Important From Mexico

    Source citation
    "Important From Mexico," New York Times, September 26, 1860, p. 1.
    Newspaper: Publication
    New York Times
    Newspaper: Headline
    Important From Mexico
    Newspaper: Page(s)
    1
    Type
    Newspaper
    Date Certainty
    Exact
    Transcriber
    Zak Rosenberg
    Transcription date
    The following text is presented here in complete form, as it originally appeared in print. Spelling and typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.

    IMPORTANT FROM MEXICO.

    The Defeat of Miramon Complete- Condition of Affairs-Interference of the Spanish Minister-Position of the United States
    [BY OVERLAND MAIL.]

    CITY OF MEXICO, Tuesday, Sept. 4.

    The utter rout of MIRAMON and his forces is no longer denied by his warmest partizans. The Dictator escaped from the battle-field of Silao, accompanied by four friends only, and we are now in the agreeable position of expecting to see ourselves made the last fortress of the clerical party in Mexico, which at the present moment has absolutely not a man under arms outside of this unhappy Capital. We know not what resolution may at any moment be adopted by the Government in its despair, but it is sufficiently certain that a formidable attack is looked for from the whole Liberal force, and that the city is to be defended with no sort of regard to the wishes or the interests of the inhabitants. Truly the "whirligig of time brings in his revenges." Six months ago JUAREZ was shut up in Vera Cruz and MIRAMON thundering at his gates. Now MIRAMON is entrenching himself in Mexico, and the whole country is marching against him under the Generals of JUAREZ. A siege-tariff has already been established in the city for provisions of all kinds, and all the grain within the circus controlled by the President's troops has been brought into the city. In short, our little Mexican Napoleon is apparently determined to carry out the plan which his great prototype desired to act upon after Waterloo-withdraw his remaining troops into the capital and defend that to the last. All this is very heroic, no doubt, so far as it concerns MIRAMON himself, but we who are the destined machinery of the defence may perhaps be excused for contemplating heroism of this kind, with more admiration in the history of France than in our own immediate experience. The Dictator's available force can hardly exceed 8,000 men, while we hear the most stupendous rumors of the numbers gathering to the Liberal standard since the recent victories.

    The Spanish Minister PACHECO is at the bottom of MIRAMON's present attitude, as we al believe; for it is only to the influence of PACHECO surely that we can attribute the conduct of MIRAMON in suddenly liberating MARQUEZ from the prison, in which he has kept him confined for thirteen months, and actually putting him at the head of a corps of 5,000 men. This man MARQUEZ is the evil genius of MIRAMON. I believe there is no doubt that the massacres of Tacubaya were MARQUEZ's sole work, and that he perpetrated them expressly to fix odium upon his rival chief. MIRMAMON has been threatening to shoot him every week since he was put into confinement, and he will bitterly regret one of these days that he did not fulfill his threat long ago. MARQUEZ once put into power, at the head of the main body of defence in the capital, will assuredly not forget his thirteen months' of dungeon and his daily expectations of death. i should not be at all surprised, indeed, if the upshot of the actual situation should come to pass in the surrender of Mexico to the Liberals by MARQUEZ. Provided they can pay him his price, I may even say that I have no doubt this will be the end of it all, unless the Spanish diversion at Vera Cruz should suddenly change the whole face of affairs. From America we hope for nothing, and even the worst enemies of America here have ceased to fear anything from that quarter. What then is to become of us? The question which to you is a question of politics, to us is becoming a question of life or death. Even if the Liberals destroy MIRAMON and MARQUEZ both, they will instantly have a Spanish war on their hands. Who will then stretch out an arm to rescue us from the anarchy which will thus become inevitable? Certainly not the United States, if we are to judge from the actions of the past and the language of the present. Our only sure hope would be in the determination of the better classes in Mexico to act for themselves, secure the "material aid" necessary, and reestablish order by an authoritative annihilation of all these distracting political factions. They have had and have provocation enough.

    Immediately on his return from his defeat, MIRAMON sent for ESCANDON, TERAN and three other millionaires. They went up to the Palace, were politely received, ushered into a handsome room, and then, after a little delay, informed that the President had sent for them to borrow $50,000, of which he had immediate necd. Three of these gentlemen (withhold their names) submitted and paid, each men his $10,000. The other two passed four days at the Palace; then, still refusing to pay the sum demanded, they were sent to the Acordada Prison, and there confined, to be released finally only on the interference of the Spanish Minister PACHECO!

     

    How to Cite This Page: "Important From Mexico," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/index.php/node/2262.