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
Mr. Romero’s compliments to Mr. Seward, and has the honor to send him the copy of a letter, dated in Mexico, the 9th instant, containing important news from that republic, which was published in the New York Herald of this date.
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
[Untitled]
We are astounded by an effort being made by Don Miguel Lopez to convince himself and the world that he did accomplish a high act of treachery to his leader at Queretaro on the [Page 669] 15th of May last. He has already addressed the public three times through the press on the subject, but no answer is needed. The fact that he is living quietly and peaceably at Puebla, undisturbed by the liberal government; while his fellow-officers are worrying themselves away in the prisons of Mexico city and Queretaro, is sufficient to convince ordinary intelligence. It is stated here that his wife, of whose child Maximilian became godfather, and which has received the name Maximilian, refuses to live with him in consequence of his bad faith.
General Marquez has succeeded in escaping thus far, and now but little hope is entertained of his capture.
The body of Miramon has been removed to the city, and was buried in the San Fernando burial-grounds a few days since. His brother, Carlos Miramon, is on the mountains at the head of about eight hundred men, and it is said by some intends to pronounce, or at least avenge the death of his brother. Although he has had ten years’ of military experience with the late general, he has not exhibited as yet any talent which would make him feared by the government.
In the case of General O’Horan, it is stated that the evidence is now before the court, and that it is of a conclusive character. Very strenuous efforts are being made by his individual friends to have his expected order for execution commuted to imprisonment. The punishment of generals of division, captured at Queretaro, has been commuted to imprisonment for seven years, and generals of brigade to imprisonment for six years. This order is specially agreeable to Prince Salm Salm, who had been expecting to be shot.
There appeared in the papers of Mexico a rumor that Captain Roe, of the Tacony, had asked for the body of Maximilian. No such letter of request has been received by the government here. The Austrian fleet is looked for daily, and the body will be surrendered to the family, and every aid given for its safe and proper transportation to the sea.
It is the present intention of the government that Santa Anna shall be tried by court-martial, under the laws of September 15, 1857 and January 25, 1862.
The government have not fully organized their various departments and have a great work before them. President Juarez has ordered to be vacated many of the convents, which formerly comprised nearly one-half of the city, and has taken active steps towards lessening the power of the church. Four new public schools have been opened in this city, and in the third district of the state schools have been opened for the primary instruction of young girls.
The medical university of Mexico is now in full operation, daily lectures being given in all of the various branches of medicine, surgery, &c. The school of mines is also an institution of great value to the country and is a credit to the people. It should be remembered that in Mexico there exist one hundred and ninety-seven different kinds of minerals, among which are gold, silver, iron, copper, lead, zinc, mercury, tin, &c. The following also exist, and are said as yet only to be found in this country: Rhodium, gold, silenid of mercury, zochilianite, jalapite, iodyrite, cochinele, plunbic ochre,silver, obsidian, and vanadite.
The prospects of the railroad from Vera Cruz to Mexico are not unfavorable. Although the government two months ago was reported to look unfavorably upon the road, in consequence of supposed complicity with the empire, since the arrival of the President and j cabinet here they have received such information as has induced them to take a favorable consideration of the case, and it is most likely that arrangements will be made to aid the road.
General Lozada, who has commanded some five thousand men on the Pacific coast, in the state of Durango, Zacatecas, &c, has given in his adhesion to the government, so that there now remains no formidable party of armed men in the country opposed to the government.
On a recent occasion in this city General Diaz, among other remarks, said:
“The republican army of Mexico is of recent creation. Our old army, vitiated by pernicious habits and corrupted by political factions, has fortunately disappeared; but new and recent as may be the existence of the army that has replaced it, it contains within itself that element of great and heroic action—patriotism. This very powerful motive fully explains the triumphs recently gained by the soldiers of the republic. To accidental circumstances may be attributed my participation in their great success, and any merit that I may been titled to is reduced to some efforts on my part to introduce order and discipline in our military system; but I should have achieved nothing without the patriotic abnegation and the simultaneous support of all my subordinates in fulfilling my ideas and wishes. To their glory, and as a dry tribute of justice, I must proclaim that when a strong and firm will acts in conformity with a true sense of order and morality it finds no obstacle, no resistance in the Mexican soldier. The citizens in whose hands Mexico has confided her arms cannot avoid noting, as a heroic example, the conduct of the army that saved the integrity of the North American Union, and they have the hope, as a dream of glory, of fighting side by side with the sons of Washington the day the common interests of America shall be menaced.
