MEXICO. 



MICHIGAN. 



469 



On the same day the city was declared under 

 martial law. 



In the mean time the Mexicans in the interior 

 had been expecting the allied fleet at Vera Cruz 

 and Tampico. The general feeling throughout 

 the country seemed to be a spirit of hatred and 

 defiance to Spain. All the usual factions and 

 feuds in the nation appeared to be giving way 

 to the sentiment of united resistance to their 

 common enemy ; and their frequent remark was, 

 that if the Spaniards came alone they would be 

 heartily welcomed. No resistance would be 

 made at Vera Cruz. In fact, San Juan d'Ulloa 

 was dismantled and her guns taken inland. Ap- 

 parently a most determined opposition would be 

 made to any Spanish invasion of their country. 



On the 12th of December the Mexican Gen- 

 eral issued the following : 



PROCLAMATION OP THE MEXICAN GENERAL TJRAGA. 



HEAD-QUARTERS, VEBA CRUZ, Dec. 12, 1S6!. 



Considering that a foreign armed force has appeared 

 in the waters of the Gulf, and that the Mexican soil 

 may be invaded at any moment ; that, in such an event, 

 the supreme Government has ordered the evacuation 

 of the city of Vera Cruz and Fortress of Ulloa ; that it 

 ii the duty of every Mexican to rush to the defence of 

 the independence and integrity of the territory, I have 

 resolved to decree : 



ARTICLE 1. From the moment the foreign armed 

 force disembarks, of whatever nation it may be, all 

 communication is forbidden the citizens of this place, 

 whether from without, inwards, or -vice versa, unless 

 with a passport from these head-quarters. 



2. The transgressors of this regulation shall be con- 

 sidered and treated as spies, and their goods confiscated. 



3. Communication with the points occupied by the 

 invaders is also forbidden. The individual who shall 

 be apprehended between the lines of operations shall 

 likewise be treated as a spy. 



4. Those who should transgress, for the purpose of 

 furnishing victuals or other succor to the enemy, shall 

 be considered as traitors to the country, forfeiting 

 whatever may be found in their possession, all other 

 property of theirs besides being confiscated. 



5. It being ordered that cattle and all other kinds 

 of animals be withdrawn immediately from whatever 

 point a foreign force may occupy, all objects of that 

 nature, whicn may be found within a radius of eight 

 leagues twenty-four hours after the occupation of said 

 point, shall be considered as public property, seized 

 by the national forces, and sent to the nearest Govern- 

 ment storehouse, without the responsibility incurred 

 by the owner for his disobedience being interfered with. 



0. Within the period of twenty-four hours after the 

 publication of this decree, the owners of horses in this 

 city shall send them iuward to a distance of eight 

 leagues from the coast, or those who prefer shall pre- 

 sent themselves to the Chief of the Treasury Depart- 

 ment that he may purchase them for the national ser- 

 vice. Those who allow the twenty-four hours to elapse 

 without having done one or the other, shall be punished 

 in conformity with the laws and their horses taken 

 from them. 



7. Within the period of twenty-four hours owners of 

 mules shall present themselves in the Mayor's office to 

 give a statement of the number of beasts they have in 

 the city, and the places wherein they are kept. Those 

 who act contrary to this regulation shall be subject to 

 the same penalties as stated in the preceding article. 



8. The Mexican citizen who, failing in his duty, shall 

 not take arms in defence of his country, but remain in 

 the enemy's ranks, shall be considered as a traitor. 



JOSE LOPEZ URAGA. 



On the 27th of December four vessels of the 

 French portion of the expedition arrived. They 



were the screw ship-of-the-lino Massena, with 

 Vice-Admiral M. Julien de la Gravicro and 

 troops on board, and the frigates La Guerricro, 

 L'Ardente, and L'Astri-e. There was a rumor 

 that the English, in anticipation of a war with 

 the United States, would withdraw from all 

 active participation in the affairs of Mexico. 

 The apprehended difficulty with the United 

 States was, however, adjusted. 



The Spaniards remained in possession of Vera 

 Cruz to the close of the year, when the French 

 and English fleets made their appearance. 

 Most of the insurgent chiefs, except Marquez, 

 submitted to the Government. General Gassett 

 confined himself to Vera Cruz, and Uraga prom- 

 ised that he would not attack him there, but 

 that he must not attempt to move inland. 



MICHIGAN, one of the northern interior 

 States of the American Union, admitted in 

 1837, is situated between lat. 41 40' and 48 

 20' X., and long. 82 25' and 90 34' W. from 

 Greenwich. Its land area is 56,243 square 

 miles, or 35,995,520 acres. Population in 

 1860, 749,112. It is bounded N. by Lake 

 Superior, which separates it from British Amer- 

 ica ; E. by St. Mary's Strait or River, Lake 

 Huron, St. Glair River, Lake St. Clair, Detroit 

 River, and Lake Erie ; S. by Ohio and Indiana, 

 and W. by Lake Michigan, the Menomenee and 

 Montreal rivers, and the chain of lakes lying 

 between their head-waters. It is divided into 

 73 counties. The valuation of the real and 

 personal property of its citizens in 1850 was 

 $59,787,255; in 1860, $257,163,983. 



The Legislature of the State met on the 2d 

 of January, 1861, and the retiring Governor, 

 Wistier, delivered his annual Message to both 

 Houses, in which he took strong ground against 

 the right of secession, charged the President of 

 the United States with misrepresenting the 

 principles of the Republican party, and attrib- 

 uted the present sectional excitement to mis- 

 representation by the northern democratic 

 press, as to the intentions and designs of that 

 party. 



In relation to the Personal Liberty laws of 

 this S*tate, he said, if they were unconstitution- 

 al and in conflict with the Fugitive Slave law, 

 they should be repealed ; but said : " These laws 

 are right, and speak the sentiments of the people, 

 are in strict accordance with the Constitution, 

 and ought not to be repealed. Let them stand. 

 This is no time for timid and vacillating counsel, 

 while the cry of treason is ringing in our 

 ears." 



On the 3d of January Gov. Blair, the newly 

 elected governor, delivered his inaugural, and 

 maintained substantially the same views as his 

 predecessor. 



In discussing national affairs he denied the 

 right of secession, and in alluding to the present 

 condition of South Carolina, said : " If it could 

 properly be done, I presume the country 

 generally would be willing to let that restless 

 little nation retire from the confederacy for- 

 ever; but that cannot be without admitting the 



