Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Fortieth Congress
Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to transmit to you, for the information of the government of the United States, the copy of a communication from Mr. Lerdo de Tejada, minister of foreign relations of the Mexican republic, dated in the city of Mexico, the 9th of September last, and marked No. 14, with which he sends me numbers of the official paper of the same date, containing the official documents relating to the petition made by Vice-Admiral Tegethoff to carry back to Austria the mortal remains of the Archduke Maximilian.
I also enclose a number of the official paper mentioned, in which you will find the documents alluded to, and from which it seems that the Mexican government is disposed to permit the removal of the corpse, if certain becoming formalities are complied with in the case, by which my government manifests its willingness to allow the removal, if it is asked for, in a regular and becoming manner. I am pleased to have this occasion to renew the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
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I send you copies of the Diario Oficial of the supreme government, containing an account of Vice-Admiral Tegethoff’s petition to carry the mortal remains of the Archduke Maximilian to Austria.
You will see that the government is disposed to permit the removal of the corpse, if certain due formalities in the case are complied with. By this, the government shows its good will to allow the transfer, if permission is asked in a regular and convenient manner.
* * * * *
I protest to you my very attentive consideration.
Señor Don Matias Romero, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic in Washington.
The mission of Vice-Admiral Tegethoff.
We publish below all the official documents relating to the mission of Vice-Admiral Tegethoff, and the correspondence with the supreme government about the removal of the remains of the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian to Europe.
These documents will show that the government has given no more importance to this business than it deserves. They also refute the absurd and coarse comments of the foreign press, as well as some frivolous observations of the national papers.
[Untitled]
To the Citizen Minister of War:
The Austrian Admiral Tegethoff arrived at Sacrificios this morning in the Elizabeth, a war steamer of his nation.
He sent a message to this military command, asking permission to proceed to the capital to solicit the body of Maximilian from the supreme government, for the purpose of taking it away. I desire to know if he may be permitted to go to the city of Mexico.
[Telegram.]
To the Military Commander in Vera Cruz:
The citizen president of the republic learns that Admiral Tegethoff has arrrived at your port, and that he wishes to come to this capital. You may let him pass without hindrance.
[Memorandum.]
Señor Don Mariano Riva Palacio and Don Rafael Martinez de la Torre, who were defenders of the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, visited the department yesterday, to say that Vice-Admiral Tegethoff, of the Austrian navy, had come to Mexico, and desired a conference with the minister of relations.
At the fixed hour to-day, the vice-admiral, accompanied by Mr. Riva Palacio and Martinez de la Torre, presented themselves.
The vice-admiral said he had come to Mexico to ask the government of the republic to allow him to carry the remains of the Archduke Maximilian to Austria.
The minister of relations replied that he would present the petition to the President of the republic, and to consider it, he desired to know in what quality the vice-admiral presented it.
The vice-admiral answered, that, on determining to come to Mexico, he thought the government of the republic would prefer that he did not come with an official mission from the government of Austria, but only with a private message from the family, which, from the natural sentiments of affection and pity, desired to have the mortal remains of the archduke.
[Page 681]For that reason he had only come with a private message from the mother of the archduke, and his brother, the Emperor of Austria.
On being questioned by the minister of relations, the vice-admiral said he brought no written document, and only brought a verbal message from the family of the archduke; adding, that if necessary, he was willing to give a writing to say he had come for that purpose.
The minister of relations repeated that he would hand the petition to the President of the republic, and a reply might be expected the next day.
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Vice-Admiral Tegethoff, accompanied by Mr. Riva Palacio and Martinez de la Torre, came to the department to-day.
The minister of relations told Mr. Tegethoff that the same request had already been made by Baron de Lago, the Austrian charge, Baron Magnus, the Prussian minister, and Dr. Basch, the archduke’s body physician; that the government told them the petition could not be granted without an official request from the Austrian government, or a writing from the archduke’s family, soliciting the body from the government of the republic; that although Admiral Tegethoff, from his social position in Austria and his personal circumstances, is deserving of the consideration of the government of Mexico, yet he cannot be permitted to take the body of the archduke to Europe, because he has brought no document authorizing him to do so; that the President has authorized the minister of relations to say to Vice-Admiral Tegethoff that when he complies with the requisites, by official act from the government of Austria or from the family, asking for the body of the archduke, the government of the republic will be disposed to allow the remains to be carried to Austria in respect to the natural sentiments of pity; that the government has had the body embalmed and placed in a proper place, with care and decorum due to any corpse, from the natural sentiments of commiseration.
