Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Congress, Part III
Señor Romero to Mr. Seward
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to transmit you a copy of a letter of the 5th of March last, from the city of Mexico, lately received in this country, giving an impartial account of recent events in that city. I also enclose an article, in English, from La Sombra, a paper published in the city of Mexico, showing, from data published in the interventionist papers, that there has been almost a battle between the Mexicans and French who are trying to conquer the country almost every day since the arrival of the usurper, Ferdinand Maximilian of Hapsburg, in Mexico.
Together with the above I send an extraordinary document, just published in the city of Mexico, showing that the usurper has made an agreement with the family of Augustin Iturbide that they shall leave Mexico forever, for pecuniary considerations; and that a son of Don Angel de Iturbide shall be separated from his parents, and Ferdinand Maximilian shall be his curator. All the efforts of the distressed mother to regain her child have hitherto been fruitless.
I embrace the occasion to renew to you, Mr. Secretary, the accurances of my most distinguished consideration.
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
[Untitled]
I have waited till the last hour, so as to give you the true situation of this empire and its future prospects.
I will be as brief as possible, but I will not confine myself to the doubts and conjectures in regard to the absolute and relative position of Maximilian, the French, and the Mexicans implicated in the intervention, for opinions were divided here as soon as Napoleon’s speech on the Mexican question was known. Some said the speech of the Crown, in regard to this country, was a repetition of the vague promises with which the Emperor had entertained his people, who were anxious for the return of the expeditionary army; while others interpreted its words to signify a speedy withdrawal. Some thought Maximilian would retire from the country with the baggage of the French army; others believed he would stay in Mexico, supported by the faction that put him into power, and virtually sustained by France, and [Page 144] both cited authorities to sustain their opinions. Some referred to the activity of the invading army, that seemed to be making no preparations to retire, but was daily receiving re-enforcements to fill vacancies in different corps; others noticed the concentration of the interventionists and the indiscretion of some chiefs, who said they were to return to France before long. As to Maximilian, what is said about his going or remaining is to depend on his visit to Cuernavaca, or his confidence in continuing the works at Chepultepec and Palacio, and the various preparations that are made for the industrial expedition which is to take place in a few months. The pendulum has not ceased to vibrate, but yesterday something happened to give a new phase to the empire created by intervention. It was said that Baron Saillard was sent here by Napoleon to make preparatory arrangements for the speedy withdrawal of the French troops from Mexico. He remained but a few days, and after his return to France certain events transpired here, inducing us to believe that such was his business here. Ever since Maximilian arrived in Mexico, the little rest that adulators at Chapultepec have given him, and the small time he has had to spare from the devotions of lent, very pompous at the palaee, he has employed in reorganizing the cabinet and in making many personal changes in his administration, denoting a formal change of policy. This change is hardly to be seen in the character of officials appointed, for in selecting them he has chosen men submissive to foreign policy. But that is not all, and here are echoes of indiscreet whispers from the palace: The French will leave sooner or later, but France will not give up the firm hold she has of Mexico at such a sacrifice. Maximilian will remain, protected by Napoleon and the great interventionist party that will be organized and armed before the French leave. It is evident the pure liberals will not easily assimilate with the empire. The seducing recruiting policy has shown this. It will then be necessary to face about until the refractory are conciliated. The policy of toleration yields no fruit; some other must be substituted. Maximilian must bring about a reaction more powerful than the one which sustained Santa Anna and Miramon, and he must have the moral support of France, and perhaps of all Europe. The tariff must be reformed, and his revenue schemes must be more strictly enforced. In fact, this policy has already been commenced by the following measures: A censor of the press has been appointed, with instructions to suppress the scandal caused by the liberal papers in discussing the present order of things. This office is given to Licenciado Hidalgo y Teran, an individual who made his fortune, as you know, under the patronage of Sagaceta, and nursed by the ecclesiastical court.
