Pedro Santacilia

“ Even in our own days, although it seems incredible, the attempt has been made to prove that Juarez sold to the Americans a part of the national territory, under the pretext of a contract for colonization. What is strange, what is incomprehensible, is that the man who unceasingly struggled against three European powers, always defending the integrity and the autonomy of his country, is precisely the man who is accused of having entered into unworthy treaties, whether with a foreign government, or whether with private colonization companies, to sell to them the honor and the territory of Mexico. ”

“ We do not mean to say that the preservation of the integrity of the Nation does not form a part of our principles; but the susceptibility of our independence is hurt when we see the effort to make it a crime, on the part of Mexico, to do that which European nations do every day. We see that we are banned for an alleged attempt to cede two of our States, when no blame is uttered against the cession, for instance, of the two provinces, the acquisition of which has recently made the Emperor of the French so vainglorious in his speech at the opening of the legislative sessions. ”

“ What knowledge of Mexico, of its history, of its social condition, can a man have who, without hesitation, thus declares that there were slaves in this country when Maximilian arrived? If Cesar Cantú, in the full compliance with his duties as a historian, had consulted the books that had already been published about Mexico, he would have learned, as we all know here, that in December 1810, the illustrious curate of Dolores solemnly issued a decree granting liberty to the negroes ”

“ It is thus seen that at all times even to the present, the political enemies of Mexico, that is to say, the partisans of the Church and of the Empire, have sought to stain the historic reputation of our great citizen, by attributing to him the intention, and even more, the attempt to sell the national territory to the United-States. ”

“ «Juarez, as a Mexican, has, in my opinion, a stain which can never be effaced: that of having desired to sell two provinces of his country to the United States». . . . This accusation, made by a high functionary of a nation, and on a serious and solemn occasion, in which a statesman ought to be careful that his words shall carry the seal of truth, of justice and of good faith, is an accusation seriously grave, because it might be suspected that, by reason of his high position, he holds documents to prove his statements. ”

“ The great intellectual gifts which distinguish and recommend the historian Cesar Cantú have properly earned for him the merited reputation he enjoys in the civilized world; and we, who have always been his sincere admirers, are to-day the first to acknowledge that universal opinion. ”

“ The world already knows the attempts made by the Government of Juarez in Veracruz, and afterwards in Mexico, to obtain a direct protectorate by the United-States, which would have been the death of our independence. ”

“ Cesar Cantú wrote the following words, which we take up and accept as thet best defence of Mexico and of the immortal Juarez: "WHEN HAS IT BEEN SEEN THAT SOPHISTRY AND BAYONETS COULD PREVAIL OVER THE FORCE OF TRUTH, WHICH IS THE MOST IRRESISTIBLE OF FORCES?"
How can it be explained that a person who thinks so justly, and who formulates such a magnificent axiom, should fall into the errors that his history contains, with regard to events the effects of which are still felt, and which have been judged of in Europe with all exactnees by truly impartial minds? ”

“ The "Voz de Mexico," one of the best known partisans of Maximilian's Empire, while referring to the inaccuracies of the Italian historian, concerning the body of the unfortunate Archduke, in its issue of June 27th 1885, published the following:
"The body of the Emperor Maximilian and the Government of Don Benito Juarez.—It is difficult for a historian not to incur some historical error, however much he may respect the truth, however great his learning may be, however clear his judgment, however sincere his anxiety to present the facts as they happened. ”

“ The vice-Admiral said that when his coming to Mexico was determined upon, it was considered that it would appear better to the Government of the Republic that he should not come with an official mission from the Austrian Government, but only in a private capacity to fulfill the desires of the family, who through natural affection and pious feelings, wished to possess the mortal remains of the Archduke. That as a consequence of this consideration, he had come to México solely with a private commission from the mother of the Archduke, and from his brother, His Majesty the Emperor of Austria. ”

“ All the world then knew the attempts that were being made to secure aftewards a direct protectorate by France; and there were not lacking those who desired to carry the stain, to use the words of General O'Donnell, o£ ceding a Mexican province, as a gratuitous guarantee in financial combinations of a certain class. But amongst those men who thus lost all shame, and who thus stained their reputations, Benito Juarez is not to be included, if history is to form the impartial narration of events, and is to be the reflection of the truth. ”

“ They will repeat even to satiety that which so often has been said, that Juarez, as the leader of a demagogic minority, tyrannically imposed his will without having had, at any time, the support of the Nation, since the Nation, in its great majority, was Imperialist and gladly had accepted a foreign monarch sent by Luis Napoleon as a token of his benevolence. ”

“ So far are we from wishing now to formulate any charge against the persons who thought of recruiting a foreign force, that we have just said that we ourselves were among them. We believed that this was the last resort for the prompt re-establishment of peace; but we did not overlook its inconveniences, and to day we rejoice when we see that the progressive revolution, in its triumph, finds itself free from such inconveniences. ”

“ A historian so eminent as Cesar Cantú acting, as he ought to have done, with entire impartiality, had no right to make this grave charge against the historic reputation and personal honor of Juarez, based only on the statements of these two writers, when it would have been so easy for him to ascertain the truth by consulting the official documents, which were published eighteen years ago both in Europe and America. ”

“ An affirmation so false, when heard from the lips of a person in so high a position, makes us comprehend to what extent the systematic defamation made by the press and by intriguers has misled the judgment of persons who have the opportunity, and whose duty it is, to be well informed as to the affairs of Mexico. ”

