many necessary final arrangements. There was no railway then, and the
journey was made in a carriage. Maximilian preserved a gloomy silence
all the way. As the little party approached Orizaba early in the
morning, having passed a night in a little village on the way,
Maximilian alighted to walk down the zig-zag way which leads from the
plateau towards the _tierra caliente_. He walked swiftly and silently,
wrapped in a long gray coat, a broad-brimmed _sombrero_ on his head,
sometimes turning to glance back at the heights he might never see
again. While they were stopping at noon for rest and refreshment, the
eleven white mules which drew their carriages were stolen; it was a long
time before other animals could be found to take their places. Finally,
the sun was setting as they reached the pretty village of Ingenio,
outside of Orizaba. There awaited the little party a group of horsemen,
inhabitants of Orizaba, and several curates, who had come out to greet
the Emperor, followed by a crowd of Indians. Bells were rung, guns
fired, and his welcome was universal.
The Emperor stayed a week in Orizaba, during which Bazaine impatiently
awaited in Mexico his final announcement of departure. But Maximilian
was still hesitating. He was approached and surrounded by certain
members of the clerical party, who felt sure that the fall of the
monarchy would be their ruin. Among these was Father Fischer, to whom
Maximilian accorded the greatest confidence.
This man, of German origin, emigrated to Texas about 1845, and
afterwards, in search of gold, to California. He was at first a
Protestant, but converted, received orders somewhere in Mexico, and
obtained the post of secretary to the Bishop of Durango. He was
introduced to Maximilian, who was attracted by his appearance, which
betrayed great intelligence; he became one of the most trusted advisers
of the Emperor. He succeeded in surrounding Maximilian with agents of
the reactionary, or clerical party, who urged him not to abandon them at
this dark hour, at the same time assuring him of the hidden force of the
party, and its resources. At this very time the city of Oaxaca, defended
by Mexican imperial troops, was obliged to capitulate and open its doors
to Porfirio Diaz, the general of liberal forces. Yet Maximilian wavered.
It was difficult, even yet, for him to renounce the crown of his
visions. Moreover, honor, fidelity to the Church, prompted him to
remain, even to perish for that cause. Just then, to reinforce the
eloquence of Father Fischer, two generals, devoted to the clerical
cause, who had been in exile in Europe for two years, disembarked at
Vera Cruz, and instantly offered their services to the Emperor; these
were Miramon and Márquez, eager, as they declared, to open the campaign
again under the imperial banner. Maximilian, inspired by their discourse
and their promises of arms and money, hesitated no longer, but pledged
his word to the clerical party to return to his station, and resume its
dignities. Miramon hastened to Mexico to rouse the ardor of all the
partisans of the Church, and to set on foot a new army.
The Emperor issued a manifesto to the Mexican people, and returning to
Mexico, instead of going back to the palace of Chapultepec, took up
quarters in a modest _hacienda_ outside the capital, called La Teja.
XXXIX.
MAXIMILIAN.
General-in-Chief Bazaine, the envoy from the Tuileries, and all true
friends of the Emperor, heard with dismay his resolution to remain. His
peaceful abdication had been hoped for by all parties. Bazaine sought to
withdraw his troops, since withdraw they must, in as orderly a manner as
possible. Overtures had even been made with the liberals, in regard to a
successor to Maximilian, that all parties might be harmonized if
possible, so that the country should find itself under firm hands, just
as if there had been no French intervention, as soon as the Republic was
clear of French troops. But the manifesto of the Emperor rendered all
such hopes vain. The insistance of the United States and repeated orders
from France made it necessary to remove the French troops without delay.
French steamers awaited them off the coast of Vera Cruz, and the hour of
departure was fixed.
At the end of the month of January, 1867, the French army, in full
retreat, rolled out its long course "like a ribbon of steel" over the
dusty route between the capital and Vera Cruz. Cannons were broken up,
horses were sold for almost nothing, to reappear later in the ranks of
the liberal army. On the 5th of February the tri-colored flag of France,
which had floated over French head-quarters, was lowered; the capital
was freed from the occupation of the French. Moreover, the Belgian and
Austrian troops went too, for the Emperor was unwilling to retain them,
resolving to trust himself wholly to the arms of his Mexican subjects.
