MEXICO. 



497 



meeting in 1867. discussed and adopted a 



MctllodNt Illl'lull ID lie Mllilllim-il 



tu tin- c[iurtn-|y ci'iifnviuvs. II adheres to tlie 

 itinerancy and to tin- participation of the laity 

 in all tin- rliiitvh courts. 



XIII. \VKIKV\\ KI.FMI:M UNION'. Tli 



1 Iturch are as follows: Members, 

 '..IT,'); preachers, '>"J; chapels, 286; schools, 

 holan, iT.'i'.'i : teacher*. 782. 



Mi:\h'<>. Tin- beginning of the year 1867 

 foun, 1 tin- empire 1 of Maximilian in Mexico in a 

 -ions condition. The support which it 

 liad hitherto received from the power of France, 

 yielding to a mild hut determined prc-Miiv 

 from tin 1 Coverament of the, United States, 

 was about to bo withdrawn. General Castel- 

 nau, a special minister from Napoleon III., 

 was already in tho country, with orders to 

 communicate to Maximilian the intention of 

 the French Emperor, and to ascertain what 

 course he intended to follow in this emer- 

 gency. It was expected that he would abdicate, 

 and indeed, as he afterward declared, he did 

 offer to give up his claim to the empire, on con- 

 dition that Juarez would proclaim universal 

 amne.-ty for his adherents; but this condition 

 not being complied with, he determined not to 

 abandon the fortunes of the native Imperialists, 

 though left to his fate by tho monarch who had 

 invited him to the perilous throne of this new 

 empii 



In December, 1866, Marshal Bazaine, the 

 commander of the French forces, issued a cir- 

 cular announcing the intention of his sovereign 

 to withdraw the Foreign Legion, and authoriz- 

 ing all persons of French nationality enrolled in 

 the Mexican army either to remain in the ser- 

 vice of tho empire or to return home with the 

 great body of the French troops. French 

 families, temporarily residing in Mexico, were 

 also invited to embark with the expeditionary 

 corps. Early in January, French transports ap- 

 peared at Vera Cruz, and the embarkation of 

 the forces began. On the 5th of February the 

 city of Mexico was evacuated by the French, 

 on which occasion the following remarkable 

 farewell proclamation was issued by Marshal 

 Bazaine : 



In a few days the French troops will leaye Mexico. 

 During the four years which they have passed in this 

 beautiful city they have bad no reason to complain of 

 any lack of sympathy between them and the inhabit- 

 ants of this city. In tho name, then, of the French 

 army under my command, at the same time acting 

 from feelings of personal regard, I, the marshal or 

 France, com mander-in -chief, take leave of you. Our 

 common voice is for the happiness of the chivalrio 

 Mexican nation. All our efforts have tended to t 

 tublishment of peace in the interior. Rest assured, 

 in this moment of separation, that our mission has 

 never had any other object, and that it never has en- 

 iutp tne intention of Franco to impose upon 

 you any form of government contrary to your wishes. 



i'" fore the 1st of March, Maximilian was left 

 at the head of his native troops and a small 

 of Austrian -uixiliaries, with all the inte- 

 rior of tho country, save a few isolated points, 

 iu the hands of the Liberals. He left Orizaba, 

 VOL. vn. 82 



whither ho had retired at the close of the last 

 campaign, and took up hm residmc.- at u place 

 called La Tcja, near his capital, the city of 

 Mexico, lli^ general. Mejia, with a considerable 

 had taken possession of San Luis Potosi 

 on the evacuation of that city by the French, but 

 was afterward driven out by the Liberal forces, 

 ami took up his position at Queretaro. Tim 

 President, Juarez, then took possession of San 

 Luis as the capital of tho Republic. The im- 

 perialist gnu-rid, Miramon, whose headquarters 

 were at (Maya, set out for San Luis with 8,000 

 men, and succeeded in taking Zacatecas upon the 

 route, but was soon after met by Escobedo and 

 utterly routed at the battle of San Jacinto. lie 

 then fell back and joined Mejia at Queretaro. 



The city of Mexico, after its e\acuotion by 

 the French, was placed under the command of 

 General Marquez, with 10,000 men; Puebla 

 was also in the hands of the Imperialists, and 

 Vera Cruz still remained in their possession. 

 General Benavides laid siege to the last-named 

 city, and Porfirio Diaz was acting with energy 

 in the neighborhood of Mexico, while General 

 Escobedo prepared for an advance upon Quere- 

 taro. Thus it became evident that the fate of 

 the empire was soon to be decided, as all its 

 available forces were concentrated at these 

 three points in nearly equal divisions, and at 

 each point confronted by a superior force of the 

 Liberal troops. To give still greater strength to 

 the cause of Juarez, Ortega, the leader of the 

 Republican malcontents, had been captured, and 

 was kept a close prisoner at San Luis Potosi. 

 Such was the situation of affairs when Max- 

 imilian suddenly left La Teja, and joined his 

 fortunes with those of Miramon and Mejia at 

 Queretaro. 



In the city of Mexico, General Marqnez pro- 

 claimed martial law, and issued the following 

 decree : 



ARTICLE 1. The signal of alarm will be given in the 

 city by the sounding of the great bell ot the cathe- 

 dral for the space often minutes. 



ART. 2. On the given signal all the inhabitants of 

 the city will retire to their nouses, and remain therein 

 with closed doors, and not go out again or appear at 

 tho balcony windows, or upon the roofs until the 

 alarm shall cease, which will be announced by the 

 ringing again of the largo bell of the cathedral tor an 

 equal length of time. 



ART. 8. Every individual, bo his rank what it may, 

 who shall infringe the foregoing articles, will be im- 

 mediately punished by the government, according to 

 the character of his fault. 



ART. 4. Consequently the troops, which will be 

 conveniently posted for tbe security of the population, 

 will receive orders to imprison offenders, and to em- 

 ploy force for this purpose if necessary. 



ART. 5. In like manner will be punished, or sent to 

 the tribunal provided for that purpose, those who 

 arm themselves without the knowledge of these 

 headquarters, who discharge any firearm or cause any 

 alarm by means of any detonation, who make any 

 demonstration of hostility, who use subversive ex- 

 pressions, who utter aloud alarming or seditious cries, 

 or in any manner excite the slightest disorder. 



ART. 6. The instant any firearm is discharged, or 

 any detonation heard, the troops will present them- 

 selves at the house whence the sound may have pro- 

 ceeded or where the detonation has been produced ; 



