MEXICO. 



535 



and, until recently, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 

 in President Juarez's cabinet, but lately in op- 

 position to the Government, and regarded as 

 sympathizing with the revolutionists. Al- 

 though he had remained in the city of Mexico, 

 he had taken no active part with the insur- 

 gents. 



The revolutionists had already resolved upon 

 making Lerdo de Tejada President, and were 

 confident they would succeed. 



The following is a translation of President 

 Lerdo's proclamation : 



Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, Constitutional President ad 

 interim of the United States of Mexico, to his fellow- 

 citizens : 



The unexpected and lamentable death of the illus- 

 trious President, Benito Juarez, a calamity which 

 has plunged the nation in mourning, accompanied 

 with sentiments of the most just and most profound 

 regret on our part, has, in conformity with the law, 

 made me, for a brief period, depositary of the Ex- 

 ecutive power of the Union. 



The duties of my short administration are con- 

 tained in the oath taken by me before the Permanent 

 Committee of Congress, and are in complete har- 

 mony with my most sincere sentiments, and my most 

 profound convictions. My constant rule of conduct 

 shall be a deep and inviolable respect for the Consti- 

 tution and the exact fulfilment of the law, in order 

 to the discharge of the solemn obligations I have 

 contracted, and to follow the only course which can 

 lead to the welfare and prosperity of the nation. 



I regard it as my especial duty to enforce the ob- 

 servance of the laws of reform which have strength- 

 ened and perfected our institutions. Those laws 

 made for the purpose of eradicating the capital vices 

 contained in the old organization of our society, thus 

 opening up the way to a most happy future, have been, 

 in their application and development, a remedy for 

 the most complicated evils, and the triumphal in- 

 auguration of true civilization. 



Besides the obligation which rests upon me of 

 keeping and enforcing the laws of reform, the con- 

 viction that they constitute the most solid founda- 

 tion of our social and political organization will in- 

 crease my zeal to the end that they may not be in- 

 fringed by any one. 



In pursuance of the provision made by the funda- 

 mental code on the occurrence of an absolute va- 

 cancy of the presidency, I deemed it convenient that 

 my first act should be to initiate the promulgation 

 of the decree this day issued, calling for a new elec- 

 tion. In this election the rights of the people shall 

 be respected, and free suffrage in its fullest form 

 preserved and guaranteed, without any obstacles or 

 restrictions whatever. All citizens and all parties 

 shall be enabled to act freely in the elections, and 

 the result will be acknowledged as the genuine ex- 

 pression of the public will. 



.Animated by this spirit, I have considered it my 

 duty to issue this day a decree granting amnesty, 

 without exception of persons, to all guilty of politi- 

 cal offences committed up to the present time. The 

 principal efforts of the rebels having been suppressed, 

 the amnesty may be granted without fear of preju- 

 dice to the law or the authorities, and is in accord- 

 ance with the general desire for the pacification of the 

 country, and with the deeply-grounded opinion of all 

 those who behold the disasters caused by anarchy 

 and the ruin and desolation produced by civil war. 

 A new electoral period being now inaugurated, am- 

 nesty is the only means of securing free suffrage to 

 all in the coming election, whether as voters or as 

 candidates. I have thought that I could not more 

 profitably exercise the ample powers bestowed upon 

 the Executive ; and that if, unfortunately, some still 

 remain who wish to afflict their country with the 



plague of war, and so necessitate the using further 

 energy to subdue them, public opinion will acknowl- 

 edge that the sincere desire of the Executive has 

 been to leave nothing undone in order to obtain the 

 supreme blessings of peace, and establish absolute 

 freedom in the electoral campaign. 



And, besides, several of the States are under mar- 

 tial law, a grave matter likewise connected .with these 

 important subjects ; and there existing already cer- 

 tain circumstances for the decision of the larger 

 number of cases, the Executive will use his utmost 

 and most earnest endeavors to prevent the continu- 

 ance of that abnormal situation, except when the 

 absolute lack of 'constitutional authority should re- 

 quire it, and this only until an election can be held, 

 or until the imperious necessity of restoring peace 

 should render it indispensable. The Executive hav- 

 ing been invested with ample powers by the Con- 

 gress of the Union, he intends to make use of them 

 only in extreme cases, or whfli some urerent measure 

 must be accomplished. He sincerely "hopes, how- 

 ever, that he will not be constrained to exercise 

 them to the prejudice of individual rights, which can 

 never be too deeply respected. 



The most precious of all, that of the freedom of 

 the press, which protects and guards the rest, shall 

 be considered by me as inviolable, as it was without 

 exception during the long term of my service as 

 minister of the illustrious President whose loss we 

 lament. If the liberty of writing should at all times 

 be unlimited, still more zealously should it be pre- 

 served during an electoral struggle. For the excesses 

 committed by the press, the most efficacious remedy 

 is the press itself, if it be enlightened and free, and 

 disposed to be the echo of all opinions and of all 

 parties. 



In administrative affairs I shall see that the prin- 

 ciples of order and of morality be preserved; and I 

 shall do my utmost to observe in the public expen- 

 diture that economy rendered so necessary by the 

 scarcity of the public funds. In making appoint- 

 ments I shall take into consideration honesty, ability, 

 and real merit ; and I shall be governed by this rule, 

 in my actions toward the present emplo'yes of the 

 Government, without entertaining or having the right 

 to entertain any prejudice in view of former political 

 opinions or parties. In the exercise of the supreme 

 power I shall not be the instrument or the represent- 

 ative of any political clique, but the representative 

 of the' nation at large ; nor shall I be the chief of a 

 party, but the impartial and disinterested adminis- 

 trator of the law. 



After the elections shall have taken place, and the 

 choice of the people been proclaimed by the national 

 representatives, I shall consider myself honored in 

 delivering the government into nis hands, thus 

 showing my obedience to the sovereign will of the 

 nation, in returning the trust confided'to me by the 

 Constitution. My acts will prove the sincerity of my 

 sentiments, and I shall take care not to depart in the 

 least from the principles herein expressed ; and that 

 at the termination of my short administration I may 

 aspire to the testimony from my fellow-citizens that 

 I have endeavored to do my dutv. 



SEBASTIAN LERDO DE TEJADA. 



MEXICO, July 27, 18T2. 



General Porfirio Diaz's private secretary, 

 when in Brownsville, early in July, denied the 

 authenticity of the alleged proclamation of 

 Diaz, which was published in the Juarez pa- 

 pers some time before, purporting to modify 

 the plan of La Noria, by making Lerdo de Te- 

 jada, in his capacity of President of the Su- 

 preme Court, the constitutional President of 

 the republic. General Diaz thus defined his 

 position : " Benito Juarez not being legally 

 elected, therefore Lerdo is President ex officio." 



