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making any sacrifice, either of her honor, her dignity, or her independence, or of the integrity of her territory.
And although this has happened before our own eyes, there are still persons who believe, or pretend to believe, and say that Juarez intended to cede to the Americans a portion of our national territory!
In the presence of an accusation which, having been so often repeated, has become puerile, and witnessing this fruitless desire to stain the spotless reputation of the patriot Benito Juarez, we must exclaim with Cesar Cantú himself: "Conscience demands that the accuser shall prove the veracity of his charges, and here the accused demands in vain THE PROOF, THE DOCUMENT, THE COURT OF HONOR."
But the truth manifests itself in such a manner and with such force, even to those most blinded by error or dominated by passion, as to make Cesar Cantú himself confess, in his biograply of Maximilian, that Juarez, ex-President of the Republic, was. . . . THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL PARTY.” It seems proper to mention this confession made by a personal friend of Maximilian, who was decorated by the latter with the Order of Guadalupe, since the partisans of the Empire have often declared that Juarez was the chief of the Mexican bandits, and that, supported by an oppresive minority, he imposed his will upon the Nation without having had its support at any time.
Cesar Cantú acknowledges also that that war (the Mexican) was intensely unpopular in France, but very favorable for the banking house of Jecker." This declaration places Maximilian in a very bad predicament.