Meantime Juarez, much encouraged by the aspect of things and by
intimations of approval from the government of the United States, had
advanced from the north, where he had been lying in wait for better
times, and fixed his residence, with his Cabinet, which he always kept
about him, in Zacatecas. General Escobedo, chief of his armies in the
north, had reconquered that portion of the country as far as San Luis de
Potosi, and the greater part of the cities and states, abandoned by the
French, fell at once into the hands of the liberals.
It was thought best by the imperialists to advance towards the enemy as
far as Querétaro, and there the army established itself, Maximilian with
it, while Miramon advanced towards Zacatecas and surprised it, almost
taking Juarez prisoner with his whole government.
The Emperor was accompanied almost wholly by Mexicans, only a few
Europeans being about him. He was determined to excite no jealousy in
the minds of his subjects by apparent preference for those of his own
country. As for the French, they were no longer desired by him. General
Márquez was his quartermaster-general; his aides-de-camp were Mexican;
his physician accompanied him, Dr. Basch, who was a worthy and devoted
friend up to his last moments. Personally attached to the Emperor was
the young Prince Felix of Salm-Salm, who had been fighting in the civil
war of the United States, and came to Mexico, for want of other
occupation. He attached himself to the cause of Maximilian with a
devotion which became ardent before the end. Besides these gentlemen,
the Emperor had with him a Hungarian cook and four Mexican servants.
Thanks to the vigorous measures of Miramon and the clerical party,
Maximilian found himself at the head of an army of more than eight
thousand men. Among these were found the most active and valiant chiefs
of the old regular army, who showed great bravery, as did their trained
soldiers, but nearly half the troops were raw Mexican recruits, ready to
run away at a moment's notice.
Querétaro was soon invested by the army of the north under General
Escobedo. Daily skirmishes took place, which showed great daring on both
sides. The troops of the Emperor sallied out for provisions, of which
there was soon sore need within the besieged city, returning after each
attack to their quarters, around which the liberals were drawing their
lines closer and closer. The investment lasted two months, during which
General Márquez was sent by Maximilian to the capital for those forces
and funds which had been so confidently promised him by the clergy.
Márquez succeeded in avoiding the liberal army, but never returned, and
no reinforcements whatever were sent to Querétaro. He made use of the
troops and funds he was able to raise in the capital in order to attack
General Diaz who was advancing upon Puebla. Diaz captured Puebla, after
a siege of twenty-five days, and then turned round and utterly routed
Márquez, who, taking refuge in flight, returned almost alone to the
capital under cover of the night. Had he brought back his troops to the
succor of Querétaro, the immediate result might have been different, but
the fall of the Empire could not be long delayed. During this long and
trying siege, the conduct of Maximilian was admirable. He won everybody
by the gentleness and cheerfulness of his bearing, brave to a fault, and
exposing himself fearlessly to the fire of the enemy. Several plans of
escape were formed, by which the Emperor, with a few guards, was to
disappear from the city and place himself at the head of his troops
elsewhere, but these were generally frustrated at the last moment by the
unwillingness of Maximilian to abandon his brave companions, from a
delicate sense of honor.
Maximilian, at Querétaro, is described by the Prince of Salm-Salm, as
generally in citizen's dress; but when he stood at the head of his
troops he wore the uniform of a general of division.
He was about six feet high, of a slender figure. His movements and gait
were light and graceful, his greeting especially genial. He had fair
hair, not very thick, which he wore carefully parted in the middle. His
beard was fair and very long, and he nursed it with great care, parting
it in the middle, and frequently stroking it with his hand. His skin
was pure and clear, and his eyes were blue. His mouth had the
unmistakable stamp of the Hapsburg house, but not so strongly marked as
with some of his illustrious family. The expression of his face was kind
and friendly, and so was his bearing; even with his intimate friends he
was never familiar, but preserved a certain dignity of manner. He was
true to his friends and loyal to a fault, for he never could suspect
treachery in those who surrounded him. His love of beauty and harmony
was so great that he was easily captivated by handsome people with
pleasing manners, and he could not divest himself of the idea that a
fine human form must contain a noble soul. The strength of mind and
moral dignity he displayed when his misfortunes came upon him, and the
sadness of his fate, silence whatever criticisms of his course may be
suggested by the events of his brief career in Mexico.
