Mexico under Maximilian

Front matter

MEXICO UIDEG MAXIMILIAN BY HBNEY M. F.LUSIL Esq., AUTHOR OF " DRUID'S LETTERS," "LIFE OF SENATOR DOUGLAS," ETC. NATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA, FA. ; BOSTON, MASS. ; RICHMOND, VA. ; CINCINNATI, OHIO; CHICAGO, ILL.; ST. LOOTS, mo.; ATLANTA, GA. ; NEW ORLEANS. LA. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S67, by J. It. JONES, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, ill and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. DEDICATION. TO THE EM TRESS CARLOTTA, The recollection of whose unwearied labors and affectionate solicitude for their prosperity and happiness, will be forever cherished in the hearts of the Mexican people, This volume is Respectsulh/ dedicated by THE AUTHOR, PEEFAOE. The object of the author, in writing this book, is to remove if possible, to some extent, the prejudice which exists against the present government of Mexico.

This prejudice is based upon a misapprehension of the character of that government ; and upon the fact that very little is known, in the United States, of what Maxi milian has done for Mexico. If any intelligent citizen of the United States should go to that country, remain there for six months, make himself somewhat acquainted with the Mexican people, and see with his own eyes how much Maximilian has done for their happiness and prosperity, and, above all, compare Mexico under a monarchy with what it always has been under a republic, he would candidly admit that at last Mexico has found the government that is suited to her, and that will eventually fS)

Preface

. raise her to a respectable rank among the nations of the earth. The government of Maximilian is a limited constitutional monarchy; it is founded upon the choice of the Mexi can people ; and, in spite of the difficulties which it has had to contend with, and which environ it now, it has done more for the prosperity of Mexico ; more for the enlightenment and happi ness of the Mexican people, during the three years of its existence, than any republican government in Mexico ever did, in thirty, fort}-, or fifty, years. It is possible that this book may be unpopu lar. I do not write for popularity, however, but to set forth the truth. From the foundation of the republic up to the year 1861, independence of thought was considered creditable, and free dom of speech and of the press were regarded as the most precious birth-rights of an American citizen.

From the foundation of the republic up to the year 1861, the man who had not manliness of soul enough to think for himself, and courage enough to express his thoughts

PREFACE.

. 7 frankly, was despised. No character was more contemptible than one who slavishly copied the opinions of others, and had no opinions of his own. This is all changed now. We live under a new and "loyal" dispensation. In- 1861 and 1862, the edict went forth that men must stop thinking for themselves, and must stop express ing their thoughts. All men must think alike ; and they must think in a "loyal" manner. To believe that the war against the south was un necessary, and might have been avoided ; to believe that it would end in the destruction of the Union, and to express that belief, was " disloyal." To believe that the withholding of medicines from the sick in the south was cruel, and to express that belief, was " disloyal." To believe that the object of the war on the part of the north, was the subjugation and conquest of the Southern States and the permanent dis solution of the Union, and to express that belief, was "treason." To believe that Abra ham Lincoln was neither a saint nor a statesman,

PREFACE.

. and to express that belief, was to be a " traitor." In a word, every one was required to believe as the leaders of the radical Republican party be lieved, and to speak as they spoke. Whoever did not do so, was a marked man. It was thus that the ideas about the Mexican empire sprang up. Napoleon is helping the south. Napoleon is going to recognize the South ern Confederacy. Napoleon has established a monarchy in Mexico, to which he will annex Texas, and to this will be annexed, in time, all the Southern States. This was the first song ; and nobody was allowed to sing in a different tune. Then, again, Napoleon is helping the south. Napoleon is going to recognize the south. The throne of Maximilian is upheld by the presence of French troops, and a French army is to be permanently maintained in Mexico.

This was the next song. Every body's violin, flute, harp, sackbut, and dulcimer, must play the same notes, and smashed be the fiddle that will not. Then, again, well, at any rate, Napoleon desired to help the south,

PREFACE.