The independent press will receive some hard blows before this week is gone. The departments have been reduced to four; and when Ramirez, Peza, and Esteva go out, Salazar Ilarregui will come in as minister of government, and Somera as minister of the interior. Those going out will be paid with crosses or foreign missions. Escudero is watching his famous law of public administration, and Castillo, who stooped to be the agent of Napoleon, continues in the department of foreign relations. Other changes in the administration amount to nineteen up to this time. General Mendoza has resigned his place as political prefect of the valley of Mexico. To tell the truth, Maximilian makes these changes reluctantly, and only does so to oblige his patrons who forced him into the way; they now force him to quit. Maximilian has French agents in his household who are also partisans of this reaction. They try to frighten him with resolutions passed in the Congress of the United States, and Mr. Seward’s notes. Such are the facts. Now we must discover their origin and their importance. Does Napoleon really believe that the interventionist party can sustain the throne it has set up in Mexico? or is he only keeping it up till he can get his forces out of the country? If the reactionary elements be organized and supported by aid from France, can they prevent the restoration of national power? These are questions that you can answer, perhaps, better than we. As you are better acquainted with the acts of diplomacy you may be able to interpret Napoleon’s speech, and tell us whether the intervention will be sustained or not, openly or covertly, by European powers. Fortune continues adverse to intervention, and has lately increased the embarrassment of the empire by two very important events. Mr. Langlais, the financial savior of the empire, suddenly died. His great plans for collecting the revenue from the seaports had just begun to be put into operation. For all they say that Mr. Maintenon, the present secretary of the treasury, has carried out his predecessor’s plans, no one denies that his death is very embarrassing to the government. He had complete knowledge of affairs, and fall power to act in every emergency. His labor was to solve the question of resources, which you know is the critical question for intervention. In this particular things have come to such a pass that they say the confiscated property, not yet secured to the state, is to be made use of; and they say the desperate idea has been postponed from Maximilian’s repugnance to make use of it. The other event I alluded to is the defeat of Mendez, the imperial chief in Michoacan. The malcontents, so often scattered and annihilated, collected four thousand men, and made a stand in the plain of Uruapan. Mendez, the assassin of Arteaga and Salazar, tried to avoid battle, but was surrounded by two columns of cavalry, and, to save his life, had to leave his soldiers, his artillery, and even his baggage on the field. The moral effect of this occurrence was terrible in Mexico and in Morelia. All the forces remaining in Michoacan were concentrated in the latter city for fear of an attack, and the Mexican press, after a timid silence, published the news with the customary palliations. But as the imperialist chief permitted himself to get whipped just as the English packet was going out, it was necessary to invent a falsehood, and it was [Page 145] accordingly reported there had been no disaster; only a scare had been felt in Michoacan, and Mendez had gained a victory and taken many prisoners. Some of the papers, however, added that the victory had been purchased very dearly, the imperial forces were much weakened, and re-enforcements were immediately needed in Michoacan. Re-enforcements were actually sent, but Mendez was recalled on account of the untruthfulness of his reports to Marshal Bazaine. It seems he had captured three hundred patriots after his defeat, and called it a victory.
Recent news from New Leon and Coahuila say the insurrection is entirely suppressed in those States. The situation of the imperial troops in Tamaulipas is very critical. Tampico is in continual alarm. The small garrison of that port is acting on the defensive. The liberals are organizing and increasing under General Garza, who has his headquarters in Victoria.
Mazatlan is in a more desperate situation than Tampico. Coronas’s forces have lately been very near the town, contemplating an assault. The State of Tlascala is already within the insurrectionary zone. A force of three hundred men lately surprised the small garrison of the capital and took Ormachea, the military commander, prisoner. The alarm consequent upon this event reached Puebla, only seven leagues from Tlascala.
If the pacification of the country goes on in that manner, how long will it be before a few traitors and a handful of mercenary Austrians will be enough to defend the empire?
Secret treaty made between his majesty and the son of the liberator, D. Augustin Iturbide.
His majesty the emperor, wishing to honor the memory of the liberator, D. Augustin Iturbide, in consequence of the first right he had to the gratitude of the nation, and his sons desiring to further the noble object of his majesty, by the order of the emperor the minister of foreign affairs, M. F. Ramirez, and charged with the ministry of state, and Mr. Augustin, Mr. Angel, and Mr. Cosme, and Miss Josephine Iturbide, arranged together the following;
1. His majesty will give a high position to the two grandsons of the Emperor, D. Augustin y D. Salvador, as well as to his daughter, Doña Josephine Iturbide.
2. Their majesties will provide the means for the education of the grandsons of the Emperor Augustin, suited to their rank, as well as also their maintenance, and that of Doña Josephine Iturbide.
3. As a mark of special protection, his majesty wishes to constitute himself their tutor and guardian, and to name Doña Josephine co-tutrix.
4. D. Augustin, Angel, and Augustin Cosme Iturbide promise in their names, as well as in the name of Doña Sabina and their legitimate descendants, never to return to the empire without previous authorization from the sovereign or the regency.
5. The government of his majesty would pay from the treasury of the state to D. Augustin, Angel, Augustin Cosme, Doña Josephine, and Doña Sabina Iturbide, the sum of $30,000 down, and $120,000 in drafts on Paris, payable, $60,000 the 15th of December; of the present year, and $60,000 the 15th of February, 1866—making a total of $150,000 on account of what is due them by the nation.
6. The government assures and is responsible for the accounts of the family of the liberator, Iturbide.
7. The government of his majesty will give proper orders to secure all pensions to D. Augustin, Angel, Augustin Cosme, Doña Josephine, and Doña Sabina Iturbide, which they now enjoy. These pensions will be paid punctually and without discount at their place of residence, or the nearest place to it having commercial relations with Mexico.
8. The government of his majesty concedes to D. Augustin, Angel, Augustin Cosme, and Doña Sabina Iturbide an income of $6,000 to the first, $5,100 to the second—that income going to the wife of D. Angel in case of his death—and $1,524 to the two others. Orders will be given for the prompt payment of these sums, and in accordance with the preceding article fixing the pensions.
In faith of which the present treaty has been signed in duplicate at the imperial residence of Chapultepec, the 9th of September, 1865.
By order of his imperial majesty: