22 



AMERICA. 



the French, Austrians, Belgians, and the native 

 adherents of the empire in pitched battles, and 

 their main army, under Porfirio Diaz, was com-, 

 pelled to surrender at Oaxaca. But no con- 

 siderable part of the empire remained free 

 from the guerrilla war in which the Republican 

 forces, from time to time, gained considerable 

 successes. President Juarez had, on the ap- 

 proach of a French army, for a time to leave 

 Chihuahua, which was the seat of his Govern- 

 ment, on January 1, 1865, and to retreat to 

 El Paso. lie returned to Chihuahua in No- 

 vember, but had to retreat again to El Paso in 

 December. The Presidential term of Juarez ex- 

 pired in November, but as the continuance of 

 war made it impossible to hold a general elec- 

 tion, he continued in office with the general 

 consent of the Republican party until it would 

 be possible to hold another election. Maxi- 

 milian, strongly endorsed by the Government 

 of France, made several attempts to obtain the 

 recognition of the United States ; and France 

 intimated that, in case of such recognition, she 

 would begin to make preparations for the with- 

 drawal of her troops from Mexico; but the 

 Government of Washington refused to enter 

 into negotiations with Maximilian, and declared 

 to France, that the United States were deeply 

 concerned about the continuance of a foreign 

 army in Mexico, and strongly desired its speedy 

 withdrawal. (See MEXICO.) 



The war of independence which the people 

 of San Domingo had for several years sustained 

 Hgainst the Spanish rule, ended, in 1865, in the 

 complete success of the Dominicans. The 

 Government of Spain determined to abandon 

 the island, and the Cortes in April enacted a 

 bill brought in by the Government to that 

 effect. (See SPAIN.) The republican form of 

 Government was consequently restored in San 

 Domingo, but the island remained subject to 

 internal disturbances. (See SAN. DOMINGO.) 



The island of Jamaica was, in October, the 

 scene of serious disturbances. The black popu- 

 lation of the parish of St. Thomas, in the east, 

 rescued some prisoners, who, as their friends 

 said, had been convicted wrongfully, and when 

 the resistance to the authorities became gen- 

 eral, the conduct of the Colonial Government 

 as well as of the military authorities on this oc- 

 casion gave rise to the most intense indignation 

 throughout England. In compliance with an 

 almost universal demand, the Home Govern- 

 ment suspended the Governor of Jamaica from 

 his functions, and appointed a commission of 

 inquiry, which repaired to Jamaica to investi- 

 gate the whole affair. (See JAMAICA.) 



The difficulties between Spain and Peru 

 culminated on January 25, 1865, in an ulti- 

 matum presented by the Spanish Admiral 

 Pn:eja. The Government of Peru submitted 

 (January 28th) to all the essential, demands of 

 Spain, and the Spanish admiral restored the 

 Onwcha Islands. The dissatisfaction of the 

 majority of the Peruvian people with the con- 

 duct of their Government called forth imme- 



diately a revolution, which continued .through 

 the greater part of the year, and ended in the 

 overthrow of the administration of President 

 Pezet, and the establishment of a new Govern- 

 ment decidedly hostile to Spain. (See PERU.) 



The sympathy shown by the Government 

 and people of Chili with Peru against Spain, 

 led to difficulties between Spain and Chili. In 

 May, the Spanish Minister in Chili, Tavira, 

 stated that he was satisfied with the declarations 

 of the Chilian Secretary of War. The Spanish 

 Government, however, disapproved the conduct 

 of Tavira, recalled him (July 25th), and sent 

 Admiral Pareja to Valparaiso to demand im- 

 mediate reparation for offences given. On the 

 refusal of the Chilian Government to comply 

 with this demand, Pareja declared a blockade 

 of the Chilian ports (September 24th), to which 

 the Chilian Congress answered by a declaration 

 of war. Hostilities at once commenced and con- 

 tinued until the close of the year. (See CHILI.) 

 ; On the Atlantic coast of South America, the 

 .insurrection in Uruguay, aided by the Brazilian 

 Government, ended in the overthrow of the 

 existing government. Paraguay followed up 

 its protest against the interference of Brazil in 

 the civil war of Uruguay, by a declaration of 

 war (November, 1864) against Brazil. In April, 

 1865, the Argentine Republic was also invaded 

 by the troops of Paraguay, and joined Brazil 

 and Uruguay in their war against the latter 

 power. The war was still progressing, accord- 

 ing to the last advices (December 1865). (See 

 ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, BRAZIL, PARAGUAY, 

 URUGUAY.) 



The United States of Colombia, Ecuador, 

 Bolivia, Hayti, and San Salvador, were all dis- 

 turbed by civil wars. In Bolivia, the chief of 

 the insurrection, Melgarejo, was successful, 

 while in the three other States the existing 

 Governments succeeded in quelling the rebel- 

 lion. (See BOLIVIA, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, HAY- 

 TI, SAN SALVADOR.) 



The "American Congress " of the represent- 

 atives of Chili, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Guate- 

 mala, San Salvador, the Argentine Republic, 

 the United States of Colombia, and Venezuela, 

 which had assembled in November, 1864, at 

 Lima, for the purpose of forming a defensive 

 alliance against aggressions of monarchical 

 powers, closed its sessions on March 13, 1865. 

 The main object of the alliance is fully defined 

 in the following official document : 



Alliance of (lie American States for Common De- 

 fence. In the name of God : The States of America, 

 which are hereinafter mentioned, desiring to unite 

 in order to provide for their exterior security, to 

 strengthen their relations, to maintain peace among 

 themselves, and to promote other common interests, 

 have determined to secure these objects by means of 

 international compacts of which the present is the 

 first and fundamental one. 



To that effect, they have conferred full powers as 

 follows : By Salvador, to Don Pedro Alcantara Her- 

 ran; by Bolivia, to Don Juan de la Cruz Benavente ; 

 by the United States of Colombia, to Don Justo 

 Aroscmcna ; by Chili, to Don Manuel Montt ; by Ec- 

 uador, to Don Vincente Piedrahita ; by Peru, to" Don 



