Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-12-11

commission was organised at Washington on
the 25th Of August, 1910. Their time was
limited to eighteen months at the expiration
of which, they had adjudicated and decided
claims amounting to $2,O26, l39 6S in favor Of
The U. S. against the Mexican government,
leaving large amount of claims undecided
OF the latter, the American commissioners had
decided in favor of our citizens, claims amour
ting to 1925, 627 SO, which We're left unset
tied Sy the umpire authorised by the treaty.
Still further claims, amounting to between
three and forr millions of dollars, were cubmit-
ted to the board too late to be considered; and
were left undisposed Of. The aum of 81 ,O26,-
l39 6, decided by the board, was a liquidated
and ascertaned debt by Mexico to the claim
ants, and there was no Unsuitable reason for de
} laying its payment according TO The terms Of
the treaty. 1t was not, however, paid. Mexico
applied for further Indulgence; and. in thai
spirit of liberality and forbearance which has
ever marked the policy Of the q. S. towards
} that republic, the request was granted and
on the 50th Jan. 1843, new treaty was
concluded. By this treaty it was provided
that the interest due on the awards in favor O
claimants under the convention of the l1th O
April, 1889, should be paid on the 3Oth of A
pril, 1913; and that s'the principal Of the sale
J awards, and the interest arising thereon, shall
be paid In five years, in equal instalments, eve
: ry three months; the said term of five years
to commence on the Both day of April, lS43
} as aforesaid" The interest due on the 30tt
r day Of April, 1913, and the three first of the
twenty instalments, have been paid. Seventeen
+. Of these instalments remain unpaid, seven O.
which are now due.
The claims Which were left undecided by
4 ~
three millions of dollars, together with othe,
claims for spolIatons on the property of oul
citizens, were subsequently presented TO the
, Mexican government for payment, and were
SO fan. recognised, that treaty, providing for
their examination ard settlement by a joint
commiss on,Wias concluded and signed at Mex
, leo on the twentieth day Of November, 1843
This treaty was ratified by the United States
, with certain amendments, to which no just
exception could have been taken; but it has
not yet received the ratification of the Mexi
can government. In the meantime, our citi
zens who suffered great losses. and some Of
whom have been reduced from afAuence to
bankruptcy, are without remedy, unless theil
: rights be enforced by their go ernment. -
Such continued and unprovoked series Of
wrongs could never have been tolerated by
; the United States, had they been committed
by one of the principal nations Of Europe
) Mexico was, however, neighboring sister
republic, which, following our example, had
achieved her Independence, and for whose
success and prosperity all our sympathies
were ally enlisted. The United States were
the first to recognise her independence, and
to receive her into the family of nations, and
have ever been DESTROYS of cultvating with
her good understanding. We have, there
fore. borne the repeated wrongs she has com.
mitted, with great patience in the hope that
a returning sense of Justice would ultimately
guide her councils, and that we might, if pos
sible, honorably avoid all hostile collision
with her.
Without the previous authority Of Congress,
the Executive possessed no power to adopt
or enforce adequate remedies for the injuries
we had suffered, or to do more than be pre-.
: pared to repel the threatened aggression on
the part of Mexico. After our army and ma
Wy had remained on the frontier and coasts OF
Mexico for many weeks, without any hostile
movement on her part, though her menaces
were continued, deemed it important to put
an end, if possible, to this state of things
With this view, caused steps to be taken in
the month of September last. to ascertain dis
| tlnctiy. and in an authentic form, what the de-
SIGNS of the Mexican government were;wheth
wade Texas, or whether they were disposed
to adjust and settle, iii an amicabe manner,
F the pending differences between the two
countries. On the ninth Of November Off
cal answer was received, that the Mexican
government consented to renew the diplomat
ic relations which had been suspended in
March last; and for that purpose were willing
to accreIit minister from the United States.
With a sincere desire to preserve peace, and
to restore relations of good understanding be.
tween the two republics, 1 waived all cere-
mony as to the manner ofrenewing diplomat
ic Intercourse between them; and, assuming
the initiative, on the tenth of November dis
tinguished citizen Of Louisiana was appointed
envoy extraordinary and minister plenipoten
tiary to Mexico, clothed with full powers to
adjust. and definitely settle,all pending differ
ences between the two countries, including
those of boundary between Mexico and the
State of Texas. The minister appointed has
set out on his mission, and is probably by
this time near the Mexican capital. He has
been instructed to bring the negotiation with
which he is charged to conclusion at the
earliest practicable period; which, it is ex-
E, pected, will be in time to enable me to com.
mun!cate the result to Congress during the
present session. Until that result is known,
forbear to recommend to Congress such ute
rior measures of redress for the wrongs and
injuries we have Sc long borne, as it would
have been proper to make, had no such ne
gotiation been instituted.
Congress appropriated, at the last session.
the sum of two hundred and seventy five
thousand dollars for the payment of the April
and July instalments of the Mexican indemni-
ties for the year 1914: "Provided it shall be
ascertained to the satisfaction of the Ameri
can government that said instalments have
1 been paid by the Mexican government to the
agent appointed by the United States to re-
ceiye the same, in such manner to dis
charge all claim on the Mexican government,
and said agent to be delinquent in renting
the money to the United States"
The unsettled state ofour relations with
Mexico has involved this subject in much
mystery The first informatioll,in an anthem
tic form, from the agent of the United States,
appointed under the administration Of my
predecessor, was received at the State De.
partment on the ninth of November last
This is contained in letter, dated the seven>
teenth of October, adelressedby him to one of
our citizens then in Mexico, with the view OF
having Il communicated to that department