Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress with the Annual Message of the President, December 2, 1872, Part I
No. 270.
Mr. Nelson to Mr. Fish.
Mexico, November 28, 1871. (Received December 26.)
Sir: I herewith transmit a translation of a proclamation of General Porfirio Diaz, dated at Huajnapam, November 19, (A.) Also of a proclamation signed by the insurgent General Negrete, dated at Alta-maja, November 20, (B,) and two proclamations of the federal General Alatorre, dated from his headquarters at Acatlan, November 23, (C and D.)
I am, &c.,
proclamation of general diaz.
Citizen-General Porfirio Diaz to the Republican troops:
Companions in arms: When, filled with the noble pride of patriotism, we divided together the adversities and glories of the colossal task to turn out from our soil the audacious French and Austrian armies, in order to guarantee definitely the independence and liberty of our adored soil, we never suspected that we should soon have to see our brothers face to face as enemies. But a disloyal government, despotic and parricidal, and to which the country did not owe the triumph of its holy cause, has cunningly deposited in your noble hearts the germs of division, in order to make the great and generous liberal party the laughing-stock of the nations that observe us, in order to perpetuate in power those who disregard the law and the universal voice of the nation. Shall this venomous plant germinate in your pure hearts, palpitating with glory, and even now agitated by the vivifying sun of the 5th of May? Answer your sincere friend, your brother. Why are you going to tight against my men? Why say we are traitors? Do we by chance invoke monarchy? Do we call to a foreign prince to govern the country of Montezuma? Do we beg for the humiliating protectorate of the United States, like Juarez and his clique of degraded Cubans and cowardly parasites? O, never! Like you, we carried five years since the tri-color standard in one hand and our constitution of 1857 in the other. With the first we wished to affirm our nationality, removing it from the bastard influences of every foreign [Page 356] country. Do you hear it? We wished to be free Mexicans, not pupils. With the second we wished to consolidate our means of being liberal, free, and progressive, indeed, and not by means of vain promises, which are being converted into positive military dictatorship. What are you going to sustain? For what are you going to shed your blood and that, of your brothers? Why perpetuate the power of Juarez, who has dreamed of being a prince; who invites us to cowardice by his stupid despotism, or by the Yankee whip, with which he will scourge our people, as was done in 1847; thanks to the division, which, then as now, was the normal state of our unhappy soil. And do you accept this offering; you, the invincible sons of Hidalgo and Iturbide? Do we accept it; we, the brothers of Zaragoza and Salazar? O, do not believe it! It is a lie! Mexico will never give use to such a stupid scandal, without outraging its good liberal sons. Comrades: There are but two roads; either that of the infamy sustained by Juarez, or that of glory, binding us, as before, to save our country; in such a dilemma, we prefer yielding with glory than to live covered with ignominy. Choose, my friends; here is my hand, as ever, and conquering or conquered, you shall never despise your brother.
Proclamation of General Negrete.
Miguel Negrete, general of division, to his fellow-citizens:
An humble child of the people, I undertook the military career with the sole aim of being one day useful to my adored country and to its institutions.
I am democratic by birth and principles, and for this reason I cannot be indifferent to the evils that Mexico suffers; for this cause, you have seen that, whenever the institutions or the independence have been in danger, I have lent my aid in order to save them, after having been present at the humiliation, which, in the illustrious Zaragoza, the first soldiers of the world suffered, and in which I took a part at the side of the men whom I now command, because it was the emanation of the people in order to save their independence; but in Chihuahua I noted that these men sold their fatherland, and their treason being proved upon them, I separated from them; a little afterward I seized the banner which the illustrious Porfirio Diaz has to-day raised aloft, and which I am sure he will soon place over the palace of the Montezumas. Since that period until now I have been constant in my undertaking, even if unfortunate, for the political movements that I have indicated have had a bad issue, being that of the citadel in which my enemies, who are also the energies of democratic institutions, have tried to wound me with calumny. The time will come in which the nation will have a detailed knowledge of what happened, and then justice may know who were the authors of this unhappy event, and the people may distinguish them by the mark of infamy.
Before General Diaz shall have taken up arms in order to vindicate the rights of the people of whom it is the emanation, the nation will have already manifested the desire that the tyrants should retire, leaving the free passage to the sons of the people; the central club that I had the honor to found and preside over, and also others that existed in all the republic seconding their views, is the undeniable proof of this truth; and this being so, the true soldier of the people, following his inspirations, ought to say, Long live General Diaz! long live the constitution of ’57! death to the tyrants!
