General Porfirio Diaz, however, declined to accept the amnesty, save under certain modifications. On the 1st of August he addressed a letter to the president, setting forth his views of the position, and conveying covert threats of future opposition in case existing evils were not remedied, and satisfactory guarantees given that the popular suffrage should be inviolably established.[1] Alluding to the amnesty, he thought that the spirit in which it had been extended was adequate to the necessities of the political position, but that the terms of it were not sufficiently favorable. He moreover urged Lerdo to extend the time assigned for the election of president, in order that the towns in which the revolution had been developed might become settled, and calmly consider and cast their votes. Lastly, as a main condition by which to secure his coöperation in pacifying the country, he asked that an exception should be made in his own case with regard to the deprivation of position and salary as laid down in the fourth article of Lerdo's decree. In fact, while recognizing Lerdo as president, he dictated conditions to him, and hinted at war in case they were not accepted.
The president yielded in no point. Diaz was given to understand that no conventional agreement with him would be entertained, and that his submission would have to be made in accordance with the amnesty law.[2] By the end of September all the revolutionary forces, with the exception of those in Sinaloa and Chihuahua, had accepted the amnesty, and the
- ↑ 'Pero si no se le hace experimentar el cambio que en la política apetece,' he said, 'si no se reparan hasta donde sea posible los males ocasionados por la dictadura, y sobre todo, si no se dan garantías'sérias y prácticas al voto popular, la situacion presente accarreará una tregua, pero no la pacificacion definitiva de la República.' El Monitor Rep., Sept. 3, 1872.
- ↑ In a later communication dated Sept. 22d, and addressed to Gen. Carrillo, commander of the government forces in Durango, Diaz intimated that the conditions under which he would submit were: that a new amnesty law should be proclaimed, free from the restrictions contained in the existing one; that the government should initiate before congress a constitutional reform with respect to the non-reëlection of the president; and that free suffrage should be guaranteed.
