Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Fortieth Congress
Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward
My Dear Mr. Seward: I send you a copy of the Imparcialidad, of Vera Cruz, of the 9th instant, in which is published the action of the junta which, on the 3d instant, the principal officers of the garrison held at that place, on occasion of the arrival in the steamer Virginia of Don Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.
From this document it appears that Mr. Santa Anna stated that he was going to Mexico under the protection of the United States, and had with him North American soldiers and abundant supplies of munitions of war.
The proposals made by Mr. Santa Anna for the purpose of inciting another rebellion in Mexico, which would inaugurate a fresh civil war, having been taken into consideration, the junta resolved unanimously to reject them, notwithstanding all the persons who composed it are Mexicans who have gone astray and had joined the army invading the country, and are still striving to sustain an order of things which no longer has existence in Mexico.
The importance of this document has decided me to send it to you without delay. I also enclose a translation of it.
I am your very respectful and obedient servant,
Hon. F. W. Seward, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Acts or minutes of the council of war at Vera Cruz on Santa Anna’s proposals.
At the invitation of his excellency the imperial commissary the following persons having met in the city hall of the heroic city of Vera Cruz, at 10 o’clock p. m. of June 3, 1867, viz: the civil prefect of the department, the generals, officers of the line, corps commanders, and the general of artillery, Don Santiago Cuevas, a junta was formed, and Lieutenant Colonel Don Angel J. Arzamendi, of the municipal guard, chosen secretary.
The imperial commissary stated that the object of the meeting was to learn the opinion of the officers present on certain grave events. * * * General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, now in this harbor, had addressed him a letter inviting him to be present at a conference on board the steamer Virginia, which he accepted, and went aboard of said vessel in company with the general-in-chief, Don Antonio Taboada. According to information which he had, the capture of Queretaro was a fact, and that the city of Mexico would probably soon be captured by Don Porfirio Diaz. The idea put forth by said General Santa Anna was to set up the republic in place of the empire, and he (the commissary) wished to know if the officers present were willing to consent to such a change, and if so, to resign their positions, as it was not possible for him, as imperial commissary, to sanction an act contrary to his announced principles.
General Antonio Taboada said that, besides what his excellency the imperial commissary had just announced, it became necessary to inform the officers of the garrison of the different phases now presented by the general situation of the country, and especially the position of this place, (Vera Cruz,) whose destiny was confided to their loyalty and patriotism; that his duty as a soldier of the empire—his sacred obligation—was to defend the imperial government even to the shedding of the last drop of his blood; and that he would never consent to sign any kind of agreement with an enemy of the empire; that he was sure all his worthy companions and subalterns thought and would act as he did, and would not shrink before any opposition. Nevertheless, they considered it a duty to inform the valiant defenders of the place of the necessity there was for the two leading authorities to conciliate the interests ,of humanity as well as the exigencies of a hostile population who had borne a siege of nearly three months, accompanied by a scarcity of resources, isolation from the rest of the country, complete ignorance of the real state of affairs in the interior, and a heterogeneous mass of elements on which reliance was placed for a prolongation of the struggle. It was necessary to take into account the fact that the foreigners in the service of the empire were not accustomed to the heroic sacrifices and the sufferings incident to our difficult position, and he believed they would not have the same patriotic stimulus to keep their self-sacrifice up to the level of that shown by our tried Mexican soldiers in resisting hunger, misery, and all kinds of privations. Should the moment come when their money would give out and they should have no means to pay the garrison, it might become necessary to have recourse to the violent and odious measure of forced loans, which for the greater part would fall on foreign houses, and from this might grow an international conflict. Moreover, the arrival of Santa Anna in the harbor of Vera Cruz, bringing with him the necessary means, foreign soldiers, and under American protection, (as he states,) had aggravated the situation of Vera Cruz. All of these reasons, together with others which he made known, had forced the imperial commissary and himself to call together the officers of the garrison to lay said reasons before them and submit them to their consideration. Should the decision of the garrison be to adhere to General Santa Anna’s proposals, he (Taboada) would resign his command and go abroad.
General Don Jose D. Herran, second in command at Vera Cruz, said that his decision also was to resign; that whatever might be the reply of the corps commanders it should be made with the certainty that their men would support it; that the scarcity of resources alluded to by his excellency the imperial commissary should be kept in mind, and that there were among the garrison foreigners who could not bear as much suffering as the Mexican soldier, and that with them the latter would have to succumb.
Don Miguel Salledo, chief of police of Cordova, said that he was a patriot, and would uphold whatever his chiefs would agree to.
Don Juan Jimenez, captain of the Cordova dragoons, said that as a soldier and a patriot he would uphold the same to the last.
Don Pedro Martos, commander of militia, said that his opinion was in favor of defending the empire to the last extremity; that, personally, he esteemed General Santa Anna, but he could not uphold the principle which the general proclaimed.
Don Manuel Linarte, commander of the Orizaba dragoons, said that he would obey his superiors, but he would never compromise in favor of the principles proclaimed by an enemy.
Lieutenant Colonel Don Lorenzo Joji said that if their resources were so scant he would submit to the decision of the majority.
