The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-01-07
IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE

/ lmTOR AN SOpNECTOlNDEN
BErwEEN THE MEXICAN Government AND THE
PLEsrPorESrIAHiEs OF FRANCE, SPAIN AND
GREAT BMTAls, RELATIVE TO rae EXECUTION
OF THE FOLLOWERS OF GENERAL SENrmANAT
AT TABAsoo.
We here publish ranslations of some of the
letters which passed between the Mexican
Minister and tbs Pienipotentiaries of France,
Spain and England, in June and July last, rea-
live to the execution Of the unfortunate persons
taken at Tabasco, with Gen. ,Sentmanat. They
will serve 10 shew, more fully, than any other
circumstances OF recent occurrence, the truly
bdrbdroits character of the recent Government
OF Mexico, and the light in which il is viewed
by other civilized nations. Those who have
SO severely reprehended our own Minister for
the language employed by him in his notes to
that Government, will doubtless be much
shocked at the terms in which il is addressed
by the Plenipotentiary of France; aud will
lind proper terms Of applause for the humane
and temperate conduct of General Santa Anna,
as well as for the policy adopted by him to keep
his country at peace with other powers.
The circumstances which led to the cores
pondence will doubtless be remembered by most
persons; as some may, however be unacquaint-
ed with them, ii has been thought proper to pre-
fix the following concise account derived from
unquestionable sources
General Francisco Sentmanat, formerly Gov
ernor Of the Mexican Department of Tabasco,
but expelled on account Of his opposition to the
existing Government, sailed from New Orleans
in the latter part of June, 1874, in the American
schooner William Turner, Captain Petit He
was accompanied by number of persons, Mex
leans, Frenchmen, Spansrds, Americans
and others; the greater part of whom appear TO
have been engaged by him for the execution OF
some political scheme in Tabasco, while the
others seem to have been unacquanted with the
precise objects of the expedition. There were
also on board several persons who were merely
passengers, having no concern with Sentmanat
The Mexican Government received the news
Of the departure of the vessel before her arrival
on the coast; and preparations having been &C
cordiugly made, she was driven ashore near
the mouth of the Tabasco river on the Sth ofJune
| by two vessels Of war which had been stationed
there to intercept her, and plaged and burnt.
| The crew and passengers escaped to the woods,
where they were soon surrounded and COM
PEELED to surrender to the Government troops
on condition, as asserted by the former, that they
should be pardoned. Whatsoever may have
been the truth of the assertion, Sentmanat was
Immediately shot, and his head, after being
fiedin oil, was exposed on a stake in the public
square of Tabasco, by order of the Command
ing General Ampudia; the others were all
thrown into prison, and the news of their cap
ture was sent to the Government at Mexico for
its determination with regard TO them. The fol-
lowing correspondence then took place:
From the Baron AHeye de Cypreye, Minis
ter Plenipotentiary Of the King Of the
French, TO Don J. NJ de Bocanegra, Mn
lister Of Foreign Relations and Goper,i-
ment Of Merico.
MEXICO, June %, 1874.
The undersigned, Minister Plenipotentary, &C.
has just read IN the government Journal that sixteen
Frenchmen included among the individuals on
board the vessel in which Sentmanat was TAKEN
That has sxpiated with his life the senseIess en-
terprise in which he engaged and human justice is
satisfied. A rumor, however, prevails, that orders
have been given for the immediate execution of all
persons found on board the vessel without any form
of trial. Such an act, would be as contrary to the
law of nalions,as to those of humanity Even pirates
brought to trial before execution. If the in
question had been made prisoners in action and i'm
mediaely put to DEATH the act, though it would have
been one of Bedouin barbarity, would have afforded
no ground for complaint. But if they taken af-
ter having laid down their arms, under the persuasion
that their lives would be spared; if they entced
or deceived, by the seducing promises of man, who
may have made them believe that the affair was
merely dispute between himself, Mexican Gene.
raj, and another Mexican General, who had been
placed in bis stead at Tabasco they would have been
guilty only of having taken part in this quarrel and
would not, then, in that deserve the punishment
inflicted on Sentmanat
The proofs required to palliate the delinquency,
committed by them, can only be made apparent by
criminal procedure, in due form; and the sentence
resulting from such trial would have character Of
legality, and could not in justice, have been attacked
But to neglect this sacred guarantee, would
be to bring down the Reproduction of all civilized
nations.
In order to prevent such stain from being cast
upon the pages Of the history of Mexico the under
signed has recourse to the justice of His Excellency
the President of the Republic, and asks in the name
of that justice, that the ordinary forms be observed
that the Frcnchmen who may have been found in the
schooner in which Sentmanat was taken, be not con-
demned without trial; that their defence be heard !;
in word, that the proceedings against them be
Quoted conformably with the established rules.
In order to put the Government of the Republic on
its guard against de csoDs taken alb rao the under
dersigned will cite an example, drawn from the his
tory of France. Viscount dOrhez, Governor of