“ In critical and solemn moments for the country, we do not think it prudent to sxcite alarms or distrust, or to attempt to depreciate the worthy citizen whose republican virtues, whose love for independence, whose sincere adhesion to our institutions are undoubted by the whole country, and whose constancy and integrity have contributed more than anything else to the re-establishment of the constitutional regimen. ”

“ We have not the right to investigate what may be the intentions of Mr. Aguirre. Conscience is a sanctum into which we cannot penetrate, and we are only allowed to judge of facts from what is patent and apparent in them. ”

“ We do not even remotely imagine that the documents which we have published, in other words, the true statements of the facts, will be enough to silence for ever the intemperate vociferations that, from time to time, are launched against Juarez by his political enemies. ”

“ If any one should ask permission to embalm or inject the body of Maximilian, or to do any thing else which may not be inconvenient, you will refuse to allow any person to perform these operations; but in such a case, you will order it, taking care that, without refusing to foreigners permission to be present, all shall be done by Mexicans of your confidence, in a proper manner, the expenses being paid by the Government. ”

“ It is not against te Mexican people that I come to make war, but it is against a handful of men without scruple and without conscience, who have trampled upon justice, governing by means of sanguinary terror, and who, to support themselves, are not ashamed to sell the territory of their country to foreigners by piecemeal. ”

“ And as a matter of course, there always will remain, without a satisfactory explanation, the imcomprehensible fact that this immense majority, formed by partisans of the Empire, as it was affirmed in Europe, having, as it had, the support of the French army and the sound part of the country, would have permitted that a handful of bandits, demagogues or men of that stamp, could cause the death of the so-called monarch in the Cerro de las Campanas, re-establishing immediately the republican institutions which the said majority had vainly attempted to destroy. ”

“ They did not know, as the Mexicans then did not know, that Napoleon had already taken his measures to convert that rich State into a French colony; a project which he afterwards partly abandoned, because His Majesty undoutedly understood all the inconveniences it presented, and he limited his desire to have a treaty made in Mexico between Almonte and Salas and M. de Montholon, successor of Saligny, by which treaty mining privileges, in open opposition with the laws of Mexico, were granted to France; privileges which were really a cession of Sonora to France ”

“ It seems proper to mention this confession made by a personal friend of Maximilian, who was decorated by the latter with the Order of Guadalupe, since the partisans of the Empire have often declared that Juarez was the chief of the Mexican bandits, and that, supported by an oppresive minority, he imposed his will upon the Nation without having had its support at any time.
Cesar Cantú acknowledges also that that war (the Mexican) was intensely unpopular in France, but very favorable for the banking house of Jecker." This declaration places Maximilian in a very bad predicament. ”

“ A especial car has also been prepared in which all this can be carried, and in the interior, as well as in the exterior, all has been done in such a manner as to prevent jolting during the voyage on land and by sea, from shaking the remains of him who in life was Maximilian Archduke of Austria. The Mexican Government has deemed it its duty, on this occasion, to appropriate the necessary expenses, and to act with the refinement and decorum corresponding to the Nation it represents ”

“ The body is very well embalmed; and although a thousand calumnies have been uttered abroad respecting the condition in which it is, we are able to assert that it does not show any important decomposition, apart from the natural alterations which ought to result after the cesassion of life, such as the darkening of the skin and the partial falling of the hair; but in every other respect it is in the best condition of preservation that could be expected. ”

“ The whole country remembers, undoubtedly, the afflicting circumstances which surrounded the Constitutional Government in the early days of its permanence at Veracruz, when dismay reigned all over the districts subjected to the Church party, and where, it is a fact, the liberals did not abound as they do to day. ”

“ Most willingly we comply with the request made in the foregoing letter. Our testimony can add nothing to the weight of the noble and sincere asseveration of the Chief Magistrate of the Republic. Nevertheless, we avail ourselves of this opportunity to declare that we have been induced by the firmest conviction to designate as a calumny, in the heading which we have given to these lines, that which the Chief of the Spanish Cabinet has uttered in his recent speech before the Cortes, when alluding to the present President of our Republic. ”

“ Under the influence of political hatred, whatever any one wishes to say may still be said; but every body knows now the historical truth relative to these acts of the immortal Benitó Juarez. [2]
Let us now look at the official documents relating to the delivery of the body of Maximilian, which, as we have said in another place, could have been consulted by the Italian historian, if he had desired to know the truth, and which were published here in 1867. ”

“ The doctors who have taken care of preserving the body, have been especially diligent in doing every thing that was within their power to counteract the destructive work of climatic influences which act against the safest preparations known to science to avoid putrefaction, and they have succeeded, for the body has not undergone any remarkable alterations. ”

“ That in Europe there has always been the greatest ignorance respecting the men and the affairs of this country, has been said by Don Jose Maria Luis Mora, in 1836, and repeated by Don Lorenzo Zavala in 1845. ”

“ Why did he prefer, without any correction-whatever, to reproduce one-sided statements, false data, and unjust charges, which, precisely because of their origin, ought at least to have appeared to him suspicious? ↑ The Spanish translator-of Cesar Cantu's work, when he saw the insults heaped upon the Mexican people, their public men, their army, etc. could not abstain from adding the following words in a note, which we copy: This manner of maligning a whole people is inexcusable; the affection of the historian for the deceived Archduke cannot be accepted as an attenuating circumstance. ”

“ A few weeks before the treaty was made in Mexico, Doctor Gwin, an emigrant from the South of the United-States, residing in Paris, presented another project to colonize Sonora with several thousand families from the Confederate States. Acoording to this project, they were to govern themselves as they pleased, independently, in fact, of the Government of Mexico. ”