“The following is an official list of executions under the order of October 3, 1865, reported [Page 670] by Maximilian from his headquarters; also of actual and approximate numbers killed or executed immediately after battle by imperialists under the order:
| Month. | Year. | No. admitted to have been executed and published by order of Maximilian in Mexico city. | Actual or approximate number executed by officers of Maximilian under the decree of Oct. 3, 1865. |
| October | 1865 | 221 | 800 |
| November | 1865 | 26 | 370 |
| December | 1865 | 7 | 450 |
| January | 1866 | 18 | 200 |
| February | 1866 | 58 | 700 |
| March | 1866 | 10 | 623 |
| April | 1866 | 470 | |
| May | 1866 | 22 | 290 |
| June | 1866 | 7 | 600 |
| July | 1866 | 27 | 300 |
| August | 1866 | 41 | 900 |
| September | 1866 | 1 | 1,000 |
| October | 1866 | 136 | 390 |
| November | 1866 | 60 | 495 |
| December | 1866 | 7 | 374 |
| January | 1867 | 6 | 682 |
| February* | 1867 | 400 | |
| March* | 1867 | 200 | |
| April* | 1867 | 100 | |
| Total | 650 | 9,244 |
The first list was carefully kept by a gentleman of Mexico city, Señor Basillo Perez Gallardo, and the figures taken from the official reports published at Maximilian’s headquarters. The executions were all along so contrary to humanity that it would appear that Maximilian was ashamed of them, and that either he or his officers suggested that the captured Mexicans be shot immediately upon. capture, so as virtually to carry out the order and they would not know it. I give the number of Mexicans who have each month been shot since the issue of the decree of October 3, 1865, as correctly as I can learn. Many here put the figures at over 20,000, and I am myself inclined to believe that the number is underestimated. As the question of the barbarity of the Mexican people, and especially of the party now in power, is being generally discussed, I must call attention to the opinion upon the subject of two hundred or more Belgian officers and men who were captured by the liberal army, and who were so disgusted with the conduct of their fellow imperial officers as to address the following letter to the emperor Maximilian:
“Sire: We have learned with horror and consternation the act committed by Colonel Mendez, (afterwards General Mendez, who was captured at Queretaro and immediately shot,) who, in violation of every law of humanity and of war, has put to death a certain number of officers of the liberal army whom he had made prisoners. The liberal army, to which you even refuse to give the name of army itself, professes a greater respect for these laws than do the chiefs of your forces; for we, who are prisoners, are respected by all, from the general to the common soldier. If we did not find ourselves in the hands of troops sincerely liberal, the act of Colonel Mendez would call forth a bloody retaliation; and we, Belgians, who have come to Mexico solely with a view to act as a guard of honor to our princess, but whom you have forced to fight against principles identical with our own, might have expiated with our blood the crime of a man who is a traitor to his own country.
“We hope, sire, that the barbarous act of Colonel Mendez will not remain unpunished, and that you will have the kindness to give orders that the laws between nations shall be observed. We energetically protest against the nameless act.
“BRUER, GUYOT, FLACHOT, VAN HOLLENBECK, and two hundred others.”
