth and see that the masses of our





Our people should not only be taught this by some
of Congress, which would show them the
improperly Of mingling their tears with these for
egn governments (who weep enly because their pi-
oneer has faiedl, but the American mind should be
corrected Of the slanders which have so industri-
ously against the character Of Juarez and his
nation. In the fippant declaration that the Mexi-
can people are constantly passing from revolu-
tion to another is forgotten that these revolutions
are the incessant steps of progress and it should be
that government which, in the short
space of fifty years. has burst through all the super
stitions of the Church. and in spite of treacheries
and monarchia reapses has constantly kept its eyes
fixed upon the creed Of universal suffrage, freedom
Of religion, pre-eminence Of civil power, nationali
cation Of church property and freedom Of the press
is capable Of any reach of progress These princi-
Piles are irresistbly civilizing in themselves and
that American must be cold, indeed, who is not
touched with generous emotion at beholding the de-
voted men who have been the defenders Of these
principles victorious at last in the just punishment
IF Macmillan.