. 9 and wished to recognize the Southern Confeder acy. The establishment of a monarchy in Mexico was a part of the rebellion. We crushed the one ; now we must crush the other. This is the present radical song, which they have been singing ever since the close of the war. It is founded upon the same wise principles of statesmanship as the bill of Mr. Thad deus Stevens for changing the ten Southern States into five Military Departments. That this book has many imperfections, I am well aware. The materials, accessible for the work, have not been abundant ; nor have I en joyed the opportunity of devoting to it that continuous and uninterrupted labor without which no literary work can be free from faults. I commend it, however, to an indulgent public, with the sincere hope that it may dispel many of the delusions that have prevailed in relation to the Mexican empire. H. M. F. Washington, Feb. 22, 1867. CONTENTS. — -•► —

Chapter I

Mexico before the conquest— Mexico at the time of Cortez — Historical sketch of Mexico during the last forty years — A constant scene of anarchy and confusion — Deplorable condition of the country, and of the people, at the time of the French Intervention — Self-government in Mexico impossible, and why — Geographical sketch of modern Mexico — Vast extent of the country — How the French intervention might have been prevented by the United States — Mr. McLane's treaty — Why it was not ratified

Chapter II

How the Mexican Empire came to be Established — Origin of the French Intervention — The United States had "Conquered and Divided" Mexico, and then Left it to its Fate — Touching Appeal of the Gentlemen of Mexico to the United States Government — Its Rejection— They Appeal, as a Last Resort, to the Emperor Napoleon — Landing of the French Army at Vera Cruz — Military Operations — Capture of Puebla — The French Army Enters the City of Mexico — The Emperor's Instructions to General Forey — Contrast between our Treatment of Mexico in 1847, and the Treatment of Mexico by Napoleon — Convocation of the Assembly of Notables — Their Address to the Mexican Nation — General Forey Returns to France — He is Succeeded by General Bazaine... (ID CONTENTS.

Chapter III

The Emperor's Instructions to General Bazaine— Proceedings of the Assembly of Notables — They Determine upon a Limited Monarchy, and Offer the Crown of Mexioo to Prince Maximilian — A Deputation of the Notables Proceeds to Europe — Offer of the Crown to Maximilian — Remarkable Reply of Prince Maximilian to the Offer of the Crown — The Conditions upon which he Bases his Consent — Approval of these Conditions by the Emperor Napoleon 49

Chapter IV

The Mexican People Vote upon a Change in the Government — Popular Ratification of the Aotion of the Notables — The Mexican People Pronounce in Favor of Maximilian for Emperor — Manner in which this Eleotion was Conducted — Its Perfect Freedom — Every Mexican Voted — This Election in Mexico Compared with the Eleotions in Maryland for Three Tears past — Two-thirds of the Voters of Maryland Disfranchised — Superior Freedom of the Mexioan Election 66

Chapter V

Maximilian's Second Condition also Complied with — The Stability of the Mexioan Empire Guaranteed by France, Austria, and Belgium — A Deputation of Mexicans Arrive at Miramar — Maximilian Accepts the Mexican Crown — Embarkation of Maximilian for Mexico — The Voyage across the Atlantic — Arrival at Vera Cruz — Reception there — Proclamation of Maximilian on Landing — Arrival at the City of Mexico — Reception there — Rejoicings of the People — Festivities and Illuminations — Immensity of the Task which Maximilian found before him — Measures which he Adopted to Secure the Prosperity and Happiness of the People — Good Effect of these Measures — Revival of Commerce, and of all Branches of Business — Effect of the Encouragement of Industry — Gradual Increase in the Revenues of Mexico CONTENTS. 13

Chapter VI

Causes of the Success of Maximilian's Government — Severe Measures Adopted against the Guerillas — Good Effect of these Measures — The Authority of the Empire Gradually Extended over the Whole of Mexico — Republican Mexican Soldiers join the Army of Maximilian — Their Reasons for doing so — Construction of Railroads, and Other Works of Internal Improvement — The New Coinage — The Finances — Encouragement Afforded to Education by Maximilian — Encouragement Extended to Literature — Freedom of Religion in Mexico — The Administration of Justice — Publication of the Mexican Laws — Admirable Features of the Mexican Code — The Empress Carlotta — Her Visit to Yucatan 104

