536 



MEXICO. 



"The adherents of Lerdo," added Diaz's sec- 

 retary, " agree to this definition of the pact, 

 but are reluctant to rise in arms, as they wish 

 to avoid the extension of civil war, and would 

 only engage in active hostilities as a last resort 

 against the growing despotism of the Juarez 

 government. The Lerdistas represent the 

 wealth and intelligence of the country, and, if 

 they can only be induced to pronounce, will 

 dictate terms to the government of Juarez. 

 They would probably not see and endure the 

 complete triumph of Juarez without pronoun- 

 cing against him. Meanwhile, the revolution- 

 ists, now under arms are willing to fight their 

 battles." 



The Legislature *f Sonora ratified a con- 

 cession to a California company, for a rail- 

 road from G-uaymas to Tucson, Arizona, and 

 United States Consul Willard proceeded to the 

 city of Mexico with the documents, for the sig- 

 nature of the President. 



The Government forces having been gener- 

 ally withdrawn from San Luis Potosi when 

 General Rocha advanced on Monterey, the rev- 

 olutionary General Martinez took the opportu- 

 nity to attack San Luis with about 600 caval- 

 ry ; but, after a fight of several hours, he was 

 repulsed by the National Guards and citizens, 

 with considerable loss. General Rocha dis- 

 patched a cavalry force in pursuit of Marti- 

 nez. Both parties at Monterey were inactive. 



The revolution in the State of Tamaulipas 

 having been suppressed, the whole frontier of 

 the States of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila in 

 possession of the Government, leaving the in- 

 surgents without a port or single point of im- 

 portance, and the country being practically 

 pacified, the military authorities issued, July 

 23d, a proclamation raising the state of siege, 

 annulling martial law, abolishing the passport 

 system and other military restrictions, which 

 had prevailed for several months, and restoring 

 the civil rule. 



Guadalajara pronounced against Governor 

 Corona, who was driven out by the inhabitants. 



General Rocha levied a forced loan of $80,- 

 000 on the merchants of Monterey, payable 

 with his drafts, principally on the treasury bal- 

 ance of dues recorded against the Monterey 

 custom-house. 



At the end of July the country was in a 

 more deplorable condition than ever before. 

 The custom-house at Vera Cruz was indebted 

 to the merchants in the amount of half a mill- 

 ion dollars ; Tampioo also owed a large sum 

 to the same class ; and Matamoras had a like 

 difficulty and money burden. 



General Rooha issued a proclamation at 

 Monterey favoring peace and amnesty to the 

 late insurgents. Numbers of prominent revo- 

 lutionists, who had been refugees in Texas, 

 obtained permission to return with their fam- 

 ilies to Mexico. 



The stage-coach and mail services were re- 

 sumed before the end of July. 



The new tariff, increasing the rate of duties, 



was suspended on the Matamoras frontier for 

 two months, counting from July 24th, and 

 goods imp9rted were permitted to enter under 

 the old rates for that time. The change was 

 made on account of the suspension of business 

 caused by the recent revolution. 



Juarez's remains were interred in the Pan- 

 theon. The funeral was an imposing specta- 

 cle ; the houses were draped with mourning ; 

 and fully 100,000 spectators lined the streets 

 through which passed the cortege, with num- 

 berless emblems of grief. The greater portion 

 of the foreigners in the capital were present at 

 the ceremonies, as were likewise all the foreign 

 diplomats and public officers, and suitable ad- 

 dresses were made by Mr. Nelson, the United 

 States minister, and by Sefior Vigil, for the 

 editorial fraternity of the Mexican capital. 



Angel Iturbide, a son of the ex-Emperor, died 

 at Mexico on the same day as Juarez, leaving a 

 widow and one son. 



President Lerdo issued a decree of general 

 amnesty to all political prisoners, save those 

 having held the rank of lieutenant-general 

 under the empire of Maximilian. He likewise 

 voluntarily ordered an investigation of the 

 outrages committed on American citizens in 

 Chiapas. 



A commission was appointed by the United 

 States Government to inquire into the cause 

 and nature of the excesses committed on the 

 American frontier by Mexican soldiery. At a 

 meeting which took place, August 1st, at 

 Brownsville, Texas, the following facts were 

 elicited : That Cortina had been sent to the 

 Rio Grande with full power, and the civil au- 

 thorities were powerless under him. Palacios, 

 the military commander at Matamoras, ac- 

 knowledged last year the fact of serious depre- 

 dations, but was overridden by Cortina. Jua- 

 rez was fully aware of the studied misconduct 

 of Cortina, and of his feeding his troops on 

 stolen beef, taking stolen herds from civil au- 

 thorities without accountability. Seven herds 

 had been sold in Camargo, and the proceeds 

 applied to school funds of the Mexican Govern- 

 ment. Civil law was a mere farce. Cortina'3 

 regular soldiers were receiving cattle on the 

 Mexican side, and organized agents of Cortina 

 were driving cattle to the bank, there to re- 

 ceive the assistance of the soldiers in crossing. 

 Eighty miles of a rich frontier were vacant 

 under the scourge of the Kickapoos. Texan 

 rancheros were obliged to fortify and barri- 

 cade. Well-known brands of cattle had been 

 and were still sent into the interior, and others 

 sold openly in Camargo. Cortina himself had 

 been seen in the corral receiving stolen herds, 

 and selling the hides and beef, and pocketing 

 the money. Cortina became suddenly rich by 

 the robbery of several well-stocked ranches ; 

 he had at that time $300,000 deposited in 

 England. Full copies of the official reports 

 were in Juarez's possession, including the ac- 

 knowledgment of General Palacios of the dis- 

 graceful implication of agents of the Mexican 