Don Miguel Benavides, lieutenant colonel of the civil guard of Orizaba, said he awaited the decision of the superior officers present.
Don Angel J. Arzamendi, lieutenant colonel of the city guard of Vera Cruz, said that the people of Vera Cruz were republicans, and that on taking up arms at the invitation of his [Page 565] excellency the imperial commissary, it had been because the emperor Maximilian had shown in all his actions that his government was not despotic, but a moderate democracy; and that when the imperial commissary resigned his office his own command ceased.
Don Eduardo Soudriet, lieutenant colonel of the city guards, said that so soon as Santa Anna should land at the head of American soldiers his command was at an end.
Don Jorge Murcia, lieutenant colonel of the Vera Cruz auxiliaries, said that the sovereign had intrusted the place to the garrison to be defended, and he was resolved to do so; that General Santa Anna held the hearts of the garrison as a leader in the war of independence, but that he (Murcia) could not agree to his bringing American soldiers there.
Don Eduardo Figuerero, colonel of the Vera Cruz cavalry, said he wished to-know if there was any positive news of the destination of the imperial army, and the imperial commissary replied that he knew nothing positive. Señor Figuerero then stated that he highly esteemed General Santa Anna, but he rejected the idea that he should fight against the empire with soldiers brought from the United States.
Don Manuel Lorente, colonel of the civil guard, Vera Cruz, said as long as nothing is known positively as to the emperor’s fate he was bound to support the empire.
Don Mariano Camacho, colonel of the 11th. I have a solemn engagement with the imperial commissary. If he relieve me of it I will take whatever course shall seem fit. But I will not accept General Santa Anna as my chieftain.
General Don Manuel Sanches, commander of first and second districts. If we are not sure of pecuniary resources I fear bad results among the garrison.
General Don Juan De Dios Arzamen, commander of the third and fourth districts. If the army no longer exists and the emperor is a prisoner, our engagement to support the empire has ceased.
General Don Santiago de Cuevas, of artillery. As this is a council of war I cannot give my opinion; but as it has been stated that I belong to the army, and as I am with the garrison, I must reply that General Santa Anna should not be allowed to enter the place, since he is backed by American soldiers and sustained by the American government. Our country has already felt one foreign intervention, and it should be spared any more. The scarcity of means should not frighten us, for Mexican soldiers are long-suffering and accustomed to bear up under all kinds of privations. Señor Soudriet, being a foreigner, gave an example that should be adopted, so as to prevent any more intervention.
Colonel Manuel Lorente. The conduct of Señor Soudriet is very praiseworthy.
Don Antonio M. Robledo, civil prefect of the department. As a representative of the government I am bound to stand by the last soldier of the empire. The patience of the Mexican soldier is proverbial: bat as we have foreigners in the garrison I wish to know from Señor Soudriet how many days his men could hold out without relief.
Señor Soudriet, I think they can hold out as long as five days.
General Don Tomas Marin, in command of the naval division for Vera Cruz, Tuxpan, and Tehuantepec. If we have no pecuniary relief to fall back on I fear a capitulation with the enemy. If the republican party proclaim Juarez as its master I shall go abroad. I am totally disgusted with General Santa Anna on account of his abandoning the country in 1855, but I would rather fall into his hands than into those of demagogues, although I distrust his good faith on account of the protection given him by the American government.
Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Benavides. I have listened to the opinions of the other commanders, and my resolve is to sustain the empire. I would rather leave the country than compromise with the enemy.
As the majority were in favor of the negative—that General Antonio Lopez Santa Anna be not allowed to enter Vera Cruz—the imperial commissary declared the meeting over, and these minutes were signed by him and the other officers composing the meeting.
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General Don Santiago Cuevas refused to sign the above minutes on the ground that they were not accurate, and has published the following card:
“Mexican Imperial Army,”Vera Cruz, June 9, 1867.
“I stated at once in the junta my surprise that questions of so grave and paramount importance should be submitted to the deliberation of a council of war. In the course of the discussion I stated, in substance, that, as it was to be interred from what General Toboada [Page 566] had said, as well as from General Santa Anna’s proclamation, that the latter came forward as the agent and emissary of the Washington government, it seemed to me that his proposals should be rejected and that he should not be allowed to land; that the line of conduct which the garrison should follow was very simple, as it was reduced to this, to fulfil their duty by supporting the emperor Maximilian, until it became authentically and officially known that he had abdicated. Nor should the scarcity of means make them swerve from duty, for the history of our country abounds in examples of long-suffering and brave garrisons fighting hand to hand with the enemy and heroically confronting at the same time all the horrors of hunger and privation. I concluded by exhorting my comrades not to cast a stain on the history of their past career by joining in any disloyal conduct, or deserting their cause and thus deepening the abyss of evils from which our unfortunate country was now struggling to relieve herself. Her whole misfortune is owing to her having just begun to enjoy the fruits of her independence, at a time when she had for a neighbor a powerful nation that covered her territory, and has undermined her political existence from the very beginning through the Yorkite masonic lodges and other disreputable means.