over the republic. Discord in the capital among its enemies was the means appointed by God for the deliverance of the patriots. The only support given to the empire was from the clericals, who hoped that when Maximilian was firmly seated on his throne he would restore to the Church party their lost estates. But the emperor soon discovered that he had been deceived by these monarchists. The people had repudiated the monarchical form of government and were opposed to foreign rule either in Church or in State. Although very friendly to the priests, Maximilian chose to conciliate the liberals, whose power he recognized, hoping thus to unite all parties. To please them, therefore, he determined to sustain the national laws enacted in 1857. This gave mortal offence to the Church in Mexico, though the French priests who accompanied the court saw the propriety of the measure. Several of the largest buyers of Church property sold under that law were French subjects. The pope agreed with the Mexican priesthood, who declared that they were worse off under the empire than they had been under the republic. They finally gave vent to their feelings by excommunicating the French government, the French army, the French puppet on the throne and every Mexican who believed in Frenchmen.
Maximilian's independence had angered Louis Napoleon also, and his forces were withdrawn. This was a deathblow to the empire. Affairs grew desperate. The emperor's fears of a revolt among his Mexican friends were excited in order to draw him completely to the Church party, who alone could save him. Every effort was made to turn the tide by awaking the old fear of annexation to the United States, now at peace.
What with the curses of the Church, the distrust and