[Telegram.]
To Citizen General Mariano Escobeda, Querttaro:
The government has been asked for the body of Maximilian, as soon as he is executed, to be prepared for transportation to Europe.
The request has not been granted, but on account of the petition the citizen President of the republic has instructed you to obey the following orders:
1. As soon as the condemned are executed, if the relatives of M. Miramon and T. Mejia ask for their bodies, you may let them take possession of them as soon as possible.
2. You alone shall have charge of the body of Maximilian, and will allow no other person to do anything with it.
3. You will have coffins of wood and zinc made to preserve Maximilian’s body in a proper manner, and also similar receptacles for the bodies of M. Miramon and T. Mejia, if their relatives do not ask for them.
4. If any one asks permission to embalm or inject the body of Maximilian, or do anything else to it that is not improper, you shall have it done for them by Mexicans in whom you have confidence, and in the presence of foreigners if they choose to appear, and at the expense of the government.
5. As soon as the execution has taken place you shall take care of the body of Maximilian and the others, and preserve them in a becoming manner, after justice has been satisfied, provided heir relatives do not call for them.
6. You shall order that Maximilian’s body be preserved in a convenient and safe place under the vigilance of the authorities.
7. If their friends do not call for the bodies of Maximilian and his associates, you will have the customary religious ceremonies performed over them at the place of their deposit.
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Citizen President: I beg you to give me the body of Maximilian, to be carried to Europe.
[Telegram.]
To Baron de Lago, in Tacubaya:
The President of the republic has instructed me to say to you, in reply to your telegram of yesterday, which was received this night, that, for important reasons, you cannot have the disposal of Maximilian’s body.
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Sir: The prince who was taken prisoner in Queretaro wrote a letter the day before his death, signed by his hand and addressed to General Escobeda, requesting that his mortal remains be delivered to me and Doctor Samuel Basch, his family physician. Dr. Basch is to carry them to Europe, and I am to attend to everything concerning them here, as embalming the body and preparing it for transportation.
By the wish of the deceased prince, verbally expressed to me, his remains are to be moved without the pomp of ceremonies, avoiding everything that would excite the people or even public curiosity.
On repeating my request I beg you will give orders that the mortal remains be delivered to me, and I will comply with all requisites for their transfer to the sea-coast and on board one of the ships of the Austrian navy stationed at Vera Cruz.
I embrace the occasion to repeat to your excellency the protests of my high consideration.
His Excellency Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada.
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Sir: I received your communication of yesterday, saying that the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, of Hapsburg, expressed the desire before his death that his mortal remains be intrusted to you and Dr. Samuel Basch, to be transported to Europe.
As I have already informed you, the government of the republic, for good and sufficient reasons, cannot allow the body of the archduke to be carried to Europe. Therefore I regret to say to you that the government cannot issue the orders you request for that purpose.
I take the occasion to repeat to you, Baron, that I am your very obedient and respectful servant,
Baron A. V. Magnus, &c., &c.
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Citizen Lerdo de Tejada, Minister of Government and Foreign Affairs:
The undersigned, with due respect, has the honor to represent to you, citizen minister, that as private physician to the late Archduke Maximilian, I have been requested by him to transport his body to Europe, to be delivered to his family. The letter signed by him on the 16th of June last, addressed to Carlos Rubio in Queretaro, a copy (A) of which is enclosed, shows that such was his desire; also, one written the 18th of the same month, the original of which is in the hands of General Escobeda, and the letter of Colonel Ricardo Villanueva, which is enclosed, (B,) are sufficient evidence of his wishes.
I consider my compliance with this request as a sacred duty, and in fulfilling it I beg leave to request you, citizen minister, to order that the body be delivered to me; and in support of my request I will say that the bodies of his two companions in misfortune have been given up to their families by supreme command, and that the supreme government has never at any time refused to give dead bodies to friends who asked for them.
I beg you will reply to this my respectful petition, so that whatever may be the result, I can return to my country and justify myself before the family of the archduke, for having done my duty in requesting his dead body for transportation to Europe.
It will be a signal favor conferred upon your obedient servant,
The Citizen Minister.
Department of Foreign Relations and Government–Section First.
In view of your petition of yesterday for the mortal remains of the Archduke Maximilian, to be carried to Europe, the citizen President of the republic has determined for good and sufficient reasons not to grant the petition.
Independence and liberty! Mexico, July 29, 1867.
Doctor Samuel Basch.