418 



JTJAKEZ, BENITO. 



ties, and resigned, July 9, 1848. By the con- 

 stitution, the President of the Senate became 

 his successor, but with the limitation that, if 

 the vacancy occurred three months before the 

 fall or October election, the acting Governor 

 must order a new election ; if not, he held over 

 till a year from the fall election. Governor 

 Shunk's resignation took place on the last day 

 legally possible for giving an order for a new 

 election, and, as Mr. Johnston could not reach 

 Harrisburg until the 26th of July, he would 

 have been fully within the provisions of the 

 statute and constitution had he not ordered an 

 election, and, indeed, his authority to order one 

 might be open to some doubt. But he was too 

 just and, at the same time, too modest to desire 

 to usurp any powers to which he had not, by 

 the spirit as well as by the letter of the law, a 

 just claim, and, accordingly, immediately on his 

 arrival at Harrisburg, he ordered an election, 

 as being in accordance with the evident intent 

 of the constitution. He was elected Governor 

 at this election by a large majority. His ad- 

 ministration was one of signal ability. He was 

 a conscientious Whig, though not an ultra or a 

 zealous partisan, and he placed Pennsylvania 

 on the record as indorsing the protective policy 

 in tariff matters, and as disposed to do nothing 

 more in enforcing the Fugitive-slave law 

 than was contained in the strictest and narrow- 

 est construction of the letter of the law. In 

 the State he secured the perpetuation and 

 preservation of the colonial and State records, 

 and managed with signal success the compli- 

 cated finances of the State. He was a candi- 

 date for reelection, but his party failed to carry 

 the State, though he ran ahead of his ticket. 

 After retiring from office, he took an active 

 part in the building of railroads, the manufac- 

 ture of iron and salt, and the production of 

 petroleum. He was earnest and patriotic on 

 the Union side in aiding in the prosecution of 

 the war, was a member of the Committee of 

 Public Safety, and rendered valuable service 

 in preventing West Virginia from being over- 

 run by the enemy. He was for some months 

 collector of the port of Philadelphia. 



JUAREZ, BENITO, a Mexican statesman, for 

 fourteen years previous to his death President 

 of the Mexican Republic, born in Villa Ixtlan, 

 in the State of Oaxaca, in 1807 ; died in the 

 city of Mexico, July 18, 1872. He was of pure 

 Indian stock, his parents belonging to the 

 Zapotecos tribe. He was adopted by the Ar- 

 teaga family of Oaxaca in early childhood, and, 

 manifesting a strong desire for mental im- 

 provement, he was sent to the best schools, 

 and finally to the College of Oaxaca, where he 

 graduated with the highest honors. He then 

 studied law, and was admitted to practice in 

 1830, and the same year was elected a member 

 of the Institute of Arts and Sciences. He 

 gained distinction and wealth as a lawyer, 

 practising for some years in the city of Mex- 

 ico. In 1833 he was a member of the State 

 Legislature of Oaxaca, and about the same 



time Professor of Canonical Law in the In- 

 stitute of Oaxaca. He was subsequently ap- 

 pointed Secretary of the Supreme Court, and 

 after several years' service was elected a mem- 

 ber of the Mexican Congress, in 1845. He 

 took an active part in the proceedings of Con- 

 gress, and was a zealous advocate of the law 

 for the secularization of church property, to 

 meet the expenses of the war with the United 

 States in 1846-'48. From 1848 to 1852 he was 

 Governor of his native State of Oaxaca, and at 

 his retirement left a balance in the public 

 treasury. In 1853 he was banished to Cuba 

 by Santa Anna, and went thence to New Or- 

 leans, where he remained with his friend, Gen- 

 eral Montenegro, till 1855, the two supporting 

 themselves by the manufacture of cigarritos. 

 In 1855 he joined Alvarez at Acapulco, and 

 was a representative in the Congress, and Min- 

 ister of Justice under Alvarez until December, 

 1855, when the latter retired from the presi- 

 dency, and his cabinet went out with him. 

 Comonfort, who succeeded Alvarez, made Jua- 

 rez again Governor of Oaxaca, and in Novem- 

 ber, 1857, appointed him Secretary of State, 

 and about a month later he was elected Pres- 

 ident of the Supreme Court of Justice. By 

 the Mexican Constitution, this officer becomes 

 acting President of the Republic by the death 

 or withdrawal of the President, and, though 

 Comonfort had been defeated, and the presi- 

 dency usurped by Zuloaga, Juarez adhered to 

 his constitutional rights, and established his 

 government first at Guadalajara, then at Coli- 

 ma, and in May, 1858, at Vera Cruz. He re- 

 mained at the latter place till January, 1861, 

 when, his army having compelled Miranion (who 

 had succeeded Zuloaga) to abdicate, he entered 

 the city of Mexico. In June, 1861, Juarez was 

 elected President by the Congress which as- 

 sembled in the city of Mexico. He decreed 

 the dissolution of the religious orders, the sec- 

 ularization of church property, and the sus- 

 pension for two years of payment to creditors 

 of the republic. It is believed that these de- 

 crees gave rise to the difficulties with England, 

 France, and Spain, and the armed intervention 

 for the enforcement of their respective claims. 

 After the withdrawal of the English and Span- 

 ish forces, the French army remained in Mexico 

 in order to overthrow the republic and estab- 

 lish an empire. Having gained several vic- 

 tories, the French took the city of Mexico in 

 June, 1863, and Maximilian of Austria assumed 

 the imperial power, under the protection of 

 Napoleon III. In view of the intervention, the 

 Mexican Congress gave full powers to Juarez 

 to resist the allies, and on the 28th of Septem- 

 ber he issued a proclamation calling the nation 

 to arms. After the failure of the Convention 

 of Soledad, and on the approach of the French 

 on the capital, Juarez left Mexico City. He 

 established himself first at Cuernavaca; thence, 

 as the French forces penetrated the country, 

 he retired to San Luis Potosi, and was sub- 

 sequently compelled, for the same reason, to 



