Mr. Corwin to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches Nos. 105 and 106, dated, respectively, September 14 and 30. They were both received by me yesterday morning.
In my despatch No. 13, of September 10, I informed you that M. F. Maury, formerly of Washington, would probably be appointed by Maximilian “imperial commissioner of immigration.” Since that time he has received this appointment, become a naturalized Mexican citizen, and been named honorary counsellor of state. J. B. Magruder, formerly an officer in the regular army of the United States, and lately a general in the confederate army, has also become a Mexican citizen, and been charged with the supervision of the survey of lands for colonization. Their scheme for bringing planters from the United States to Mexico promises even thus early to prove an almost complete failure. I mention these gentlemen on account of the prominent positions which one of them, at least, has held under the United States government.
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On the 13th of this month Colonel Ramon Mendez, with four hundred infantry and three hundred cavalry soldiers, overtook and defeated, at Santa Ana Amatlan, the liberal forces, amounting to one thousand men, mostly infantry, under the command of General Salazar. The imperialists took prisoner Arteaga, general-in-chief of the army of the centre; Salazar, the general commanding and governor of the department; four colonels, five lieutenant colonels, eight captains, and many other subaltern officers. They also captured four hundred of the troop, the armament, horses and park.
It has been reported here for the last three days, and generally believed, that on the 21st instant Generals Arteaga and Salazar and the four colonels were shot in Uruapan, No official account of the disposition made of them has been published.
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The second of this month, Maximilian issued an address to the Mexican people, [Page 461] which he begins by saying: “The cause which Don Benito Juarez sustained with so much valor and constancy has now fallen, not only by the national will, but before the law itself, which this chief invoked in aid of his titles. To-day even the little band into which said cause degenerated is abandoned by the departure of its chief from his native country.” He then goes on to say that the national government for a long time has been indulgent and prodigal of its clemency, in order to allow those who had been misled, who did not know the facts, to unite themselves to the majority of the nation, and place themselves again in the path of duty; but that this indulgence now ceases, as those alone who burn towns and who rob and assassinate peaceable citizens, miserable old men, and defenceless women, would profit by it.
In accordance with the idea contained in the above-mentioned address, on the 3d instant a decree was published, the first article of which declares that all those who may belong to armed bands which may not be legally authorized, whether they proclaim or not any political pretext, and whatever may be the number of those who form the band, their organization and the character and denomination which they may give themselves, shall be judged by courts-martial, and if found guilty, although it may be only of the fact of belonging to the band, shall be condemned to capital punishment and executed within twenty-four hours. Other articles provide for the punishment of those who may have corresponded with, secreted, or in any way aided those mentioned in article first; but I refer particularly to article first, as it shows that all those belonging to the armies fighting for the republican government will be shot if taken prisoners by the imperial troops. Article fourteenth grants an amnesty to all those who may have belonged or who may now belong to such armed bands, if they present themselves to the authorities before the fifteenth of next month.
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Some time next month, probably on the 5th, the emperor will leave this city to visit Yucatan; the empress will accompany him as far as Jalapa.
Your obedient servant,
Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, Washington.