Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-eighth Congress, Part II
Mr. Seward to Mr. Dayton
Sir: I enclose, for your information, a translation of a note of the 20th of July last, which has been addressed to me by Mr. J. M. Arroyo, who calls himself under secretary of state and foreign affairs of the Mexican empire, setting forth recent proceedings, with a view to the organization of the new government at Mexico; also a copy of a memorandum which has been left with me by a person calling himself General Cortes, alleged to have been formerly governor of the Mexican State of Sonora. No reply has been, or probably will be, made to either of these papers.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Wm. L. Dayton, Esq.
Mr. Arroyo to Mr. Seward
The undersigned, under secretary of state and of foreign affairs of the Mexican empire, has the honor to address the present communication to his excellency the Secretary of State and of Foreign Affairs of the United States of America, to the end that he may be pleased to place within the knowledge of his government the recent important events which have finally resulted in the organization of an appropriate, strong, and durable government, with a view that the nation might be constituted.
This capital having been occupied on the 10th ultimo by the allied Franco-Mexican army, the first care of the general-in-chief was to issue a decree convening a superior gubernative junto of thirty-five members, composed of the most distinguished notabilities; and, moreover, another of two hundred and fifteen notables, in order that, united to the former, they might form an assembly of two hundred and fifty persons selected from all classes of society, and from all the departments, which, in conformity to public law and to the traditional usages of the country, should express the wish of the nation as to the form of government that would best suit it.
[Page 776]The gubernative junto having met, decreed the establishment of a provisional executive power composed of three members, appointing the most excellent the generals of division, Don Juan N. Almonte and Don Mariano Salas, and the most illustrious the archbishop of Mexico, Don Pelagio Antonio de Labastida, at present absent in Europe, and to act as his substitute the most illustrious Don Juan B. Ormaechea, bishop elect of Tulancingo, who, in such character, immediately took up the reins of government.
The assembly of the notables having convened in conformity to the decree of the thirteenth of June last, was engaged in causing to be made the important declaration in regard to the form of government, with a view to its permanent stability and the future happiness of the nation. The final result of their labors has been the solemn decree, a copy of which the undersigned has the satisfaction to enclose to his excellency, in which appears the following declaration:
1st. The Mexican nation adopts, as its form of government, a limited hereditary monarchy, with a Catholic prince.
2d. The sovereign shall take the title of Emperor of Mexico.
3d. The imperial crown of Mexico is offered to his imperial and royal highness the Prince Ferdinand Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, for himself and his descendants.
4th. If, under circumstances which cannot be foreseen, the Archduke of Austria, Ferdinand Maximilian, should not take possession of the throne which is offered to him, the Mexican nation relies on the good will of his Majesty Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, to indicate for it another Catholic prince.
This solemn and explicit declaration was received by all classes of society with gratification, and even with enthusiasm, manifested in such a way that the undersigned does not fear to anticipate its complete realization; and so much the more so, since he receives every day numerous manifestations of accession, notice of which his excellency will see in the official journal of the empire, which is annexed.
Consequently the undersigned relies on the moral co-operation of the governments which are friendly to Mexico, among which he has the satisfaction of enumerating that of the United States of America, which has given so many proofs of its interest in the happiness of Mexico.
The undersigned avails himself of this opportunity to offer to his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America the assurances of his distinguished consideration.
His Excellency the Secretary of State and Foreign Affairs of the United States of America.
Mr. Arroyo to Mr. Seward
SECRETARYSHIP OF STATE AND OF THE OFFICE OF FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The provisional supreme executive power has been pleased to address me the following decree:
“The provisional supreme executive power of the nation to the inhabitants thereof: Know ye, that the Assembly of Notables has thought fit to decree as follows:
“‘The Assembly of Notables, in virtue of the decree of the 16th ultimo, that it should make known the form of government which best suited the nation, in [Page 777] use of the full right which the nation has to constitute itself, and as its organ and interpreter, declares, with absolute liberty and independence, as follows:
“‘1. The Mexican nation adopts as its form of government a limited hereditary monarchy, with a Catholic prince.
“‘2. The sovereign shall take the title of Emperor of Mexico.
“‘3. The imperial crown of Mexico is offered to his imperial and royal highness the Prince Ferdinand Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, for himself and his descendants.
“‘4. If, under circumstances which cannot be foreseen, the Archduke of Austria, Ferdinand Maximilian, should not take possession of the throne which is offered to him, the Mexican nation relies on the good will of his Majesty Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, to indicate for it another Catholic prince.
“‘Given in the Hall of Sessions of the Assembly, on the 10th of July, 1863.
“‘TEODOSIO LARES, President.
“‘Alejandro Arango y Escandon, Secretary.
“‘José Maria Andrade, Secretary.’
“Therefore, let it be printed, published by national edict, and circulated, and let due fulfilment be given thereto.
“‘Given at the palace of the supreme executive power in Mexico, on the 11th of July, 1863.
“‘JUAN N. ALMONTE.
“JOSÉ MARIANO SALAS.
“JUAN B. ORMAECHEA.
“To the Under Secretary of State and of the Office of Foreign Relations.”
And I communicate it to you for your knowledge and consequent purposes.
Hon. William H. Seward.
Mr. Arroyo to Mr. Seward
SECRETARYSHIP OF STATE AND OF THE OFFICE OF FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The provisional supreme executive power has been pleased to address me the following decree:
“The provisional supreme executive power of the nation to the inhabitants thereof: Know ye, that the Assembly of Notables has thought fit to decree as follows:
“‘The Assembly of Notables, in view of the decree of this date, has thought fit to decree:
“‘Until the arrival of the sovereign the persons appointed, by decree of 22d of June last, to form the provisional government, shall exercise the power in the very terms established by the decree referred to, with the character of regency of the Mexican empire.
“‘Given in the Hall of Sessions of the Assembly on the 11th of July, 1863.
“‘TEODOSIO LARES, President.
“‘Alejandro Arango y Escandon, Secretary.
“‘Josè Maria Andrade, Secretary.’
[Page 778]“Therefore, let it be printed, published, and circulated, and let due fulfilment be given thereto.
“Given at the palace of the supreme executive power in Mexico, on the 11th of July, 1863.
“JUAN N. ALMONTE.
“JOSÉ MARIANO DE SALAS.
“JUAN B. ORMAECHEA.
“To the Under Secretary of State and of the Office of Foreign Relations.
“DON J. MIGUEL ARROYO.”
And I communicate it to you for your knowledge and consequent purposes.
Hon. William H. Seward.