Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell. (Received March 2) Vera Cruz, January 31, 1862 My Lord, I have the honour to inclose, herewith, copy of a despatch which I have this day addressed to Rear-Admiral Maitland, and the contents of which I have communicated to my French and Spanish colleagues. (Signed) C. LENNOX WYKE Inclosure Sir C. Wyke to Rear-Admiral Sir T. Maitland Vera Cruz, January 31, 1862. Sir, As there is a possibility that the negotiations in which the Representatives of the three Powers are at present engaged with the Mexican Government may end in a pacific solution of the differences now existing between our respective Governments and that of this Republic, we are unwilling to take possession of any of the Pacific ports until such negotiations shall be terminated. Under these circumstances, I have the honour to request your Excellency to proceed off that part of the said coast from which you can best communicate with the city of Mexico, whence the British Consul will forward to me any despatch, announcing your arrival, that you may send to his care to be transmitted to this legation. Should our negotiations fail in obtaining what we require, I will immediately inform you thereof, and will, at the same time, point out what steps it may then be necessary to take, with a view of carrying out the original intentions of Her Majesty's Government in reference to that matter. (Signed) C. LENNOX WYKE ........... Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell. (Received March 4) Vera Cruz, January 31, 1862 My Lord, All accounts I receive, both from public and private sources, prove that General Doblado, who, as your Lordship may remember, was invested with the fullest powers by the late Congress, is using those powers in a manner calculated to centralise the forces of the Government, and to give a death-blow to that Federal system which has hitherto been the bane of the country, and prevented the establishment of a strong and respectable Government. In pursuance of this object, General Doblado has named General Mendoza Dictator of the State of Puebla, General Ortega of the States of San Luis, Aguascalientes, and Zacatacas, and General Vidaurri of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon. He has also named a new Governor of the Federal district and a new Municipality in the capital. Doubtless ere long he will have filled other important posts with persons devoted to his policy. The intervention is thus indirectly bearing its fruits, and I trust that we may soon have in this country a strong and intelligent Government, willing to treat with us, and able to turn a deaf ear to the clamours of the mob. (Signed) C. LENNOX WYKE Back to Table of Contents: Booklet No. 8, Mexico 1861-67 Back to El Dorado List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by The South and Central Military Historians Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com