Letter from President Juarez.
My Dear Sir: I have received your favor of the 12th of October, in which you acknowledge receipt of mine of 17th of August. You will soon receive, if it is not already in your hands, the one I sent you in November, announcing the withdrawal of the French from Chihuahua and other points on this frontier, and my departure for the capital of this State, where I arrived on the 20th of that month. A few days afterwards, however, and without our being able, up to the present time, to learn the object of so many marches and counter-marches, the enemy again commenced a new expedition to reoccupy Chihuahua, which took place on the 11th. On the 9th I left there, and on the 18th arrived here without incident. By these movements the enemy has in no way improved his situation; he is only consuming his last resources and demoralizing his forces. With the attitude that the government of the United States has lately assumed, Maximilian has now not the slightest probability of cementing his so-called throne. He must see very clearly that even should he arrive at the complete conquest of the country, occupying with his forces, even to the utmost limits of the republic, and destroying the national government, which, however, will never take place, the United States will never permit him to consolidate his power, and his sacrifices and his victories will have counted for nothing. This certain result is already in the conviction of all. It has augmented the increasing discouragement of our opponents, and has reanimated [Page 46] the public spirit on our side to such an extent that, in my judgment, without the necessity of the United States taking any direct part in our war, we shall ourselves alone be able to obtain the definitive triumph of the cause of the national independence. Such is my desire, and to such result all my efforts are directed. Although Napoleon, from his pride and the habitual depreciation with which he has treated us, may not be ready to propose terms, yet the time is soon coming when he will be glad to accept those we proposed before the war. For ourselves, we will neither propose nor accept anything, absolutely nothing, which, in the slightest degree, can imply any recognition of the intervention, or that may be contrary to the honor and dignity of the country. Have but a little patience, and the time will soon come when you can return to our country, free at last from all its oppressors.
Truly, your friend,