Notwithstanding this representation to Maximilian by officers and men of his own army the same executions of prisoners continued, and the inhuman colonel referred to in the above [Page 671] letter was not only unrebuked by Maximilian, but promoted to rank of general. He was captured at the fall of Queretaro, and died at the hands of an outraged army a less painful death than his beastly rage had inflicted upon so many of his countrymen. I append a list of some of the executions of officers which took place under the special order of Maximilian, and which were officially announced from his headquarters in Mexico and elsewhere during the enforcement of his decree of October 3, 1865:
| Rank. | Name. | Month. | Year. | Manner of execution. | |
| General | Arteaga | Oct. | 13 | 1865 | Shot. |
| General | Salasar | Oct. | 13 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Milcua | Oct. | 13 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Chiefs and officers besides the above, 32. | |||||
| General | Stillardi | Oct. | 13 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Romero, of Mexico city | Oct. | 13 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Governor | Chavor, of Zaeatecas | Oct. | 13 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Lopez | Oct. | 16 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Fonseca | Oct. | 30 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Vatela | Oct. | 26 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Major | Guerrero | Nov. | 16 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Captain | Ortez | Nov. | 19 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Captain | Ponce | Nov. | 19 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Major | Cortez | Nov. | 28 | 1865 | Shot. |
| Major | Gonzalez | Dec. | 26 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Arelis | Dec. | 31 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Beltram | Dec. | 31 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Cano | Jan. | 5 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Palomeno | Jan. | 10 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Soto | Feb. | 10 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Colonel* | Mendez | Feb. | 21 | 1866 | By burning |
| Colonel | Sanchez Romam | May | 25 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Jacome | Jun | 7 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Sylvester Rojas | Jun | 23 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Castal | Jun | 23 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Azpier | Jul | 3 | 1856 | Shot. |
| Captain | Moreno | Jul | 6 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Gonzales | Jul | 31 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Plata | Aug. | 8 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Colonel | Martinez | Aug. | 18 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Captain | Garcia | Oct. | 2 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Villanueva | Oct. | 24 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Segeroff | Nov. | 9 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Bravo | Nov. | 12 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Major | Rodriguez | Dec. | 20 | 1866 | Shot. |
| Captain | Ramon | Dec. | 30 | 1866 | Shot. |
| General | Herrera y Cairo | Feb. | 4 | 1867 | Shot. |
| Captain | Lugo | Feb. | 27 | 1867 | Shot. |
These officers and the 650 in the tabular list above were tried, condemned to death and shot by Maximilian, as reported by his minister of war, under articles first and second of the decree, which are as follows:
“Article 1. All persons belonging to armed bands or corps not legally authorized, whether they proclaim or not any political principles, and whatever be the number of those who compose the said bands, their organization, character, and denomination, shall be tried militarily by the courts-martial, and if found guilty even of the fact of belonging to the bands, they shall be condemned to capital punishment within twenty-four (24) hours following the sentence.
“Art. 2. Those who, belonging to the bands mentioned in the previous article, will be captured with arms in their hands shall be tried by the officer of the force that had captured them, and he shall within a delay, never extending over twenty-four (24) hours after the said capture, make a verbal inquest of the offence, hearing the defence of the prisoner. Of this inquest he will decree an act, closing with the sentence, which must be to capital punishment, if the accused be found guilty, even if only of the fact of belonging to the band. The officer shall have the sentence executed within the twenty-four hours aforesaid, [Page 672] seeing that the criminal receive spiritual assistance. The sentence having been executed, the officer shall forward the act of inquest to the minister of war.”
Under the following law of January 25,1862, Maximilian, Miramon, and Mejia were tried, condemned and executed. The court-martial, according to the law of September 15, 1857, consisted of a colonel or lieutenant colonel, and six captains:
“Benito Juarez, constitutional President of the United States of Mexico, to his country men:
“By virtue of the ample powers with which I am invested I have decreed the following law providing for the punishment of all crimes against the nation, order, public peace, and individual guarantees.
“Among the crimes against the independence and national security are comprehended the following:
“Article 1. Armed invasion brought by foreigners and Mexicans on any territory of the republic, or by foreigners alone, without previous declaration of war on the part of th powers or power to which they belong.
“Art. 2. The voluntary service of Mexicans in the service of the foreign enemy, whatever be the character in which they are found among the enemy.
“Art. 3. The invitation of Mexicans or foreigners residing in the republic to subjects of other powers to invade any territory of the republic or change its form of government on whatever pretext.
“Art. 4. Any kind of complicity in aiding or countenancing the invasion or favoring its realization.
“Art. 6. The respective military authority is the only one competent to have cognizance of the crimes specified in this law; for the effect of which, so soon as said authority have knowledge, be it through report, accusation, denunciation, or through any other means, that any of the specified crimes have been committed, shall proceed to make the necessary inquiry, according to the rule of the general ordinance of the army and law of the 15th of September, 1857; and the cause when established shall be brought before the ordinary council of war, without any distinction of the character, station, employ, or commission of the accused. In places where there are no military commanders or generals-in-chief, the governors of the respective States shall act in their places.”
Punishment for above crimes as prescribed in same law of January 25, 1862: Invasion made on the territory of the republic, of which the first paragraph of article one of this law speaks, and the services of Mexicans in the forces of the foreign enemy, of which the second paragraph speaks, shall be punished with death. Invitation to invade the territory, of which paragraphs three and four of article one speak, shall be punished with death.