Chapter VII

Arms and Ammunition Shipped to the Mexican Liberals from New York — The Steamer Everman — Attempts of the Radicals in Congress to Loan Thirty Millions of Government Funds to Juarez — Measures Taken by Maximilian to Supply the Place of the French Troops — The Emperor Anticipates Intervention by the United States in Favor of Juarez — Mission of the Empress Carlotta to Europe — Sickness of the Empress — Embarrassing Situation of Affairs in Mexico — Outrages of the Mexican Liberals — Sickness of the Emperor — He Retires to Orizaba — The Sherman and Campbell Mission to Mexico — Mr. Campbell's Instructions — Utter Failure of the Mission — Results of the Mission — It Demonstrated the Attachment of the Mexican People to Maximilian — The Question of Abdication Presented to Maximilian — He Refuses to Abdicate — Generous Conduct of the Clergy and Merchants — Encouraging Prospects of the Empire 128

Chapter VIII

Policy of the United States toward Mexico — Question before the "Lincoln Administration": "Shall we Save the Mexican Republic ?" — Consequences to the North of Interference in Opposition CONTENTS. to Napoleon— Object of the American Civil War— Interference with the Emperor Napoleon would Defeat that Object— Critical Condition of the North in 1862— Consequences to the North if the Emperor Napoleon should Recognize the South — The United States Determine to Maintain a Neutral Policy— The United States Government Acknowledges the Right of France to make War on the Mexican Republic, and to Secure the Fruits of Victory 154

Chapter IX

Policy of President Johnson's Administration toward Mexico — His Message in December, 1865 — Our Policy to be Based upon the Principle of Non-intervention — We must Finally Reoognize the Government de Facto — Why Mr. Logan was Appointed Minister to Mexico — Why he Refused the Appointment; — Why Mr. Campbell was Appointed — Why Mr. Campbell is Not Permitted to go to Mexico — No Constitutional Republican Government in Mexico in Existence — Juarez a Usurper 163

Chapter X

What is the Monroe Doctrine? — Is it a Constitutional Enactment? — Is it an Irrepealable Law ? — Absurdity of the Doctrine — It has no Binding Force — Why it ought to be Repudiated 183

Chapter XI

Policy of the Emperor Napoleon toward Mexico — Objects of the French Expedition — The Emperor Never Intended the French Troops to Remain Long in Mexico — The Arrangements for the Withdrawal of the French Troops were not made until the Stability of the Empire was Secured — Detailed Exposition, by the French Government, of the Objects and Purposes of the Emperor Napoleon — Principles upon which the Mexican Empire was Established— Why it is Supported by Napoleon— The Negotiations between France and the United States for the Withdrawal of the French Troops — France Desires a Guarantee of Neutrality on the Part of the United States— Mr. Seward Gives the Guarantee of Neutrality CONTENTS. 15

Appendix

. I. Treaty between the Emperor of France and the Emperor of Mexico, April 10th, 1864, regulating the conditions of the stay of the French troops in Mexico 219 II. The French Government to the French Minister at Washington, August 17th, 1865 223 III. Mr. Seward to the French Minister at Washington, February 12th, 1866, in reply to the dispatch of the French Government of January 9th, 1866. See ante, page 210 228 IV. The French Government to the French Minister at Washington, April 5th, 1866, accepting as satisfactory Mr. Seward's assurance of absolute neutrality on the part of the United States, made in his dispatch of February 12th, 1866, and fixing the time for the departure of the French troops from Mexico 252 V. The celebrated Cable Dispatch of Mr. Seward, November 23d, 1866, which the French Government refused to receive

