turned away. He did what he believed to be his duty to his country. Maximilian was shot to death, with his associates Miramon and Mexia, in June, 1867.
Up to this time, though religious liberty had been formulated as law, it never had been realized in practice. The Church party, deprived of the Inquisition and of the Wealth which made them the landlords and the bankers of the nation, now found a stronghold in the superstitions of the people whom they had trained. When an avenue was to be lengthened in the capital, a large convent was found to be in the way. Congress ordered the building to be torn down, but the laborers employed, overawed by the priests, who threatened excommunication, refused to obey orders. Finding himself powerless to enforce the law, Juarez went to his old home in Oaxaca, drilled a regiment of Indians and came marching back with them to the capital, where they went to work with a will, unhindered by the populace. By such expedients as these, and in the face of many difficulties, Mexico at last was established on a republican basis.
Since the war of independence began, under Hidalgo, in 1810, ten changes had taken place in the form of government. More than fifty persons had been emperors, dictators and presidents. Repeatedly, two distinct governments had existed at the same time, at war each with the other. Secession of States was a chronic trouble; Texas and Yucatan were altogether lost. Both of the emperors were shot. There had been more than fifty revolutions and about three hundred pronunciamientos. The first great principle evolved from this chaos was that Mexico should be an independent nation; the second, that sovereign power should be vested in the people. The divisions in the great national party advo-