The condition of the foreign army shut up in Querétaro became more and
more painful. Provisions grew scarce. Maximilian, with the greatest
serenity, accepted the coarse, tough food which was all that could be
had. The only hope of the garrison was in Márquez, and day after day
brought only disappointment, as no troops appeared from the capital.
On the night of the 14th of May, Gen. Lopez, who had the charge of the
most important point in Querétaro, the Convent de la Cruz, betrayed his
trust and admitted two battalions of the enemy into the citadel. From
this point they advanced to other parts of the city, where all became at
once terror and confusion. Lopez had been won by the liberals, but he
had not intended that the Emperor should be captured, and indeed gave
him ample warning that he might escape. With his aides-de-camp
Maximilian passed, untouched, by some liberal soldiers and gained a
little hill just outside the town. Here he surrendered to a detachment
of the victorious army and delivered up his sword. The horse of the
Emperor was brought to him, and the little party rode to meet Escobedo,
the victorious general. Generals Miramon and Mejia were also then taken
prisoners. Mendez, another imperialist, succeeded in lying concealed for
a few days, but being found, he was shot at once.
For a month Maximilian and his generals remained prisoners in Querétaro,
while their fate hung undecided in the hands of Juarez. Even then there
were propositions for the escape of the Emperor, boldly planned and
helped by ample funds; but he always failed at the last moment to avail
himself of them.
The Princess of Salm-Salm, an American by birth, was as devoted to the
cause of the unfortunate Emperor as her husband. She showed great energy
and courage at Querétaro, visiting Maximilian and carrying messages
between him and the Prince, from whom he was separated. She even went to
San Luis de Potosi to beseech the clemency of the liberal chief, Juarez,
or at least obtain a delay, but her pleading was in vain.
The decision of the President, which nothing could shake, was, that the
traitors, as they were called, should be tried by court-martial. The
trial was but a farce, the result a foregone conclusion, although the
cause of Maximilian was eloquently urged by his counsel, Mariano Riva
Palacios and Rafael Martinez de la Torre.
[Illustration: HEAD-QUARTERS OF JUAREZ AT SAN LUIS DE POTOSI.]
Maximilian met his death with great composure and heroism. He rose early
on the fatal morning, and at five o'clock mass was celebrated. With the
stroke of six o'clock a liberal officer came to take him. He said "I am
ready," and came from his cell, where he was surrounded by his few
servants, who wept and kissed his hands. He said to them: "Be calm; you
see that I am so. It is the will of God that I should die; against that
we cannot strive."
Miramon and Mejia came forward, and he embraced them both. On arriving
in the street he looked round him, and drawing a deep breath, said:
"What a beautiful day! On such a one I have always wished to die."
The streets were crowded; every one greeted the condemned Archduke with
respect; the women wept aloud. He responded to these greetings with his
usual gentle smile.
He made a short address to the Mexicans, of which these were the last
words:
"Mexicans! May my blood be the last spilt for the welfare of the
country, and if more should be shed, may it flow for its good, and not
by treason. Viva Independencia! Viva Mexico!"
Maximilian, Miramon, and Mejia were all shot at the same moment.
[Illustration: THE CONVENT OF CAPUCHINAS.
(Last prison of Maximilian.)]
Thus really closed the episode of the French intervention in Mexico. The
foreign intruder, encouraged by the short-lived intention of a European
potentate to plant the Latin race upon the soil of the New World,
abandoned by his instigator, betrayed by his few remaining troops, was
dead. There was no longer question of a foreign prince upon the Aztec
throne.
XL.
END OF THE EPISODE.
The city of Mexico, after the departure of Maximilian for Querétaro, had
remained tranquil awaiting events. The Emperor sent back immediately
General Santiago Vidaurri, who had accompanied him out of the capital,
with full powers to govern the city.