Chapter I

Mexico before the conquest — Mexico at the time of Cortez — Historical sketch of Mexico during the last forty years — A constant scene of anarchy and confusion— Deplorable condition of the country, and of the people, at the time of the French Intervention — Self-government in Mexico impossible, and why — Geographical sketch of modern Mexico — Vast extent of the country — How the French intervention might have been prevented by the United States — Mr. McLane's treaty — Why it was not ratified. "When Cortez landed in Mexico, a hundred years before the Puritans jumped ashore at Plymouth Rock, he found a people with an established government, skilled in useful arts, contented, hospitable, and cour teous. They had no written literature, and conse quently no written history. But in their sculpture, their mounds, their monuments, and their vast pyra mids, were found recorded the annals of a former empire of barbaric and extravagant splendor.

Even at this time, the Spaniards found around them in abundance, gold, silver, precious stones, woollen and cotton cloth, dyes of the most gorgeous purple 2 and scarlet hues ; and their avarice^ soon tempted them to deeds of treachery, rapacity, and blood. The system of merciless oppression, extortion, and fraud, which then commenced, continued for three hundred years. Cortez, however, transplanted to Mexico a Spanish civilization, which, gradually spreading over the whole land, has endured to the present time. " Under this Spanish regime, princely cities grew with amazing rapidity, with royal mansions, and richly substantial abodes. Cathedrals and convents — vast, massive, everlasting — endowed and adorned with unmeasured wealth, impressed and awed every neighborhood. 'Haciendas' the homes of country gentlemen, controlling the labor of thousands of 'peons,'1 at a mere nominal expense, dotted the land at wide distances from each other, with castle piles to defy attacks of robbers, of armies, or of time.

Roads and bridges, arches, culverts, aqueducts and viaducts were built, master-pieces of skill aud strength which still exist to attract the admiration and amazement of future ages. Argosies of silver, gold, ornamental woods, dyes, and drugs, floated oft' to old Spain. All the surface of the country was parcelled i out, by royal grant, to favorites of fortune and the Crown. "While one class surrendered themselves to aggrandizement, to high living, culture, politeness, elegance, and vice; the other was degraded into uncared-for pieces of machinery, of muscle, and bone. The whole country regarded but as ' the mine and mint' of Spain, its agriculture was not only neglected, but positively repressed by declaring titheable its natural luxuriant productions ; treated as a colony of vassals, these were not allowed to be devoted to any of those branches of industry that foster the independent and manly growth of a people, but solely to those that would crush out whatever there might be of native aspiration ; all ground down into one intense work of digging, separating, and coining silver and gold ; and with the colonization of other peoples prevented, the exclusive Spaniards grafted themselves upon the conquered and debased aborigines, and the mongrel blood, with the haughti ness of the one side, and the indifference of the other glided into the life of the robber-guerilla, with the effect of perpetuating the exclusion of other races and the non-production of the country.

" Such is a brief history and outlined picture of Mexico from ' the conquest' down to the ' Indepen dence' of 1821 ; such the unpromising elements for the foundation of an independent political society !"* It would weary the reader without profit, to recount the incessant revolutions since 1821. In the space of forty-two years, down to 1863, Mexico * Dr. Massey's lecture on Mexico. MEXICO JNDER MAXIMILIAN. was blessed, (or cursed) with thirty different forms of government, and with seventy-five different Presi dents, Dictators, and other rulers. First, however, Iturbide was proclaimed and crowned Emperor : and the empire of Mexico was formally recognized by President Monroe. Victoria the first President, was succeeded by Pedraza, " who was declared successful by a majority of only two votes over his competitor, Guerrero.

Before Pedraza had taken his seat, he was 'pronounced' against by the defeated candidate, who in the course of the year, was successful, and Guerrero was 'declared' legally elected, with Bustamente for Vice-President. Guerrero had scarcely been installed when the Vice-President 'pronounced;' and Guerrero was overthrown, fled, caught, and executed for treason, and Bustamente installed as President! But very brief tranquillity followed, and Santa Anna 'pronounced' against Bustamente and in favor of Pedraza, whom he had been instrumental in driving out only two years before ! Bustamente abdicated, and Pedraza was brought back to serve out the remaining three months of the term for which he had been declared first elected, in order that, upon the expiration of that brief period, Santa Anna might thus, dexterously, become his successor.

