556 



MEXICO. 



reactionist complaints, but hatred of the em- 

 pire and the rule of foreigners united in one 

 party nil the elements of opposition. Hence 

 the protests of prominent ecclesiastics, which 

 in former years had been voluminous and bit- 

 ter, if without much influence over the Gov- 

 ernment, ceased to be presented. The negotia- 

 tions of the Emperor with the Papal nuncio, 

 Monsignor Meglia, with reference to the adop- 

 tion of a concordat, were, of course, suspended 

 after the promulgation of the decree for the 

 securalization of Church property, above refer- 

 red to, and that relating to religious toleration, 

 and in the spring of 1865 the nuncio returaed 

 to Europe. But Maximilian, himself a strict 

 Catholic, could not rest easy under the imputa- 

 tion of having quarrelled with the Holy See, 

 and in the latter part of the year sent to Eome 

 an agent of his own, the Abb6 Fischer, to as- 

 sure the Pope of his sincere desire to come to 

 some amicable arrangement, and to explain the 

 difficulties in the way of making as many con- 

 cessions as could be wished. "Without withdraw- 

 ing his decrees (which he could not do with- 

 out prejudicing the interests of many resident 

 Frenchmen who had purchased largely of the 

 confiscated estates of the Church), he signified 

 his intention to make such modifications of his 

 views and policy as would result in a fair settle- 

 ment of all vexed questions. The result of these 

 renewed negotiations has not yet been made 

 public, but the Pope is said to have been so 

 deeply offended with Maximilian, that it is doubt- 

 ful whether concessions will be made by him. 



As a minute account of the military events 

 of the year would require more space than their 

 importance demands, a brief sketch only will be 

 presented. Early in January Marshal Bazainc 

 loft the capital to direct the campaign against 

 Diaz, in Oajaca. For several weeks the repub- 

 lican forces, concentrated in the city of that 

 name, sustained the attacks of the imperialists, 

 but finally, on February 9th, surrendered at dis- 

 cretion to the number of seven thousand, and 

 were treated as prisoners of war. As soon as 

 the capitulation was known to the citizens and 

 the inhabitants of the surrounding districts, 

 they went out to meet the French general, and 

 gave in their act of adhesion to the Imperial 

 Government, " manifesting at the same time," 

 says the imperial account, " the greatest grati- 

 tude to the brave troops who had just liberated 

 them from the dreadful tyranny by which they 

 were oppressed." This was the most severe 

 disaster which the republican cause had sus- 

 tained in the southern States, where hitherto 

 the French had made little progress, and the 

 war in that quarter thenceforth degenerated 

 into a mere guerrilla contest, accompanied with 

 all the excesses previously described as char- 

 acteristic of this kind of warfare in Mexico. 

 About the time of this reverse the republicans 

 gained some trifling advantages in the neighbor- 

 hood of Mazatlan, on the Pacific coast, and for 

 a while laid siege to the town ; but a concen- 

 tration of French troops there soon turned the 



scale in favor of the imperialists. At Tacam- 

 baro, in the State of Michoacan, a body of 

 three hundred Belgian troops, of the foreign 

 contingent of the imperial army, was in April 

 surprised and cut to pieces by a republican 

 force under Gen. Eegules; but this exploit 

 being unconnected with any general plan of 

 operations, its success was of no appreciable 

 benefit to the republican cause. In the Noi'th, 

 however, for a time matters looked more hope- 

 fully for Juarez. On April 10th a considerable 

 republican force, under Gen. Negrete, drove the 

 imperialists under Olvera and Lopez out of Sal- 

 tillo, and following up their advantage, a few 

 days later occupied Monterey, the imperialists 

 retreating upon Matamoras. Negrete marched 

 at once upon the latter place, where Mejia, the 

 imperial generalissimo, had collected all avail- 

 able troops, and was making vigorous prepara- 

 tions to withstand a siege. In the latter part 

 of April Negrete, reinforced by Cortinas and 

 other chiefs, invested Matamoras, but from his 

 want of artillery was unable to commence ap- 

 proaches ;ii regular form. Every day added to 

 the strength of the works defending the town, 

 on which Mejia caused the inhabitants to labor, 

 besides calling into requisition all available 

 horses and mules. 'The exterior lines were de- 

 fended by ramparts of cotton-bales. Eeen- 

 forcements meanwhile arrived from Vera Cruz, 

 and an imperial column marched north from 

 San Luis Potosi to reoccupy Saltillo and Mon- 

 terey, which was accomplished in the early part 

 of June. Finding the prospect of compelling a 

 surrender of Matamoras hopeless with his in- 

 adequate force and means, Negrete risked an 

 assault upon the place, and was disastrously 

 repulsed. He maintained, however, a threaten- 

 ing attitude until June 7th, when, alarmed by 

 the news of the approach of the French column 

 from the south in his rear, he raised the siege 

 and retreated toward Chihuahua, ' where he 

 arrived in the succeeding month with a mere 

 remnant of his army. Five hundred men, it 

 was said, perished on the march, and many 

 more were lost by desertion or capture. 



At this time the imperial forces were more 

 widely distributed over the country, and in a 

 condition of greater efficiency, than ever before. 

 By a decree of April, Mexico was divided into 

 eight military divisions, each of which was in- 

 trusted to a general of division, general of bri- 

 gade or colonel, who, in the discharge of their 

 duties, looked for instructions from the Minister 

 of War, Gen. Juan de D. Peza. In ordinary 

 matters they were directed by the civil mem- 

 bers of the ministry. The regulations for the 

 government of the several divisions were minute, 

 and adapted to promote the efficiency of the 

 service. The army, on June 1st, was estimated 

 at the following strength : 



Men. 



The French Legion Etrangere 8,000 



The Austrian Legion (about) 6,000 



The Belgian Legfon (about) 6,000 



Mexican troops (about) -JIM MI 



Total... 40,000 