The movement initiated by the worthy General Diaz, and which I second in all its parts, is the salvation of the country; is the struggle of the free against the feudalists; is the extinction of the scandalous robberies of the satellites of power, and is the triumph of order and morality; peace will restore tranquillity to families; the workman will dedicate himself to his workshop, in order to attend to the education of his children; the women will wipe their tears; the horrible hectacombs which are now in Atexalto, Ovejo, Tampico, the citadel, and other points, will have disappeared forever; for from this day forward the constitution of ’57 will not be a beautiful illusion, because we have sworn to sustain it at the cost of our blood, and do so, that its bountiful sap may vivify all the children of the great Mexican family.
Group yourslves, then, fellow-citizens, under this banner, and when it waves majestically over the national palace, you will see the titles that the tyrants have founded disappear as if by magic; among such titles being the various monopolies that the political sons of the usurper of the rights of the people now possess.
And you, companions in arms, who from this moment commence to suffer the penalties of the campaign, ought to be proud because you work for the regeneration of the people, which labor will soon be concluded, for the victory will be ours, owing to your valor, because you are Mexicans, and defend the most holy cause of free nations. [Page 357] Fight, then, with faith, and victory will crown our efforts, and all the free nations of the world will send us their blessings, because the cause which you defend is the cause of humanity.
Proclamation of General Altatorre.
The general of division, Ignacio B. Alatorre, to his subordinates:
Companions: General Porfirio Diaz has thrown down the glove, trampling under foot the titles with which you have honored him, despising the distinctions which the nation awarded him for the loyal and patriotic conduct that was supposed of him. He has raised the standard of rebellion, to drive us anew into parricidal struggles. What cause, what principles does he invoke? What great interest leads him to this criminal act? The nation and yourselves know very well! General Diaz rebels because he has not been elected president of the republic, and pretends to seize by violence that which the popular vote of his fellow-citizens has denied to him. This, companions, is the sad reality, notwithstanding that insidious proclamations and false acts invent distinct causes; men of heart will not see anything in them but stupid pretexts.
Behold, then, the Mexican Cincinnati parodying the celebrated Santa Anna.
Comrades! the troops and the nation, anxious for the indispensable peace, in order to arrive at the progress that the supreme government aims at, are duelling in a terrible contest. Let us accept it, then, for it is our duty, and because far above us weighs the sacred obligation to sustain, at the cost of our blood, the rights of the people, the law, and the national government.
Let us march tranquilly to the battle-field; we shall not be responsible for the desolation of our soil; we shall not have to reproach ourselves with the tears that will flow, with the blood shed, nor with the national ruin; these horrors will fall back upon those who promote the tumult and mutiny, and who have caused so many evils to the republic.
My friends, you will soon go and fight. I have nothing to recommend to you, because I know that discipline, valor, and honor are gifts which shine in you. I know that you fulfill your duties, performing your noble mission as warriors without hate or rancor. The fatherland already considers you as its best sons, and you know how to answer to it with dignity.
Forward, comrades! remember that the nation is leaning on you, and that its tranquillity and progress, yet once again, depends upon your valor and intrepidity.
Forward! in whatsoever situation you may find yourselves, there will be always at your side your friend and companion.
Proclamation of General Altatorre.
The general-in-chief of the division of operations over the insurgents, to the Oaxacan people:
Fellow-Citizens: When the national government sent me to the State, in order to re-establish peace, disturbed by the lamentable errors of some of its children, it was not only guided by the fulfillment of the first of its most precious duties as the supreme authority, but also by the desire of emancipating you from the tyranny exercised by a government without titles to hold it—titles which it broke by separating itself from the federation, and abusing the power which the people and the constitution confided to it in order to promote its happiness and welfare.
I am very sensible of entering, with the sound of war, into one of the most heroic States of the republic; but the evils existing in it are alone owing to the rebels, against whom my action will be direct and energetic—not against the peaceful people, riot against the honorable citizens, toward whom I bind myself in the most vehement sympathies and the most sincere affection.
My stay in this magnificent State will be merely transitory; but there shall be established in it peace and public confidence: there shall be reorganized in it a just and constitutional government; and there shall be enjoyed in it all kinds of guarantees.
[Page 358]One of the inconveniences which has impeded, during the last few years, the progress of the State, has been its bad fiscal system, that, exacting from commerce and landed property the most exorbitant contributions, has obstructed the roads of labor, industry, agriculture, and the arts, which to-day are buried in sad decadence. My efforts shall be dedicated to the liberty of commerce, as also to break the dikes which retain the fountains of public riches, in as far as it lies in my power.
Fellow-citizens, in order that with the honorable men my mission may be one of peace, and purely a reorganizing one, for that I need your aid, which I hope you will not deny to me; for that end you are invited by your fellow-citizen and friend,
Headquarters, Acatlan, November 23.