Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-ninth Congress
Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to remit you, for the information of the government of the United States, a copy of a communication addressed to me, the 22d of July last, by Mr. E. Coremaux, president of the Netherduitsche League, in Antwerp, enclosing an address of the said association, directed to the constitutional president of the Mexican republic, expressing, in the name of the Belgian people, the sympathy of that nation for the cause of liberty and independence in Mexico, and the regret at the conduct of King Leopold, for family reasons, in aiding the Emperor of the French in his endeavors to subjugate that republic.
[Page 554]I also enclose a copy of the above-mentioned address, together with my reply to Mr. Coremaux, of the 9th instant.
I am gratified for this opportunity of repeating to you, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
[Enclosure No. 1.]
Sir: Enclosed we beg to hand you an address to the president of the republic, the honorable B. Juarez, voted to him by one of the most influential political associations of this country.
Being aware how difficult it is, under the present circumstances, to transmit an address to the legal government of Mexico, we should feel happy if, by your kind intercession, our letter should come to the hands of your president.
We are, sir, your obedient servants,
Honorable Matias Romero, Ambassador of the Mexican Republic at Washington.
[Enclosure No. 2.]
The Netherlands League, a Flemish democratic association, counting its members by thousands, at its last general meeting, the 26th of May last, almost unanimously decided to address you, as the only legal representative of the Mexican nation, to congratulate you on your persevering resistance against a foreign usurper who is trying to rob the Mexicans of their liberty and independence; and at the same time this association protests against the impudent assent of the Belgian government to the recruiting of troops for the service of a foreign usurper, thus intervening in the domestic affairs of Mexico, in violation of all international law and of the laws of Mexico.
This address was about to be written, when a painful piece of news was received, causing anxiety, mourning, and unspeakable anguish in hundreds of families. It was, that your forces, Mexican soldiers, fighting for their independence, had gained a bloody victory over those that are endeavoring, by force of arms, to make an Emperor for Mexico out of an Austrian archduke. Those who perished so horribly in Tacambaro were mostly our countrymen. This association joined in the general mourning, and would probably have postponed acting upon the resolution but for the conduct of the Belgian government, which is contrary to the national will. We urgently desire that an energetic protest by us may convince you and the Mexican people that the people of Belgium take no part in these unjust proceedings, and are therefore free from all responsibility.
You know, Mr. President, that sixteen hundred Belgian young men left their country for Mexico. The way in which the Belgian government favored this expedition is no secret to you or to any one. The recruiting agents made believe everywhere that our young men were going solely to serve as a guard to the so-called empress of Mexico, daughter to the King of Belgium; and these men, thus deceived, continued to enlist, without reflecting that they were going to uphold principles of tyranny and oppression. But the whole Belgian nation, excepting a few interested individuals, condemns the proceedings in this affair. The people of Belgium are lovers of liberty, as zealous as any others, and the independence they want for themselves they desire for other nations. Belgians understand and admire the heroic resistance made by the Mexicans to the usurper, and they do not doubt but the country will finally be freed from foreign rale. Such also are the wishes of this association; for you know, Mr. President, that the few bewildered sons of this country among the Hapsburg forces is no reason, and never will be, for free Belgians to give up their sympathy for the good cause of which you are the worthy representative. However much our government, entirely influenced by France, may do, it will never persuade the people to favor the cause of a foreign usurper. The Belgian nation heard with sorrow the news of Tacambaro, and felt the greatest indignation and anger, not at Mexicans fighting for their independence, but against the really guilty who induced the enlistment of our youth, through deception. Let them bear the blame, and may the justice they deserve be meted out to them. This address of a democratic association, made to you in the name of thousands of free Belgians, is a proof that our people [Page 555] take no part in the preference of their government for the cause of a foreign usurper. Belgians will always follow the example of their ancestors, who ever devotedly loved liberty and hated foreign dominion.
In the name of the association, the Netherland League.
E. COEEMAUX, President.
WM. HAGENAER,
J. LECLERC, Secretaries.
Señor Juarez, President of the Mexican Republic.
True translation from the original.
JOS. REFSELS, Sworn Interpreter.
New York, August 21, 1865.
A true copy:
IGN’O MARISCAL, Secretary.
[Enclosure No. 3.]