This man had been one of the chiefs of the liberal party, and had often
fought, on the opposite side, both Márquez and Miramon. As governor of
the state of Nueva Leon, he had brought its administration into such
good order that it was an example to the rest of Mexico. Disgusted with
anarchy, and disliking Juarez personally, he espoused the cause of
Maximilian as the best chance for his country of regular government; yet
he always remained a liberal, not joining the clerical party, and thus
was distrusted by Miramon and the rest, who kept him away from the
Emperor as much as they could. Nevertheless Maximilian, recognizing his
worth and his capacity for organization, entrusted him with the charge
of the capital. But Márquez, when he reached Mexico, after successfully
evading the enemy around Querétaro, instead of sending back money and
troops to succor that besieged place, assumed the position of lieutenant
of the Empire, and proceeded to govern the capital. Vidaurri withdrew
from the scene, and from that time was allowed no part in the affairs of
the imperialists; yet he did not escape judgment from the liberals, and
was shot, among the first examples of their government restored to
power.
Márquez was intended for the same fate, but he kept in hiding, and
succeeded later in escaping to the coast, where he embarked for Havana.
He then returned to Mexico, after travelling abroad under an assumed
name. He is described as a lively little man with black hair and sharp
black eyes. He wore a full beard, which concealed a disfiguring scar on
his cheek caused by a bullet wound. His cruelty in war won him the name
of the "Mexican Alva," but that stern old campaigner better deserves the
respect of posterity than such a namesake. Alva would not have left a
besieged city to fall a prey to one enemy, while he led his troops to a
futile encounter with another one more powerful than his own force.
The brilliant capture of Puebla by General Porfirio Diaz brought into
prominence this name, which has since been of the greatest importance in
the story of Mexico.
Puebla, after the departure of the French troops from the country, was
left in the hands of General Noriega. It had been in the possession of
the imperialists scarcely five years, and the courageous repulse of the
French troops on the 5th of May, 1862, was still fresh in every Mexican
mind, as indeed it is to-day, an inspiring example of their capacity for
defending their homes. Yet the imperialists held the city for
twenty-five days, in spite of the vigorous attack, at five separate
points, by the liberals. Diaz himself, with two companions, was buried
for a time underneath a falling roof, and thought to be lost, but they
were rescued after a few moments without injury. It was General Diaz,
with his troops, who took possession of the capital for the liberals on
the 21st of June, 1867. Assuming military command, he at once introduced
order into the city, providing corn and food for the hungry population,
who stood in great need of it. No persecution visited the conquered
imperialists, with the exception of the active leaders, who were
condemned to be shot or imprisoned.
The vigorous action of the liberal government towards Maximilian and the
imperialist generals, however, impressed the country with its inflexible
determination, as well as its power to execute its intent. The Republic
reinstated upon the ruins of so brief an attempt at monarchy, Mexican
rule, after the bold effort to ingraft upon the country a foreign
potentate, proved to have a firmer grasp upon the country than in all
its previous essays.
XLI.
THE LAST OF SANTA ANNA.
On the 15th of July, Juarez made a solemn entry into the capital. Many
good citizens of Mexico, who had watched gloomily the whole episode of
the French intervention, now emerged to light and rejoiced conspicuously
in the return of their legitimate chief. Juarez, all this time, had
never relinquished his title of President, but wherever he found himself
had kept up the state due to the office, and retained his Cabinet. He
was received with genuine acclamations by the populace, while high
society remained within doors, curtains close-drawn, except that the
women took pride in showing their deep mourning for the death of the
Emperor. The reign of French fashions and frivolity was over when the
troops of Bazaine marched from the town. There are still lurking in the
capital descendants of French pastry-cooks and barbers, who shake their
heads mournfully over the good old days, all too brief, of the imperial
court. A French flavor still lingers about the capital; it is welcome in
the excellent cuisine of the Café Anglais, and is evident in the
handiwork of certain Parisian _modistes_.
Peace now came back to the country. A general election established
Juarez as President, and order and progress once more consented to test
the good resolutions of the Republic. The first days of the new era were
tranquil, and all went well, in spite of the restlessness of generals of
the liberals themselves, who could ill bear to forego their inherent
tendency to disputing and wrangling. Above all, Santa Anna was still
alive, and it was not to be hoped that he would hold himself aloof from
a share in the prosperity of the nation.
