Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/101

to Paso del Norte, a little town, the houses of which stand in a line along the bank of the Rio Grande. A hundred yards on the other side of the river the United States territory begins. It may be easily understood that, in a position like this, President Juarez (whose capture, however, would in no way have modified the resistance of the liberals) felt himself entirely safe from our troops. If a horseman came in sight, he had only to cross the river, and afterwards return when the danger had disappeared. Thus, for nearly eighteen months, Juarez lived on the Rio Grande, with the full understanding of the Washington cabinet. Was it possible to guard the whole course of a river running down from this point to the Gulf, so as to prevent his admission into their territory?