ALFONSO DANO, Minister Plenipotentiary of France to Maximilian, February 4, 1867

Representation and protest addressed by the foreign representatives resident in Mexico to Maximilian.

Señor: The undersigned, representatives of nations friendly to Mexico, have the honor to address themselves to your majesty in discharge of the sacred duty which rests upon them to watch over the lives and the interests of the foreign citizens resident in this country.

Your majesty will observe a novelty in the form of this note, but when you learn the object of it, all motive for surprise will cease.

At this moment, when the unhappy crisis in this unfortunate nation, created by the premature termination of the French intervention, appears to be about to culminate, it is necessary to declare it, we cannot expect any guarantee from the government of your majesty in favor of the subjects whom it is our duty respectively to protect. Only the most strict morality could give any foundation for our hopes that life and property will be respected in the sad days of trial of which the first symptoms already appear; and, unfortunately, the most reliable information that is afforded by impartial and honorable foreigners resident in Mexico for many years, corroborated by facts of public notoriety and by authentic documents, unhappily convinces us that your majesty is surrounded by men upon whom rest very grave charges for unlawful and shameful proceedings.

The president of your cabinet is D. Teodosio Lares, who presided also under the administration of General Santa Anna, overthrown towards the end of 1855. There were then ministers with Mr. Lares, Messrs. D. Manuel Diez de Bonilla, D. Ignacio Aguilar y Marocho, and D. Joaquin Velazquez de Leon.

The succeeding administration to that of General Santa Anna indicted the said ministers for usurpation and abuse of power, specifying, among other charges, that Messrs. Lares and Aguilar had extracted from the treasury, as an advance of three years’ salary yet to accrue, the sum of $30,000; that Mr. Bonilla had disposed for his own benefit of the funds proceeding from the charge paid by foreigners for letters of security and passports, and had even appropriated some of the furniture in use in the department under his charge; and that Mr. Velazquez de Leon transferred to his residence the funds destined for material improvements, and even a piano presented by an inventor who solicited a patent.

These records remain open, the accusation in force, and nothing has appeared in vindication of the accused.

The command of the armies of the empire is confided to Generals Marquez and Miramon. Your majesty cannot have forgotten, because the recollection is still fresh in Europe, and the parties interested are still suffering the consequences of the criminal outrage perpetrated by these two generals at the end of the year 1860, violating the seals of the British legation, and breaking into the safes and extracting therefrom some millions remitted there by the liberal government, resident then at the port of Vera Cruz, for the payment of the interest on the English debt, and which sums so taken instantaneously disappeared.

Nor was it other than these same Generals Marquez and Miramon, seconded actively by General Horan, who also figures in the government of your majesty, who were proved responsible for the cold-blooded assassinations committed at Tacubaya, in April, 1859, upon beardless youths, philanthropic physicians, and pacific citizens torn ruthlessly from their homes in the neighboring villages.

This painful review which the gravity of the circumstances and our imperious duty obliges us to present to the consideration of your majesty, sufficiently explains the reasons for our want of confidence in the aid and protection from your government which we have a right to expect; and it explains, also, the reasons why in this note we depart from the common usage established in international relations.

It is not incumbent upon our position whether or not it is proper or consistent with humanity to prolong a fruitless resistance, which compromises interests worthy of our solicitude; it belongs to us only to demand of your majesty, as formally and solemnly we do demand in the name of public law, effective securities for the subjects of our respective governments, which cannot consist except in the removal of the functionaries before mentioned; and in case that proceeding shall not be possible we shall protest; as from the present we do protest, against all acts of violence which are attempted to be exercised upon the persons and the property of said subjects.

Your majesty will be pleased to accept our respects.