53-1 



MEXICO. 



viction of security, and then renew the at- 

 tack. 



About the same time, General Ceballos, who 

 was advancing northward, was checked by the 

 rebels, defeated, and driven back near Mier, 

 with a small remnant of his army. These re- 

 verses were, however, partially compensated 

 by the occupation of Mazatlan by the Juarist 

 troops, about the 1st of June, and the conse- 

 quent pacification of all the western part of 

 the republic. The Congress adjourned early 

 in June, after having passed the tariff bill, re- 

 ducing the rate ten per cent, and the export 

 duty on coin from eight to five per cent., and 

 the bill granting "ample facilities" to the 

 President. About June 18th, General Rocha, 

 with 3,000 Government troops, reached Sal- 

 tillo from Sinaloa, uniting with General Fuero 

 and Colonel Leurilto, and forming an army of 

 5,000 men, to advance on Monterey, where 

 Quiroga and Treviflo, with the revolutionists, 

 were intrenching. General Ayala, with 400 

 Government cavalry, routed Vargas, at Tulo, 

 who had " pronounced," not many days before, 

 at the head of a few hundred men. 



The revolutionary leader, Gomez Portugal, 

 had taken up position outside of Matamoras, 

 capturing the mails, levying twenty-five per 

 cent, on the merchandise passing out of the 

 city, and committing other depredations. Many 

 merchants in Matamoras suspended their busi- 

 ness, for the purpose of avoiding the new ten 

 per cent. State tax, and an anticipated forced 

 loan by the Government. 



Early in July, owing to some unexplained 

 difficulties which occurred in the affairs of the 

 State of Jalisco, Vallarte, the Governor, was 

 compelled to resign. The journals of the capi- 

 tal were full of complaints against the usurpa- 

 tion of the Government, which had imposed 

 extra taxes upon the citizens. Business 

 throughout the republic was stagnant ; the 

 revolutionary movements still continued in 

 various parts of the country, and assassination 

 and kidnapping were everywhere prevalent. 

 The rebel Colonel Salazar captured the town 

 of Hanuco, near Tampico, with its garrison, 

 and shot the commander. General Palacios 

 was appointed Military Governor of Coa- 

 huila. 



The Government forces, under General Ce- 

 ballos, entered Monterey on the morning of 

 July 10th the revolutionists, under Trevifto 

 and Quiroga, having abandoned the place pre- 

 cipitately on the approach of two columns of 

 Government troops, under General Rocha, 

 from Saltillo, and General Ceballos, from the 

 frontier. Treviflo, with a considerable force, 

 was at Salinas, whence the combined cavalry 

 force of Generals Rocha, Revueltas, and Mon- 

 clova, had gone in pursuit. The infantry re- 

 mained in Monterey, recuperating from their 

 late severe forced marches. 



Monterey presented a most pitiable appear- 

 ance. Business had been suspended under the 

 revolutionists, in consequence of forced loans, 



and many families and nlerchants had fled. 

 The last act of Trevifio was a prestamo. The 

 United States consul was imprisoned for re- 

 fusing to pay, and his place of business seized. 

 Another American citizen was summoned to 

 pay $12,000 or to receive 500 lashes, and only 

 got off by paying $5,000. The entrance of the 

 Government forces was hailed with joy by the 

 population remaining in Monterey. It was 

 feared that the revolutionists had carried off 

 many prominent citizens who are missing, to 

 hold as hostages, or for further robberies. 



The inhabitants of the capital were in a con- 

 tinual state of alarm at the immense numbers 

 of abductions by kidnappers, who exacted 

 heavy ransoms for the restitution of their vic- 

 tims. One of the latter, a leading citizen, was 

 found in a subterranean vault, and, in the 

 house above, some documents, confirming the 

 existence of a secret society called Italia roja, 

 and composed of criminals of all nations. The 

 society was usually known, however,' as the 

 sociedad terrible. Numerous arrests were 

 made, and several of the prisoners received 

 prompt and condign punishment, having been 

 shot on the very evening of their apprehen- 

 sion. Much uneasiness was caused by the su- 

 pine indifference and non - attention of the 

 American officials to the murder of Dr. Yoe, 

 and the imprisonment of Thiele, an American 

 citizen. 



The postal authorities had again intercepted 

 correspondence addressed to the American 

 minister. The authorities at Oaxaca sup- 

 pressed letters, directed to him, which con- 

 tained statements regarding the murder of an 

 American. This was overlooked by the min- 

 ister, owing, it is said, to his very friendly re- 

 lations with the Mexican Government. After 

 discovering that the author of the letters was 

 an American, the authorities imprisoned him, 

 and, although he remained long in jail without 

 being informed of his crime, no efforts were 

 made to obtain his release. 



Negrete captured the Pachuca and Real del 

 Monte mines, the richest in the world. This 

 capture gave a new impetus to the revolution. 

 Pachuca is fifty miles from the capital. 



The people were growing tired of the anar- 

 chy prevailing, and believed it impossible for 

 Juarez to maintain peace. They demanded 

 that he should resign, and enable Lerdo de 

 Tejada, his legal successor, to assume the presi- 

 dency. 



On the night of the 18th of July, President 

 Benito Juarez died of an attack of apoplexy, 

 which had seized him in the evening of the 

 same day. General Rocha directed that the 

 national flags and all the Government ensign- 

 should be placed at half-mast in token of re- 

 spect to the memory of the deceased Chief 

 Magistrate. 



Awaiting the order of Congress for an e] 

 tion to fill the vacancy, the presidency of iii<- 

 republic devolved upon Don Sebastian Lcrdo 

 de Tejada, President of the Supreme Court, 



