MEXICO. 



487 



population, and the most submissive votaries of 

 the Church are the converted Indians. There 

 is an archbishop at the capital, and nine bish- 

 ops in different parts of the country. There 

 are 10 cathedrals, 156 convents, and one colle- 

 giate church. The annual income of the eccle- 

 siastics is valued at about $12,000,000. 



The past year lias been a period of continued 

 insurrections in Mexico; and, where the civil 

 government has remained uninterrupted, the 

 laws have been enforced with little effect for 

 the protection of life and property. The out- 

 break which occurred in Yucatan at the close 

 of the year 186V was speedily suppressed by 

 the vigorous measures of the Government under 

 the congressional plan mentioned in the last 

 volume of this CYCLOPAEDIA. Porfirio Diaz re- 

 mained in Vera Cruz to reorganize the local 

 government and to prevent any uprising in 

 that vicinity, and General Altorre* was sent at 

 the head of the expedition to Yucatan to crush 

 the rebellion. General Escobedo, on first hear- 

 ing of the outbreak of hostilities, threw 1,000 

 men into Tampico, and the neighboring States 

 of Campeche and Tobasco furnished a consid- 

 erable force of militia to aid the Government 

 troops. A decisive battle was fought on the 

 2d of February at Merida, between the Fed- 

 eral forces under Altorre and the revolution- 

 ists, under their leader Yillefana. The rebels 

 were utterly routed, Yillefana was killed, and 

 a large number of prisoners taken. This en- 

 gagement put an end to revolutionary move- 

 ments in Yucatan. 



A plot to assassinate President Juarez, in 

 the Iturbide Theatre, was discovered and frus- 

 trated in the early part of the year by the in- 

 terception of a letter passing from the conspir- 

 ators to one of the officers of a body of soldiers 

 which was in their service. The plot was con- 

 ducted by Colonel Adalid, who had been an im- 

 perialist officer under Maximilian, and the ob- 

 ject was to seize the citadel, secure the persons 

 of the leading upholders of Juarez's govern- 

 ment, and proclaim Carlotta Empress of Mex- 

 ico. 



Revolutionary movements and lawless dis- 

 turbances continued in various parts of the 

 country, but the most formidable outbreak of 

 the year was perhaps that in Sinaloa in the 

 months of February and March. An election 

 for Governor occurred in that State in the month 

 of December, which was attended with some 

 disorder and much alleged fraudulent voting. 

 Each party claimed that its own candidate 

 would have been duly elected if a fair vote had 

 been taken, but the election as conducted re- 

 sulted in the choice of Domingo Eubi, of the 

 Juarez or constitutional party. Much dissatis- 

 faction was expressed, and General Angel Mar- 

 tinez, who held the military command at Ma- 

 zatlan, declared the election of Rubi void and 

 proclaimed himself Provisional Governor of 

 Sinaloa, while, on the other hand, the Legisla- 

 ture of the State pronounced in favor of the 

 validity of Rubi's election. This at once caused 



a disturbance, and the Federal Government was 

 called upon to uphold the regularly constituted 

 authorities against the military pretensions of 

 General Martinez. General Corona was sent 

 from the capital to examine into the state of 

 affairs in Sinaloa, and made a report very ad- 

 verse to the claims of the revolutionary lead- 

 ers, in which he charged Martinez, General 

 Jesus Toledo, Lawyer Paz, Colonels Granados 

 and Palacio, the principal officers of the rebel- 

 lious forces, with evil designs against the tran- 

 quillity of the Republic, and accused them of 

 using the public funds to aid in carrying on the 

 civil distuibancea which their ambition and 

 recklessness had set on foot. On the 29th of 

 January Martinez sent a communication to the 

 President of the Republic, protesting against 

 the course of Corona, and defending his own 

 conduct in interfering with the result of the 

 election in favor of what he declared to be the 

 wishes of the people. 



A reply was issued from the office of the 

 Mexican Secretary of State in the form of offi- 

 cial instructions to Martinez as an officer of the 

 Republic, severely rebuking his assumption of 

 authority in the name of the people " against 

 the authorities which the people themselves 

 have just established." The "instructions" 

 continue in the following terms : 



The legislative powers of the State have had to sus- 

 pend the exercise of their functions before the violence 

 of arms, and the constitutional Governor has asked 

 the protection of the General Government, whose duty 

 it is to give it. The Government feels very sensibly, 

 as must all good citizens, the necessity of seeing this 

 repetition of military pronundamientos condemned 

 energetically by the national will. You, being a 

 chief of a force of the Government of the Union, 

 ought to have observed the. most strict impartiality 

 during the election of the State, and, once verified, 

 to give all the aid which might be necessary to the 

 elected authorities. In place of this, you have lent 

 your active cooperation for the purpose of obstructing 

 the laws and subverting the authorities ; you, believ- 

 ing it useful, for that object, to appear as separated 

 from the command of the force, have said that you 

 left it, without having previous authority from _the 

 Government, thus also violating your military obliga- 

 tions. For the same the President of the Kepublic 

 has seen fit, in reply, to inform you that by no means 

 can he recognize you in the character which you have 

 assumed to take as Governor and Military Commander 

 of Sinaloa, hut that, on the contrary, he can but give 

 you notice that at once you deliver up the command 

 of the forces to the military commander of the port 

 of Mazatlan, named by the Minister of War, and or- 

 der that you no longer exercise any political author- 

 ity, in order that the constitutional Governor may re- 

 sume the exercise of his functions. 



In case you are disposed to ohey these instructions, 

 the President also orders that you present yourself to 

 the Government in this city, and that the other chiefs 

 in rebellion may come with you ; besides, that no ob- 

 stacles be placed in their march, according as will be 

 communicated by the Secretary of War. In such 

 case the Government would allow every consideration 

 which may be possible to you and your chiefs, in 

 view of the fact that you submit to its orders, and in 

 consideration of the services which you have already 

 rendered. 



At the same time the Government has determined 

 that through the Minister of War, respective orders 

 "be delivered to the end that the necessary forces 



