The Arkansas banner., 1845-12-24

pialned of, others of aggravated charae- ter have beer committed on the personssand property oi our citizens. A special agent was sent to Mexico in the summer of 1888, with full authority to make another and final demand for redress. The demand was made; the Mexican government promised to repair the wrongs of which we complained; and alter much delay, treaty of indemnity, with that view, was concluded between the two powers, on the llth of April, 1899, and was duly ratified by both governments By this treaty. joint commission was created to ad- Judlcate and decide the claims of American citizens on the government oi Mexico. The commission was organized at Washington on the 25th of Aug, 1S40. Their time was limi- ted 10 Is months; at the end of which, they had adjudicaled and decided claims amount Ing to two millions tweDty-siX thousand one hundred and thirty-nme dollars and sixty eight cents Tn favor of the U. States against tine Mexican government, leaving a large amount of claims undecided. or the latter, lhe American commissioners had decided in iapor Of our citizens, claims amounting to sp929, ,62S SS, which were left unacted oil by the umpire authorized by the treaty. Still fur tfer claims, amounting to } between S4,000,- GOO, were submitted to the hoard too late to be considered, and were left undsposed of. The sum of S2,026, 139 68, decided by the board, was a liquidated and aseertained debt due by Mexico to the claimants, and there was no justiiable reason for delaying ils payment, according to the terms of the treaty IL was not, however, paid. Mexico applied for further indulgence; and, in that spirit o. llberality and forbearanee which has ever marked the policy of the U. States towards that Republic, the request was granted; and on the 18th of Jan., lS43, new treaty was concluded. By this treaty it was provided that the interest due on the awards in favor of claimlnts under the convention of 1llh of April, 1889, should be paid on the 30lh of April, l943; and that 'sthe principal of said awards, and the interest arising thereon, shall be paid in years, in equal instalmenis every months; the said terms of , years to commence on the 30th of April, l843, afore- said.n The interest due on the Both day of April, lS42, and the three first of the 20 in- slalmenis have been paid. Seventeen of those instalments remain unpaid, seven of which are due.
 The claims which were left undecided by the joint commission, amounting to more than three million of dollars, together with other claims for spoliations on the property of ouf citizens, were subsequently, presented 10 the Mexican government for payment, and were so far recognized, that treaty, pgovid- ing loI their examination and settlement by joint commission, was concluded and sign ed al Mexico, on the 20th day of Novem- Der, l843. This treaty was ratified by the United States, with certain amendments, to which no inst exception could have been la ken; but it has not yet received the ratilica- ton of the Mexican government. In the meantime, our citizens, who suffered great losses, and some of whom have been reduced from aluence to bankruptcy, are without re- naedY. unless their rights be enforced by their government. Such continued and unpro- voked series of wrongs could never have been tolerated by the United States, had they been committed by one of the principal na- tons of Europe. Mexico was, however, a neighborug sisterrepublic, which, following our example, had achieved her independence, and for whose success and prosperity all our sympalhes were early enlisted. The United States were the first to recognlze her inde- pendence, and to receive her into the family of nations, and have eyer been desirous ol cutivating with her a good understanding. We have, therefore, borne the repeated wrong she has committed with greal patience. in the hope that returning sense of justice would ultimately guide her councils, and that we might, if possible, honorably avoid any hos tile 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, to do more than be prepar- ed torepel the threatened aggression on the part of Mexico After our army and navy had remained on the fronlierand coasts of AleXi- co for many weeks, without any hostile movement on her part, though her menaces were continued, deemed it important to put an end to this state of things. With thls view, caused steps 10 be taken, in the month of September last, to ascertain distinctly, and in an authentic form, what the designs ol the Mexican government were; whether It was their intention to declare war, or invade Tex as, or whether they were disposed to adjust and settle, in an amicable manner, the pend-
 ing differences between the two countries. On the 9h of November, an official answer was received, that the Mexican government consented to renew the diplomatic relations which had been suspended in March last, and for that purpose were willing to accredit a mininister from the U. s.
 With . sincere desire to preserve peace, and restore relations of good understanding between the two republics, waved all cere- mony as to the manner of renewing dlplo- matic intercourse between them; and assum- ing the initiative; on the 10th oI Nov. dis tingushed citizen of Louisiana was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo- tentiary to Mexico, clothed with full powers to adjust, and defnitively settle, all pending differences between the two countries, ln- cluding those of boundary between Mexico and the State of Texas The minister appoint ed has set out on hs mission, and is probably by this time near the Mexican capital. He has been instructed to bring the negotiations with which he is charged 10 conclusion at the earliest possible period; which it is expected, will be in time to enable me to communicate the result to Congress during the present ses- sion. Until the results known, forbear to recommend to Congress such ullerior meas ures of redress for the wrongs and injuries we have so long borne, and would have been ,,ronar to make had no such nPyotlaiion