Sir: I had the honor of receiving to-day, in this city, the communication you were pleased to direct to me in Washington, dated the 22d of July last, enclosing an address of the Netherlands League, a political association of Belgium, of which you are the worthy president, directed to Señor Don Benito Juarez, constitutional president of the Mexican republic, requesting me to forward it to its destination.
I have the honor of informing you, in answer, that the document will be sent to-morrow by safe channel to the city of Chihuahua, the present seat of the government of Mexico, and as soon as the acknowledgment of its reception reaches me I will transmit it to the association over which you preside.
Permit me to say that this spontaneous demonstration of a body that represents the true popular spirit in Belgium, as yours, cannot fail to be received in the most cordial manner by the government and people of Mexico, and will contribute greatly to maintain the amicable disposition of the government and people of Mexico towards the enlightened inhabitants of Belgium in spite of all that King Leopold has done to destroy the friendly feelings and change them into sentiments of open hostility.
I take this occasion to offer you the assurances of my distinguished consideration.
Mr. E. Coremaux, President of the Netherlands League, at Antwerp, in Belgium.
[Enclosure No. 4.]
Belgian sympathy for the Mexican republican cause.
An Antwerp paper of June 14 (Escaut) contains the proceedings of the Netherlands League (Het Nederduitsche Bond) at their recent meeting. The following we translate from the speech of Mynheer Vleeschouwer:
What have we in common with Mexico? Much, gentlemen. Not long ago Mexico was still a free and independent state, with, her own government and laws. We Belgians, a people equally independent and free, formed a treaty of friendship and commerce with Mexico. The Mexicans were then our allies, were our friends. But the Emperor of France cannot tolerate liberty or independence anywhere. Even beyond the ocean he endeavors to murder liberty. He sent an army to subjugate the free Mexican people. By force he has imposed an emperor, and the Mexicans are now bending under the yoke of a foreign tyranny.
And we, the sons of free Belgium, what shall we do while we contemplate the oppression of our allies and friends? Shall we raise the voice, protesting against the shameful violation of the law of nations? No, no; we do not. We are forbidden to do it because we are a neutral nation. Our neutrality is guaranteed to us by treaties. We must be faithful to our neutrality, that we may be respected by other nations. This is the reason why we have not protested. This is the reason why we could not protest. But we have done something else. We have not done something else. We have not done it ourselves: our government has done it by abusing our name. * * *
Belgium must make war on Mexico because our princess is married to the tyrant of Mexico. Frankly, what may such a policy lead us to? If the crowned heads should agree some day (the crowned heads are capable of everything) to make a kingdom in Switzerland, and wished to place our Count of Flanders on the new throne, should we not be obliged also to send an army to secure the submission of the Swiss to the Count of Flanders? And when the little princesses have grown up, the daughters of the Count of Flanders, and it is desired to convert them into queens and empresses of the regions now ultramarine republics, would it be necessary [Page 556] for us also, at the command of a foreign prince, to go and place them by force on their new thrones? Naturally, we could not act otherwise. There is a precedent which may always be appealed to against us. We have sent troops to Mexico to protect the daughter of Leopold I. Then you cannot appeal to your neutrality to refuse to send troops to protect the daughter of Leopold II. And you wonder, oh ye sublime statesmen, that the people murmur and feel no confidence in the future. Why do you not wonder more that the nation has had so much patience, and has not derogated all by means of the elections? Because everything in the state has become a lie. The representatives of the people no longer represent the people. They are only humble servants of a government composed of foreigners.
After other remarks in the same style, the speaker moved an address to President Juarez, which was adopted, expressing the strongest sympathy with the Mexican patriot cause, deep regret that the Belgian troops have been employed to oppose it and declaring that they were enlisted under false pretences only as a guard for the princess, now called empress.
The Mexican Club have passed a vote of thanks to the Netherlands “bond,” and addressed to them a very well-written letter, in which they say: “The Mexican people have always believed they had an ally and brother in the enlightened Belgian people, and they have been painfully surprised at seeing the Belgian flag united with the flags of France and Austria in an enterprise to destroy the republic, to erect upon its ruins a throne as abominable as that which in past time oppressed Mexico and Belgium; but they understand that the Belgian people are strangers to that crime; they know that it has been born of the weakness of a government which humbles itself before the tyrant of France.”