The United States and Latin AmericaLatané, John Holladay
History
The United States and Latin America
Latané, John Holladay
Latin America -- Foreign relations -- United States; United States -- Foreign relations -- Latin America
For several months, Mr. John Forsyth, the American minister, continued
at the city of Mexico in the discharge of his duties. In June, 1858,
however, he suspended his diplomatic connection with the Miramon
government. Our relations, which had been bad under former governments,
were now rendered almost intolerable under that of Miramon by outrages
towards American citizens and personal indignities to Mr. Forsyth
himself. His action was approved by President Buchanan, and he was
directed to return to the United States. All diplomatic intercourse was
thus terminated with the government of Miramon, but as yet none was
established with the Juarez government. The ultimate success of the
latter became, however, so probable that the following year the
President sent a confidential agent to Mexico to inquire into and
report upon the actual condition of the belligerents, and in consequence
of his report, Mr. Robert M. McLane was dispatched to Mexico, March 8,
1859, "with discretionary authority to recognize the government of
President Juarez, if on his arrival in Mexico he should find it entitled
to such recognition according to the established practice of the United
States." On the 7th of April, Mr. McLane presented his credentials to
President Juarez, having no hesitation, he said, "in pronouncing the
government of Juarez to be the only existing government of the
republic." He was cordially received by the authorities at Vera Cruz,
and during all the vicissitudes of the next eight years the United
States government continued to extend its sympathy and moral support to
the government of Juarez as the only one entitled to the allegiance of
the people of Mexico.
Juarez thus came forward, in the role of reformer, as the champion of
constitutionalism and the supremacy of the state against the
overreaching power, influence, and wealth of the church party. He was a
full-blooded Indian, without the slightest admixture of Spanish blood.
In December, 1860, he finally succeeded in overthrowing the party of
Miramon and driving the latter into exile. Immediately, on reoccupying
the city of Mexico, the Constitutionalists proceeded to execute with
severity the decree issued at Vera Cruz nationalizing or sequestrating
the property of the church.
The most difficult question which the new government had to face was
that of international obligations recklessly contracted by the various
revolutionary leaders who had successively been recognized as
constituting the government of Mexico. In consequence of debts
contracted and outrages and enormities perpetrated, for the most part
during the regime of Miramon and the church party, the governments of
England, France, and Spain determined to intervene in Mexico.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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