16 



AMERICA. 



ington; but, when the annexation of Texas 

 was resolved upon, he demanded his passports, 

 protesting at the same time against that meas- 

 ure. In 1845 he was a candidate for the pres- 

 idency of the Republic of Mexico, but failed ; 

 and was afterward, upon the elevation of Pare- 

 des to power, appointed, first, Minister of War, 

 and then ambassador to Paris. He was on 

 his way to France when he heard, at Havana, 

 of the return of Santa Anna to power, upon 

 which he immediately went back to Mexico, 

 and, joining Santa Anna, took part in the war 

 against the United States, distinguishing him- 

 self at the battles of Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, 

 and Churubusco. After the close of the war 

 he entered the ranks of the Liberal opposition, 

 and for the second time became a candidate 

 for the presidency, but again without success. 

 He was solaced, however, with an appoint- 

 ment as Mexican minister at Paris, which office 

 he held at the period when President Miramon 

 was overthrown by Juarez. He returned to 

 Mexico with the allied expedition in 1862. 

 Juarez protested against his presence in the 

 French camp, and demanded that Almonte 

 should be delivered up to him ; but, although 

 General Prim and Sir Charles' Wyke, the Eng- 

 lish commissioner, were willing to comply 

 with this demand, the French commander re- 

 fused, and shortly after a proclamation was 

 issued by General Taboada, declaring Juarez 

 deposed, and Almonte invested with supreme 

 power in his place. He found himself, how- 

 ever, unable to organize a government; and 

 General Forey, on his arrival in Mexico, an- 

 nulled Taboada's decree, and announced to the 

 Mexicans that they were free to choose a new 

 government. After the decisive victory of the 

 French arms, Almonte became one of the tri- 

 umvirate to whom they intrusted the manage- 

 ment of affairs in Mexico, assigning him the 

 Foreign Department and the Finances. He 

 was appointed Lieutenant of the Empire by 

 Maximilian in April, 1864, and some weeks 

 later Marshal of the Empire. He adhered to 

 the fortunes of his imperial patron throughout 

 his short reign, and, wljen Maximilian fell, left 

 his country for Europe, spending the last days 

 of his restless life in exile. 



AMERICA. No territorial change affected 

 the map of America during the year 1869. 

 The Senate of the United States took no action 

 upon the purchase of the two Danish islands, 

 St. Thomas and St. Joim, which had been 

 negotiated by Mr. Seward, and had been rati- 

 fied by an almost unanimous vote of the popu- 

 lation of the two islands, and this scheme of 

 annexation may therefore be regarded as hav- 

 ing for the present failed. At the close of the 

 year, the project of an annexation of San Do- 

 mingo to the United States again assumed a 

 more tangible shape, having received the full ap- 

 proval of President Bae'z. In Cuba, the war for 

 establishing the independence of the island con- 

 tinued throughout the year, and in the course of 

 the year the Cubans were recognized by a num- 



ber of the South American republics as belliger- 

 ents. In British North America, the scheme of 

 consolidating all the colonial possessions, inclu- 

 sive of British Columbia, into one empire, re- 

 ceived the open and emphatic indorsement of 

 the British Government ; but the dissatisfaction 

 of the people of Nova Scotia remained unabated, 

 and a party openly advocating annexation to 

 the United States gained in the course of the 

 year considerable strength. 



The war in Paraguay was in October, 1869, 

 not ended, although a provisional govern- 

 ment had been established in Asuncion. The 

 strength of President Lopez had been greatly 

 impaired, but, driven from one stronghold, he 

 always had another ready to fall back upon. 

 (See PARAGUAY.) 



In other parts of South America the number 

 of civil wars and revolutions was somewhat 

 smaller than usual. The lawful government 

 was overthrown in Ecuador, and in San Do- 

 mingo, Hayti, and Venezuela, civil war raged 

 almost without interruption; but in many of 

 the other States the reign of order appears to be 

 fortified, and the beginning of a new era of 

 peaceful development and progress to be se- 

 cured. Besides Chili, the model republic of 

 Latin America, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and 

 especially the Argentine Republic, under the 

 wise administration of President Sarmiento, 

 enjoyed a year of peace, and in many respects. 

 a year of real progress. 



The Pacific Railroad was pushed forward in 

 the latter part of the year 1868, and in the first 

 months of the year 1869, with a rapidity here- 

 tofore unknown, and thus it was completed 

 long before the time heretofore anticipated. 

 The final tie was placed on the 10th of May, 

 1869, with as much display as possible. Many 

 deficiencies were complained of in the first trans- 

 continental road, but the intercourse between 

 the Atlantic and the Pacific remained uninter- 

 rupted. The important influence which this 

 connection of the two oceans by means of rail- 

 roads must have upon the development of the 

 resources of the continent, was everywhere 

 recognized. Numerous schemes of a similar 

 character are under consideration ; among them 

 is one connecting the Atlantic and Pacific 

 coasts of British North America, and another 

 connecting Chili and the Argentine Republic 

 across the Andes. 



While transcontinental railroads are bring- 

 ing into closer contact West with East, and 

 North with South, new transatlantic cables 

 are strengthening the electric communications 

 between the Old and the New World, and 

 placing their uninterrupted intercourse beyond 

 any danger from accidents. To the English- 

 American cable, which has now been in suc- 

 cessful operation for several years, a French- 

 American was, in 1869, added; besides, a con- 

 tract for the laying of a Belgian-American 

 cable was concluded, and negotiations for lay- 

 ing one between Portugal and South America 

 were in active progress. 