This accomplished, in order to pay back a very natural grudge, when Santa Anna had gone up after the Texans, Bustamente took the opportunity again to usurp power. "But it would be a waste of time to even sketch any more of these usurpations and overthrows, distinguished from each other scarcely by the respective pretences or plans of execution. At one time the 'Leperos,' the extreme of the degraded of that .population, after sacking the capital and perpetrating every enormity and outrage, became 'the ruling class ;' and Alvarez, with five thousand ' Pintos' — the Indians of the State of Guerrero, whose skins are spotted and eyes white with an hereditary leprosy peculiar to their mountains — in rags and filth, captured the city of Mexico, and 'declared' their chief President. Alvarez served less than three months, when, wearied of so much civilization, he voluntarily and arbitrarily turned over the government to Comonfort, and betook himself to his own kind, in their own mountain passes, where he still reigns !

" The ease with which the supreme authority could be destroyed or overthrown ; the absurd facility with which constitutions and so-called constitutional elections could be created or set aside by any bold and darinp; chieftain, had been established in the first months of ' independent' existence ; and experience has shown how many there were to take advantage of the example. " The part played by the condition of ' the Public Treasury' can have no stronger illustration than in the fact that Herrera, fortifying his exchequer with the United States gold which bought the ' peace' of 1818, held on to the Presidency for the whole term for which he had been selected — the only example in history since the first Presidency."* Up to the year 1836, the territorial extent of Mexico was twice as great as at present.

It included Texas and California, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. At the end of the Texan revolution, in 1836, and when Texas became finalty separated from Mexico in 1837, the limits of that state were not accurately ascertained, and the question remained in dispute uritil the annexation of Texas to the United States in 1S15. The annexation was followed by the war with Mexico in 1816 and 1847. In 1818, when peace was made, we had "acquired" a generous slice of Mexico, including what is now California, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Shorn of these States and of Texas, Mexico still re mained, however, a country of vast extent. It stretches now through sixteen degrees of latitude, from the sixteenth to the thirty-second, or as far as from Portland in Maine, to New Orleans ; and without counting Yucatan at all, through twenty -five degrees of longitude, from the fourteenth to the * Dr. Massey's lecture on Mexico. fortieth degree of west longitude, or many miles further than from Boston to St. Louis.

From the north-west corner of Mexico to the city of Chiapas, south of the Gulf of Campeachy, the distance is one thousand nine hundred miles, while from Portland in Maine . to Galveston in Texas, it is only one thousand seven hundred. From El Paso to the city of Mexico the distance is one thousand miles ; as far as from St. Louis to Hartford in Connecticut, or from Baltimore to New Orleans. The territory of Mexico contains seven hundred and ninety three thousand square miles, or more than the following twenty-four states in our own country, namely : Virginia contains 61,300 sq. miles. Florida " 59,200 " Georgia " 58,000" Michigan " 56,200 " Alabama " 50,700 " Mississippi " 47,100 " Wisconsin " 53,900" New York " 46,000 " Pennsylvania " 46,000 " Tennessee " 45,600 " North Carolina " 45,000" Ohio " 39,900 " Kentucky " 37,700" Indiana " 33,700" " Maine contains 30,000 sq. miles South Carolina " 24,500" Maryland " 9,300 " New Jersey " 8,300" New Hampshire and Vermont.

