enthusiasm, however. On taking the vote the empire was upheld, but by a not very decided expression of confidence.[1]
Maximilian accepted. If deceived, as his sympathizers hastened to avow, he must have been blind indeed. The truth is, that pride and fancied honor bade him stay. He could less afford to recede now than after the conference at Orizaba. A proof of his miserable condition came at once in the desperate effort required to collect a forced loan of a million. Only a part of the sum was obtained, and a contribution of one per cent had to be imposed.[2] On the other hand, came news that Miramon had triumphantly penetrated to the capital of Zacatecas, and had nearly succeeded in capturing Juarez.[3]
Exultation was speedily checked, however. Miramon did not propose to advance farther in this direction with his present force. Satisfied with a forced
- ↑ Among the members present were the archbishop and the prelate of San Luis Potosí. There were 36 in all, of whom a bare majority sustained the empire, yet not without some wavering; the rest either abstained from voting or declared for abdication. Remembering that the council was composed almost wholly of friends of the ministry, whose interest it was to uphold the empire at any price, the value of the vote is obvious. Marquez said there were enough men and means to continue the fight; the present aspect was but a phase of civil war. Cortés y Esparza asked pertinently where the eleven millions could be found, and whether the 26,000 men were soldiers or only armed men. Aguirre declared that men could be levied and money extorted. Marin maintained that the country really desired imperial rule. Bazaine intimated that he had found it different, and impossible to gain the end in view with the superior forces at his command. The two prelates would not express an opinion on a point involving civil war. Both Rivera, Hist. Jal., v. 703, and Domenech, Hist. Mex., iii. 411, intimate a vote in the affirmative of two thirds. The Ère Nouvelle, Jan. 18, 1867, etc., after a full account of the proceedings, places the affirmative, against any change, at 25. La Sociedad gives the opposing vote at only 4 or 5; Cronista avoids figures. Kératry, 289, assumes that 4 only opposed the empire. See also Lefêvre, Doc., ii. 362-3. Pájaro Verde, Jan. 17th, quotes briefly other journals. Arrangoiz, iv. 232-8, is non-committal, and wastes his pages on a vapid speech of Arango. 'Mismo dictámen,' is Maximilian's comments on the result. Basch, i. 165.
- ↑ The foreign representatives protested in vain, and alluded to the struggle as vain. See comments in Constitucional, Dec. 20, 1867. The finance measures proposed at Orizaba, as enumerated by Basch, i. 136-7, remained in abeyance.
- ↑ On Jan. 27, 1867. Gov. Auza was not sufficiently strong to resist the 2,500 men of Miramon, including 350 Frenchmen, and beat a retreat, covering the escape of Juarez. Republicans claim an orderly retreat with artillery. Estrella de Occid., March 1, 1867. Not so imperialists. Salm-Salm, Diary, i. 35-6, speaks of French excesses. A large contribution was exacted. Aguascalientes had yielded without resistance. Gonzalez, Hist. Aguas., 375.