He had retired to the Island of St. Thomas, and was growing old. Yet he
watched from afar every turn of affairs in Mexico. No sooner had
Maximilian landed at Vera Cruz, than he received a letter of
congratulation from Santa Anna, expressing his entire approval of the
French scheme, and his wish to further it. He even came to Vera Cruz to
lend his services to the Emperor, but as no notice whatever was taken of
these overtures, he became indignant and withdrew his countenance from
the new government. He went to New York, and fixed his residence in
Elizabethport, New Jersey, where he published manifestoes against the
Empire and the French, and sought an alliance with Juarez. The
President, like the Emperor, ignored all overtures from the Mexican
king-maker, who instantly turned his superabundant energies to
conspiring against the Republic, just as it was struggling to take up,
once more, the threads of order.
On the 12th of July, 1867, he was seized on board a steamboat he had
fitted out, charged with conspiring against government, and narrowly
escaped being shot on the spot; but more moderate measures prevailed,
and he was allowed a legal trial by a council of war. Doubtless
influenced by all his real services at the head of the national army,
which in time past he had conferred upon his country, and through
untiring efforts in his behalf by his friends and family, this council
did not condemn him to death, but a sentence was passed upon him of
exile for eight years. He returned to St. Thomas, much impoverished by
this last attempt against good government, and broken with years and
failure.
At the end of his time of exile, or perhaps, indeed, before its
expiration, he returned quietly to the city of Mexico, and died there on
the 20th of June, 1876, in his house in the Calle de Vergaza. He was
over eighty years old, blind, lame, poor. His last days were embittered
by his sensitive conviction that his great deeds were not appreciated by
his country. He was buried in the city of Guadalupe, without honors or
recognition by government, who, naturally, it may be supposed, retained
their fear of rousing the populace even by so dead a lion.
A family connection of Santa Anna has written a life of him, in which
fulsome justice is done to his good qualities. He says, and perhaps with
reason, that had he died immediately after the loss of his leg in
driving the French from Vera Cruz "this _benemerito mutilado_ had surely
left not one single personal enemy."
With great gifts of bravery and military skill, and with a love of his
country it is but fair to allow him, probably not possessing the black
characteristics ascribed to him by his enemies, he was at the best a
turbulent, troublesome creature, an exponent in his own person of all
the dangerous qualities of the Mexican character, which for so long a
time have kept the country far away from the true path to prosperity.
The character of Juarez, on the other hand, represents precisely the
opposite qualities of the Mexican race, inherited from his Indian
parentage,--endurance, patience, imperturbability. Calm in the midst of
exciting elements, he knew how to stand and wait for his turn. These
qualities, so useful to him in adversity were supplemented by executive
ability, good sense, and prompt action, which, when he returned to
power, enabled him to rule wisely without losing his balance on the
giddy height of success, like many of his predecessors.
His seat was not secure, and peace was not confirmed in emotional
Mexico. The restless population, untrained to any permanent government,
wearied of his rule, and early in his administration began to clamor
that he had been President long enough. This people, scarcely yet freed
from three hundred years of foreign control, found four years of one
liberal leader enough to convert him in their eyes into a tyrant. As the
period of election approached, in 1871, party lines became sharply
divided, and the question of his return to power was warmly contested. A
large body still advocated the re-election of Juarez, as of the greatest
importance to the consolidation of the Constitution and reform, but the
admirers of military glory claimed the honors of President for General
Diaz, who had done so much, at the head of the army, to restore the
Republic. A third party represented the interests of Lerdo, minister of
Juarez all through the epoch of the intervention, a man of great
strength of character and capacity for government. The argument of the
_Lerdistas_ was that re-election was contrary to the principles of
democratic government; of the _Porfiristas_ that their idol, Diaz,
deserved the reward of the highest gift of his fellow-citizens; of the
_Juaristas_, that things were very well as they were, and had better so
remain.
The campaign was vigorous throughout the country. The press, the
tribune, personal influence, were all at work in every state for each of
the great parties. The election took place; the _Juaristas_ were
triumphant. Their party had a fair majority, and Juarez was re-elected.
But the Mexicans not yet had learned to accept the ballot, and a
rebellion followed. The two defeated parties combined, and civil war
began again.