Year: 1866

Speech Of The Emperor daXimiIzR
| A dspatat,oa waited on the Emperoi
on the 10th Of January to otter seutI'
ments Of coincidence On the death 0
his fatheT-inIsF, the late King Of Bel
gum The Emperor replied as fol
lows:


GEEILENES thank you for IhS
sympathy you have manifested ia ths
grief Of the Empress and myself for tie
trouble that hiss befsllen Us. In such
a misfortune there is much TO console
us ia the remembrance of the great and
noble examples that have been left Us
az sn heritage BY the late King Of Bel
GUM.


lie, ike ourselves, in accepting the
throne that people offered him, found
q nation to constitute and a govern.
ment 70 found Thanks to the disin.
| teFested Intervention Of France, be was
enabled 10 make peace succeed to war,
and devoted himself without intermis
sion 10 institute valuable interior re
forms He promised liberty TO his peO-
pie, and during a long period of thirty
five years he fulfilled his word. 1t
promised the country security and tran
quilhty, and he gave them both to it.
consolidating also its independence
He did more-he elevated it to dis
tinguished rank among the States of
Europe, and even made it one of the
first in commercial Importance and
freedom of thought, leaving its escutch-
con and noble flag withouta stain.


We shall endeaVor to profit by this
great example by which God has shown
US that His Providence never forsakes
Just and honorable monarchs in their
noble enterprises. His daughter, the
Empress, has Just returned from toll
some Journey into distant lands in q
dangerous climate, with no other safe
guard than the love of the people; ev-
erywhero she has met with q frank
and cordial reception that has shown
over again the sympathy that exists
between the nation and ourselves
when the discontented were pleased
to say that my august consort would
only meet with indiference-when ca
lumniators dared pretend that she
would forget her duty and return 10
Europe. On this occasion am happy
70 express particularly my deep graft
tude to heroic Vera Cruz and beautiful
Yucatan, who have received the En-.
press with an affection that will ever
remain engraved on my heart


AS to myself, gentlemen, you have
been witnesses Of my labors. Leaving
aside the vain theories which lead to
anarchy, I have oonsecrated my time
to the direction of the public admins
tration, to the development of the ele-
ments Of the wealth and prosperity of
the country, and to the solution Of the
great questions which interest it the
most


In this arduous task / have been
Obliged to encounter the impatience of
some and the backWaTdness of others;
for wounds opened by fifty years of
civil war are not healed in day; but
strong in faith, 1 60 straight 10 my
end with indefatigable perseverance.
My strength may fail; my will, never.


Ny object Is not to change the dem
ocratic customs Of the nation, because
l am convinced that they elevate the
mind Of tke citiyen in inspiring him
with the consciousness of his dignity
and value. ] have respected the hber-
ty of the press when it has not degen-
Grated into Hcence, at the same time thst
l have made the authority of the land
respected. He must be blind indeed
that does not see that a strong author
ity is the last anchor of safety for our
country. You have seen my calmness
in the midst of oalumnies that have
been pointed against US by foreigners.
Forward, gentlemen, the calumnies
will pass, but our works Will remain.
Strong in the support Of my conscience
and the purity Of my intentions, 1
contemplate the future with trsnql
| ity. MEXICO has put her honor in my
hands. Let her know that her honor
is secure.


EFFECT or THE sPEECH.


The official Journal has the following
remarks on the speech,


at is impossible TO describe the mag
ical effect produced upon sll present
by the grave and significant words of
| the Emperor. When We remember
the great example that the august
father Of our sovereign gave during his
| life, 70 the noble and generous pro- iects
that their Maiesties cherish for the
Happiness Of Mexico, the Imperial dis
course could not fail to inspire in all
those who had the happiness TO hear it
the purest and noblest love for the SOW
ereign and the country.


The ceremony put the seal to the au-
gust and melancholy gravity suitable
to the mburnful event that it recalls.


The Emperor wore his Generals uni
form. so remarkable for its simplicity.
I III. - vravsa ,,uavaA nth v.a