" 18,200" Massachusetts and Connecticut " 12,400" " Delaware and Rhode Island ... " 3,300 " 786,400 sq. miles. Total The above States all lie together, and it will be well to give a look at them on the map. They comprise the whole of that part of the territory of the United States which lies east of the Mississippi river. Let us glance now, at the extent of the twenty-eight Mexican States, as follows : — STATES, CAPITALS, AND POPULATION OF MEXICO. Mexico is divided into twenty-two States, six Terri tories, and a Federal District* * The Constitution of 1857, made in this political division of Mexico the following alterations : Title II. — Section 2. Art. 43. The Mexican confedera tion is composed of twenty-four States and one Territory, the names of which are as follows : Aguascalientes, Colima, Chiapa, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Nuevo Leon and Cohahuila, Oajaca, Puebla, Quer etaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, the Valley of Mexico, Vera Cruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas, and the Territory of Lower California.

Art. 44. The States of Aguascalientes, Chiapa, Chihuahua, Superficial or Population States. square miles. in 1S0S. Capitals. Inhabitants. Aguascalientes.... 2,739 88,329 Aguascalientes 39,693 Chiapa 13,679 167,472 San Cristobal 7,649 Chihuahua 83,512 164,073 Chihuahua 12,069 Cohahuila 36,572 67,590 Saltillo 19,898 Durango 48,489 144,331 Durango 22,000 Guanajuato 11,396 729,103 Guanajuato 48,954 Guerrero 32,003 279,109 Tixtla 6,501 Jalisco 48,591 804,058 Guadalajara 68,000 Mexico 19,539 1,129,629 Toluca 12,000 Michoacan 22,993 554,5S5 Morelia 25,000 Nuevo Leon 16.6S8 145,779 Monterey 17,309 Oajaca 23,642 525,938 Oajaca 25,000 Puebla 8,879 658,609 Puebla 71,631 Queretaro 1,884 165,155 Queretaro 29,702 Sau Luis Potosi ... 28,142 397,189 San Luis Pfctosi 19,678 Sinaloa 33,722 163,714 Caliacan 9,647 Sonora 100,228 139,374 Ures 6,009 Durango, Guerrero, Mexico, Puebla, Queretaro, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and the Territory of Lower California, retain the boundaries which they have had hitherto (1857.)

Art. 45. The States of Colima and of Tlaxcala retain, being erected into States, boundaries which they had when they were only Territories of the confederacy. Art. 46. The State of the Valley of Mexico comprises the territory which has, until now, (1857,) formed the federal district ; but it will only take rank as a State when the federal government shall have been removed to some other place. Art. 47. The State of Nuevo Leon and Cohahuila, comprises the former Territory of Nuevo Leon and Cohahuila, unless the hacienda of Bonanza shall be re-incorporated into the State of Zacatecas. The other States, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Vera Cruz, and San Luis Potosi, make some exchanges of towns to rectify their frontier lines. Superficial or Population States. Square rrriles. in 1858. Capitals. Inhabrtants.

Tabasco 12,359 70,628 San Juan Bautista. 5,300 Tamaulipas 30,344 109,673 Victoria 4,621 Ver'aCruz 27,415 349,125 VeraCruz 9,647 Yucatan 48,869 668,623 Merida 23,575 Zacatecas 27,768 296,789 Zacatecas 15,427 Territories. Lower California.. 60,662 12,000 La Paz 1,254 Colima 3,019 62,109 Colima 31,774 Isla de Carman.... 7,298 11,807 V. del Carmen 3,068 Sierra Gorda 3,127 55,358 San Luis de la Paz. 4,411 Tehuantepec 12,526 '82,395 Minatitlan 339 Tlaxcala 1,984 90,158 Tlaxcala 3,463 Uis'rict. Federal District... 90 260,534 City of Mexico 205,000 Total 793,179 8,400,236 The population has increased since 1793 at the following rate Years. Population. Tears. Population. 1793 5,273,029 1839 7,065,000 1803 5,873,100 1842 7,015,509 1808 6,500,000 1851 7,867,520 1824 6,500,000 1854 7,853,395 1S30 7,996,000 1858 8,287,413 The population is composed of about one million white, descendants of Europeans, four million Indians, six thousand blacks, and three million four hundred thousand metis (part white and part Indian) or mulat toes (part white and part black.)

