150 Years Ago: Maury Has Opposition to Immigration Plans

SEPTEMBER 26TH, 1865:  Several of Maximilian's ministers objected to Maury's immigration plans and effectively stalled them.  Maury, unaccustomed to having his pans derailed, took shortcuts through the imperial household.  Empress Carlotta handled many of these plans.

This date she agreed to Maury's request to have former Major General Bankhead Magruder appointed to head a land office at a salary of $3,000  a year, with a large number of surveyors under him who were needed to assist in the classification of land titles.

Magruder, a native of Virginia, had graduated from West Point, and served in the United States Army with distinction until 1861, then serving ably in the Confederate Army.  He had announced that he would bring his family to Mexico to live.

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: Maury to Direct Mexico's National Observatory

SEPTEMBER 22, 1865:  Planning to build a National Observatory and wanting to have the right man on hand to direct it, Emperor Maximilian appointed ex-Commander Maury, CSN, one time world famous head of the U.S. Naval Observatory while a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, as "Director of the National Observatory."

The Right Man for the Right Job.  --Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: Maury Appointed Honorary Counselor of Mexico

SEPTEMBER 18TH, 1865:  Emperor Maximilian of mexico issued an imperial decree appointing Matthew Fontaine Maury as "Honorary Counselor of the State."

Maury was becoming more and more the trusted confidant of both the Emperor and Empress, which did not help him with the rest of the administration.

--Old B-Runer

150 Years Ago: Approves Maury's Confederate Immigration Pamphlet-- Part 2

"'Certainly,' said he.  Then he said, I wish you to continue the conversation with te Empress; I have something pressing to do.  She will make notes, give me verbal explanations, and have it all ready for me by four o'clock in the morning, when I will attend to it.'

"Carlotta was walking in the garden.  he referred me to some books on the table, and went to look for her.  She came, and we commenced discussing matters, she making notes nearly as fast as I could talk... we discussed, with approbation, my going to see you [Maury's wife]; the appointments of agents in the South and their salaries, and the organization of a land office.

"She is very clever, practical and businesslike.  I told her I though she could do more business in a day than all of the Ministers put together could do in a week.  She said, "'I believe I could.'"

A low Opinion of Mexican Ministers.  --Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago: Maximilian Approves Maury's Confederate Immigration Pamphlet-- Part 1

SEPTEMBER 11TH, 1865:  Emperor Maximilian approved Maury's "Regulations and Instruction" prepared to accompany the immigration decree.  The pamphlet provided general information on Mexico's climate, topography, mineral wealth and agricultural possibilities.

That evening after dinner with the royal family, in private conference with the Emperor, Maury told him:  "I can't manage immigration through Ministers.  I must transact business with you directly, and not through them; nor must they have anything to do with it.  'That's what I intend,' said he.  said I, 'I have not seen my wife and children for three years; I want to be quick, organize immigration, and take the steamer of 13th November for France.""

--Old B-Runner

Maury Continues With Mexico Colonization Plan

SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2015:  Steadily proceeding  with the colonization plan proposed by Matthew Maury, whom he deeply respected, Emperor Maximilian issued a decree which began:  "We, Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, in consideration of the sparseness of the population in the Mexican territory, in proportion to its extent, desiring to give all immigrants all possible security for property and liberty...do decree as follow:

:"Mexico is open to immigrants of all nations.  Immigration agents shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to protect the arrival of immigrants, install them on the lands assigned them, and assist them in every possible way in establishing themselves. These agents will receive the orders of the Imperial Commissioner of Immigrants, especially appointed by us,  and to whom all the communications relative to immigration shall be addressed."

In other words, the way was open for Confederate immigration to Mexico.

--Old B-R'er

Maury's Family Urge Against It As Well

The members of Matthew Fontaine Maury's family again urged him to abandon his plan of Mexican colonization and go to Russia, accepting the invitation of the Grand Duke Constantine, or go to France where Napoleon III had invited him to live.

