The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-19

terposed by the Mexican commissioners, il was re-
ceived nine months before the board was to con-
clude its labors. The documents called for were
infinitely described, and the particular public
offices where they were to be found precisely desg-
mated They were twenty-one in number Of these,
notice whatever was taken of twelve; and papers
purporting to be those described in the remaining
nine specifications, when they came to be ex-
amined, were discovered to be, to great ex-
commissioners specified five of these documents
thus stamped with discrsdit their face, and point
ed out in detail the proofs of their Justification.
They draw, from the circumstances which they de-
tail, these three conclusions:
''lst. That Mexico has wholly omitted to send
even a moiety of the documents which she has
bound herself by the convention to furnish; and that
that convention are given by her to the board I'd.
That several Of the documents actually sent are, ON
the face of them not full records, but refer to other
acts which ought to appear in the same, but do not
3. That there discrepancies between documents
thus transmitted from Mexico, and others equally
authenticated, which, without explanation, mutual
ly destroy each others credit" In consequence Of
these acts of omission to comply with solemn
treaty stipulation, and the fraud attempted to be
by Mexican functionarics, in imposing
surreptitious papers upon the board of commission
ers, the case was left undetermined. Thus, and by
such means, a claim, estimated by the American
commissioners at upwards of $500 900, and sta
ted by them in their official report, with all the
mutation ofinterest from February, l842, has been
thus far lost an American citizen, stricken down
from auence to penury by the atrocous acts of the
Mexican government and functionaries. Nor did
the outrage end here. AS has been stated, the
American commissioners, in paper, understood to
have been drawn up by Judge Marcy, the senior
member of the American commission, and eminent
for his judicial accomplishments and experience, de-
signated five particular documents, exhibiting
their face defects and contradictions. AT the erm-
nation of the sittngs of the board the Mexican
missioners, against the earnest remonstrances Of
their American associates laid hands these spu-
rious papers, containing on their face the proof of
the frauds thus attempted to be perpetrated by the
Mexican authorities, who had transmitted them as
genuine; and notwithstanding the distinct opposi-
ton made by Mr.. Webster, then Secretary of State
removed them beyond the control of the government
ofthe United States. Not satisfied with thus beard
ing our own government in the heart of its own cap
tal, they intimate, in reply to Mr. Webster's re.
monstrance against this conduct, that they have alb
stracted removed only six Of the papers, specify
ing the same five which governor Marcy had con-
demned, and assign as their justification, that they
original erpedientes (records) from courts Of
Mexico, which, on account of their character, ought
to remain in their hands. 1t may not be unimpor-
tant to add, that these not the only documents
thus distracted, and that not of the five either
was, purported to be, an original erpediente; nor
was an original asked for in the requisition..
in his despatch to Mr.. Thompson, ofJuly IS, ls43t
shows the views taken of these acts of high dignita-
ries of Mexico by the American government. ''The
conduct of Mexico, as it seems to me, had made it
the duty of the United States to insist prompt and
specific relief SO far as this is concerned. She
has rendered herself liable to the charge of having
broken her faith, and disregarded her obligations.
She has not complied with single stipulation Of
the convention of 1899 She has not even protessed
to have produced large number, nearly half (more
than half of the documents called for; and many
of those which she did produce, were either imper-
feet, or grossly falsfed. The American Commits
sioners complained of this but without redress; and
to add to the injuries and scontempmous conduct
of the Mexican commissioners, they took back
with them, against the consent and remonstrances
of the American commissioners, and of the Score
tary of State, all the falshed and imperfect docu.
ments which they had submitted. All this will full.
ly appear from the enclosed extracts from the pro.
ceedings of the board. 1t is quite evident that SC
far as the claimant is concerned he have little
hope of success before any new commission. He
must necessarily rely upon the same evidence which
he has heretofore applied for in vain; and he must
make his demand on the same government, which
has heretofore treated the same demand with neg
ect and contempt. He can have no security what
ever that he will receive from second commission
more Just treatment than he received from tn,
first. If he should be compelled to submit hi
claims de nopo, and upon the same principles which
governed the former imperfect and unfair consdera
ton of it, there is no reason to hope for anythn,
better than repetition of the unjust trcatmen
which he has heretofore received.
"And how stands our government in relation +,
this natter We have undertaken to see ustic
done to our injured and complaining citizens. W.
have demanded justice Of the Mexican government
We have entered into stpuations with that govern
ment by which fair and honorable adjustment of al
these matters might be had Mexico, by her owl
act, came under new obligation The debt which
she owed to citizens she guaranteed by solemn
| compact with our government. On our part, w
have kept our faith; while she has broken hers
This has changed the whole character of the ques
ton. Our government is now aparty--not in in
terest, but in honor. We are bound to redress tn
wrong which has been done to of our citizens
and this not merely by the general obligation which
rests upon every nation to protect and defend il
own people, but by the additional consideration
that, having undertaken to do this, we are commit
ted in honor not to give back. We must not per
nit Mexico to retreat from the agreement which sh
has made with us, nor to excuse herself from tn
faithful performances of it,"