The foreigners, to the number of nine thousand two hundred and thirty-four in 1838, are classed as follows : Spaniards, five thous and one hundred and forty-one ; French, two thousand and forty-eight; English, six hundred and fifteen; Germans, six hundard and eighty-one ; Americans, four hundred and forty-four ; miscellaneous, four hun dred and five. In 1856, the Mexican people rose against Santa Anna, and made M. Comonfort President. Quarrels between the "republican" chiefs, however, immediately ensued. Sixteen days after he had been in augurated, Comonfort felt it necessary to arrest Benito Juarez, in order to prevent the latter from seizing the supreme power. On the 11th of January, 1858, how ever, the latter was released. He immediately set up the standard of revolt, and on the 22d of the same month, he overthrew the administration of Comonfort, and proclaimed himself President of Mexico.

In 1860, the Governments of England, France, and Spain made a simultaneous demand upon Mexico, for the settlement of certain claims of long standing due to the citizens of those countries. The Mexican treasury, of course, was empty as usual. Juarez could not pay these claims, which amounted to forty million dollars. The three nations had anticipated this inability. They sent a combined fleet and an allied army, and this allied force appeared off Vera Cruz in December, 1861. This was the commencement of the French intervention in Mexico. Before this, however, certain American statesmen had endeavored to make two treaties with Mexico, The first was negotiated by Mr. McLane, in Mr. Buchanan's administration, in 1860. That treaty would have been vastly advantageous '.o us in a commercial point of view, and would, in all orobability, have prevented the subsequent intervention by England and France, and the present estab lishment of the Mexican Empire.

By this treaty the Mexican Government granted the right of way for railroad purposes, through the States of Sonora and Chihuahua, with a protectorate over the same ; in consideration of which the United States agreed to loan Juarez four millions of dollars. What would have been the result of the ratification of this treaty ? In the first place, it would have firmly established the constitutional republican government of Mexico, under President Juarez. It would have enabled the latter to have paid off the foreign debts of Mexico, thus taking away all pretence for subsequent French interference ; and, finally, it would have enabled the Mexican people to demonstrate whether or n,ot they were capable of living under a Republican Government. Besides that, it would have given us an opportunity, and the means of building a Southern Pacific Railroad, running through Texas, with its western terminus at the seaport of Guaymas.

Suppose the four million dollars had never been re paid, what then ? We would have a protectorate over the whole of the two northern States of Mexico. They would already be in our possession, and they would, ultimately, have been ceded to the United States. WHY WAS THE TREATY NOT RATIFIED. That treaty, however, failed to receive the ratification of the Senate. It is true that this treaty pledged the United States to uphold the Monroe doctrine (as it was then understood, and as it has been until now understood) in Mexico. AVas that the reason why it was not ratified ? Whatever the reason was, the re fusal of the Senate to ratify this treaty, prepared the way for the downfall of the Mexican Republic, and opened the way for the establishment of the empire. Mr. Buchanan, under whose administration this treaty was negotiated, thus speaks of it : — '• The President having sailed in obtaining authority from Congress to employ a military force in Mexico, as a last resort adopted the policy of concluding a treaty with the Constitutional Government.

By this means he thought something might be accomplished, both to satisfy the long-deferred claims of American citizens, and to prevent foreign interference with the internal Gov ernment of Mexico. Accordingly, Mr. McLane, on the 14th day of December, 1859, signed a 'treaty of transit and commerce' with the Mexican Republic, and also a ' convention to enforce treat}' stipulations, and to maintain order and security in the territory of the republics os Mexico and the United States.' These treaties se cured peculiar and highly valuable advantages to our trade and commerce, especially in articles the produc tion of our agriculture and manufactures. They also guaranteed to us the secure possession of the Tehuante pec route, and of several other transit routes for our commerce, free from dut}', across the territories of the republic, on its way to California and our other posses sions on the northwest coast, as well as to the inde pendent republics on the Pacific coast and in eastern Asia.