Many nations sought the great mind of Maury, leading naval scientist of his time.  Before the Civil War he was the most honored and possibly most noted living American among other nations of the world.

--Old B-R'er

Friends Tell Maury to Forget About Colonizing Mexico

AUGUST 19TH, 1865:  Matthew Fontaine Maury's friend, Captain Martin Jansen of the Netherlands Navy, writing from Delft, Holland, gave another reason for Maury not to proceed with his plans to colonize Mexico with ex-Confederates.  he would probably lose his head with the Emperor if he remained.

"As long as Maximilian tries to make what is called a civilized government his position is unstable and I should not like you to stay there, however sweet and pleasant it may be in the shade of an Emperor's crown....  You may run the chance as his Prime Minister to be a Prince of Empire or to be hung or shot or something worse."

--Old B-Runner

Southerners Try to Talk Maury Out of Emigrating to Mexico-- Part 1

JULY 22, 1865:  Maury's family and many of his friends opposed his colonization plan for Mexico.  Although his family did not want him to return to Virginia to be "hanged or manacled," they also opposed his staying in Mexico because of the instability of Maximilian's rule.

Overseas friends offered stronger, and perhaps seeing clearer from the distance, truer advice.  One wrote: "The people of Virginia have shown themselves to be as brave as any people have ever been; but courage is coupled, in patriotism, with perseverance in suffering until better times come for Virginia.  All who love her for what she has done ought to love her enough to suffer with her and take the risk."

More to Come.  --Old B-R'er

Maury Still Working On New Country to Live

JUNE 28TH, 1865:  Matthew F. Maury dined with the Emperor and Empress Charlotte at the Chapultepec Palace in Mexico City.  The Emperor extended the unusual courtesy to Maury of requesting that from then on, unlike others, he "remain seated when the Emperor was in the room".  Empress Charlotte, the daughter of Leopold I of Belgium and first cousin to Queen Victoria, asked for his photograph for her album.

Looking for a New Country.  --Old B-R'er

Maury Meets Maximilian in Mexico City

JUNE 27TH, 1865:  Emperor Maximilian was absent from mexico City when Matthew F. Maury arrived early in the month.  In the last week he arrived and promptly gave him an audience.  After other meetings, he granted Maury a long audience to present his emigration plan in full.  He then had Maury leave a written draft for study.

Hiding Out.  --Old B-Runner

Maury Goes to Mexico City-- Part 2: Laying Low in Mexico

Maury proposed to offer his services not only as a torpedo expert but also on a broader scale that would be of far reaching benefit for his own loved people and to the new Empire-- the emigration of Confederates to Mexico.  At the time, it appeared to him that he might never be allowed to return home because of the several categories that applied to exclude him from amnesty, including his leadership in the development of torpedoes and overseas intrigue.

Throughout the summer he received communications from home advising against his return.

For example, on June 19 his daughter Elizabeth Herndon Maury wrote:  "Don't trust to any parole or any promise.  General Curtis of the U.S. Army, who is staying here, said to me this morning that you ought not to come under any circumstances,

"General Lee said to me the other day, 'Mrs. Maury, tell you father from me not to think of coming home."

Laying Low in Mexico.  --Old B-R'er

Maury Lands in Mexico and Proceeds to Mexico City-- Part 1

JUNE 6TH, 1865:  After landing at Vera Cruz, Matthew Fontaine Maury proceeded to Mexico City where he was confident that Emperor Maximilian would give him a warm welcome..  In December 1857  the then Archduke and head of the Austrian Navy had sent a present to Maury for his wife, and wrote:  "I have observed, with intense interest and admiration, your noble and unequaled efforts, in order to forward the improvement of the scientific part of our profession.

"I trust you will accept this little present as a token of my gratitude towards a man whom all seafring nations are bound to look upon with respect and thankfulness."

--Old B-Runner