LERDO DE TEJADA, Miguel (lair-do-deh-teh-hah'-dah), Mexican statesman, born in Vera Cruz in 1814; died in Mexico, 22 March, 1861. He was educated in the college of his native city, and followed a commercial career, but also published a history of the state of Vera Cruz, and acquired reputation as a statistician. After the entry of General Alvarez into Mexico in October, 1855, he called Lerdo to his cabinet as under-secretary of public works, which place he occupied till President Comonfort appointed him in May, 1856, secretary of the treasury. While in this office he prepared the famous law forbidding the clergy and public corporations to hold landed property, which was published on 25 , June, and signed by Comonfort (q. v.) only after much hesitation. Lerdo's energetic measures alone saved the credit of the government, which was opposed by the influential and wealthy classes. As he belonged to the advanced branch of the Liberal party, he soon found that he was not in accord with the rest of the ministry and the president, who were attached to the moderate wing, and he resigned in January, 1857. The progressive Liberals nominated him as their candidate for president; but in July he withdrew his name, and advised his partisans not to oppose the government, although he condemned its policy. After the usurpation of power by Zuloaga and afterward by Miramon, Lerdo joined Juarez in Vera Cruz, and in February, 1859, was called by the latter to the portfolio of the treasury. He also held for three months that of public works, and in these posts, in accordance with the views of the provisional president, he continued the advanced measures that he had advocated in 1856, and prepared the law for the nationalization of church property and the secularization of the male monastic orders. This measure, published by executive decree of 12 July, 1859, in Vera Cruz, and signed by the whole ministry, was principally due to the energy of Lerdo, and prepared the way for the final fall of the reactionary party, as it cut off their resources. Having some disagreement with the president of the council, Ocampo, Lerdo resigned in July, 1859, but after the latter's resignation he was again in charge of the treasury from December, 1859, till May, 1860, and of the portfolio of public works from December, 1859, till January, 1860. After the triumph of the Liberal government and its return to Mexico, Lerdo was elected by popular vote judge of the supreme court. In the elections for the constitutional presidency in 1861 he was nominated by the advanced Liberals, and toward the end of February had obtained the electoral vote of five states, while Gonzalez Ortega had five and Juarez six states; but he withdrew again from the contest, fell sick shortly afterward, and died within a week.--His brother, Sebastian, president of Mexico, born in Jalapa, 25 April, 1825, was educated in the Seminary of Puebla and the College of San Ildefonso in the city of Mexico. He was admitted to the bar in 1851, began practice, and became president of the College of San Ildefonso in 1852. In December, 1855, he was appointed a judge of the supreme court, and on 1 June, 1857, was called by President Comonfort to take the portfolio of foreign affairs and assume the presidency of a moderate Liberal cabinet, but resigned on 16 September, as he was a supporter of the new Liberal constitution, and opposed the policy of the president. After the advent of the church party to power he joined the Liberal administration of Juarez at Vera Cruz, and with him returned to Mexico in January, 1866. He was a member of congress during the sessions of 1861-'2, and in August, 1861, in the extraordinary session of that body, he opposed the treaty that had been made for arranging the English debt. The failure of this treaty led to the downfall of the Zamaeona cabinet, and Lerdo was called by Juarez to form a new one; but he refused, and, after the formation of the Doblado ministry, he continued to oppose the conclusion of treaties by the executive without the approbation of congress. He was commissioned by Juarez to arrange a treaty of commerce and extradition with the United States, which afterward was of great use to his country in its struggle against foreign intervention. He was again a member of congress in 1862-'3, and, abandoning his opposition to the government, earnestly advocated the concession of extraordinary powers in the unusual circumstances of that time. When the French troops were about to invade the capital, and the government retired on 31 May, 1863, Lerdo accompanied the president. He was appointed by Juarez minister of justice on 2 September, and on 11 September minister of foreign affairs, was a constant companion of the president till 1867, and counselled him on the expiration of his presidential term, 30 November, 1865, to issue a decree declaring his term to be extended until constitutional elections could be held. After the fall of Queretaro, and the capture of Maximilian, he was solicited to exert his influence over Juarez to spare the prisoner's life, but refused to interfere. After the return of the government to Mexico in July, 1867, Lerdo, as minister of foreign relations, suspended the treaties with those foreign nations that had failed in neutrality toward Mexico, joined the intervention or recognized the imperial government, but all the subjects of those powers that resided in Mexico were guaranteed full security. In the elections of December, 1867, he was chosen chief justice of the supreme court; but, in opposition to the president's wishes, that body at first refused to grant him permission to continue in the cabinet. The necessary permission was obtained in September, 1868, and he resumed his portfolio. During the elections of 18'71 he was proclaimed by a numerous party a candidate for the presidency, and on that account resigned the presidency of the ministry. In October, 1871, congress declared Juarez re-elected, and at the latter's death, 18 July, 1872, Lerdo, in virtue of his office of chief justice, assumed the executive. He issued a decree of amnesty, and nearly all the chiefs that were in rebellion against the government, including General Porfirio Diaz, made their submission. When congress convened for the election of a constitutional president o21 16 November, Lerdo was victorious without much opposition, and entered on his new term on 1 December To the astonishment of all he retained the cabinet of the Juarez party without any change, and by this policy brought about serious results. He presided at the opening of the railroad to Vera Cruz in 1873, and he also fostered the extension of telegraph lines and sent a valuable collection of Mexican products to the Centennial exhibition in Philadelphia. In November, 1874, he sanctioned the law that established the Federal senate, and sent an astronomical commission to Asia to observe the transit of Venus. In 1875 he was proclaimed a candidate for re-election in 1876, and this was the cause of revolutionary movements in all parts of the country. These began with the " plan of Tuxtepec," 15 January, 1876, and spread very rapidly. Notwithstanding that the plan of Tuxtepec had pronounced re-election illegal, Lerdo accepted the candidacy, and on 26 September, 1876, congress declared him re-elected president; but as there was doubt as to the validity of the vote, the chief-justice of the supreme court, Jose Maria Iglesias (q. v.), declared the constitutional order interrupted and retired to Guanajuato, proclaiming himself provisional president. The governor of Guanajuato recognized Iglesias's government, and meanwhile Diaz, with his army, advanced from the east. After the government troops under General Alatorre had been defeated at Tecoac on 16 November, Lerdo fled on 26 November, accompanied by his ministers, Escobedo, Romero Rubio, Baz, and Mejia. The party was captured by a bandit, Pioquinto Huato, who called himself a partisan of Diaz, and detained until a ransom of $30,000 was paid, but finally they arrived at the seaport of Sihuantanejo, and afterward sailed from Acapulco for the United States. Lerdo has since lived in retirement in New York city.