MEXICO. 



637 



The vote of the Notables, engrossed on 

 parchment, and enclosed in the handle of a 

 sceptre of solid gold, was then presented to 

 the Archduke. 



Maximilian, who was already familiar wih 

 the French programme, and was aware of what 

 was expected of him, replied to the deputation 

 as follows : 



The wishes of the Mexican Assembly of Notables 

 have touched me deeply. It cannot but be exceeding- 

 ly flattering for our House that they have turned their 

 eyes to the descendants of Charles V. Although the 

 mission of maintaining the independence and welfare of 

 Mexico on a solid foundation, and with free institutions, 

 is a most noble one, I must, nevertheless, in complete 

 accordance with the views of the Emperor Napoleon, 

 declare that the monarchy cannot be reestablished on 

 a legitimate and firm basis without a spontaneous ex- 

 pression of the wishes of the whole nation. I must 

 make my acceptance of the throne dependent upon a 

 plebiscite of the whole country. On the other hand, 

 it would be my duty to ask for guarantees, which are 

 indispensable to secure Mexico against the dangers 

 which threaten her integrity and independence. Should 

 these guarantees be obtained, and the universal vote 

 of the nation be given in my favor, I am ready to ac- 

 cept the crown, subject to the approval of the emperor, 

 my brother. In case Providence should call me to this 

 high mission, I must at once declare that it is my firm 

 intention to open the path of progress by a Constitu- 

 tion, as was done by my brother, and after the com- 

 plete pacification of the country to seal the fundamen- 

 tal law with an oath. By such means only can a new 

 and really national policy be called into existence by 

 which all parties, forgetting all disputes, would coop- 

 erate with me in raising Mexico to a prominent rank 

 among nations. Carry back with you these frank dec- 

 larations to your fellow citizens, and act in such a 

 manner as it may become possible for the .nation to 

 declare what form of Government it desires to have. 



For* several weeks after the removal of 

 Juarez and the Mexican Government to San 

 Luis Potosi, the French remained quietly in 

 the city of Mexico, engaged in organizing the 

 empire, and awaiting reinforcements. During 

 July and August, various bodies of national 

 troops, under Doblado, Arteaga, and others, 

 occupied the States of Queretaro, Guanajuato, 

 Michoacan, and Jalisco, immediately north and 

 west of Mexico, while Ortega was concentrating 

 a force in Zacatecas. Swarms of guerillas in- 

 fested the roads leading to the city of Mexico, 

 who waged a war of extermination against the 

 French pickets and outposts ; and in the south- 

 ern provinces a desultory contest of the same 

 character was kept up by Oarvajal, Tellez, and 

 other chiefs. Assassinations of persons friendly 

 to the French interest were said to be frequent 

 x in the capital, and in consequence the Provis- 

 ional Government was compelled to resort to 

 severe measures of repression and retaliation. 

 Most of the foreign ministers recognized the 

 Government de facto established there, and all 

 declined to remove to San Luis Potosi, to 

 which place Juarez had offered them safe con- 

 duct. The only important military operation 

 undertaken by the French during the summer, 

 was the reoccupation, on August llth, of Tam- 

 pico. 



With the commencement of October, both 

 parties were busily occupied with preparations 



for the active resumption of hostilities; the 

 French designing to march northward through 

 Queretaro and Guanajuato to San Luis Potosi, 

 and westward to Guadalajara, in the State of 

 Jalisco ; and the Mexicans preparing to dispute 

 their advance. Some minor successes had in- 

 fused new hopes into the latter, and their ag- 

 gregate force in the field was still considerable. 

 In the latter part of the month, Comonfort was 

 appointed by Juarez minister of war and com- 

 mander-in-chief, and took post with an army 

 of 15,000 men near Queretaro, while Gen. Diaz, 

 with 3,000 troops, mostly mounted men and 

 guerillas, was directed to operate against the 

 French communications between the city of 

 Mexico and Vera Cruz. On the 22d, Gen. Ba- 

 zaine published an address to the Mexican peo- 

 ple, in which he announced that he had been 

 appointed commander-in-chief of the "Army 

 of Intervention," General Forey returning to 

 France, and that this change implied no devia- 

 tion from the political programme previously 

 announced. 



Early in November, the Franco-Mexican col- 

 umn destined for the north took up its march 

 from the capital, the reactionist General Mejia 

 commanding the advance; and on the 13th, 

 Comonfort, while reconnoitring in the neigh- 

 borhood of Queretaro with a small mounted 

 escort, was surprised and killed by a similar 

 party from the invading army. The Mexicans 

 charge that he was assassinated in cold blood 

 by his enemies. Upon the announcement of 

 his death at San Luis Potosi, Juarez appointed 

 Gen. Negrete minister of war, and Gen. Uraga 

 commander-in-chief; the latter being at that 

 time in the neighborhood of Morelia, the capi- 

 tal of Michoacan, with a considerable force. 

 On the 19th, Mejia occupied Queretaro without 

 resistance from the national troops under Do- 

 blado, who retired toward Guanajuato; and 

 being joined a few days later by Gen. Douai, 

 their united forces marched thence for Guana- 

 juato, which they entered quietly on Decem- 

 ber 8th. Meanwhile another column under 

 Gen. Bazaine moved to the northwest, in the 

 direction of Guadalajara, while a third, under 

 Gen. Berthier, with whom was the reactionist 

 Marquez, marched toward Morelia, with a view 

 of cooperating with Bazaine against Guadala- 

 jara or Zacatecas. 



The policy of the Mexican leaders seems to 

 have been to avoid a general engagement with 

 the main body of the Franco-Mexican army, 

 but by moving on its wings, to watch the oppor- 

 tunity to make a successful flank movement, 

 and thus enter the valley of Mexico and be- 

 siege or take the capital, from which the great- 

 er part of the troops had been withdrawn an 

 exploit which would have had a prodigious 

 moral effect upon their cause, both at home 

 and abroad. For this purpose Doblado and 

 Negrete were instructed to fall back, the one 

 toward Lagos and Aguas Calientes, on the 

 road to Zacatecas, and the other to San Luis 

 Potosi, thus drawing the enemy after them, 





