The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-01-07
From, The Minister Plsnipotentiary Of France
10 the Minister Of Foreign Affairs Of
Werico.

10 The Minister " T"e'o" ~
Merico.
MIuco, June 9th, 1874.
Ths undersigned, Envoy, Sc, has received The
letter With which his Exeeilency Ssnor a' Do'A"''
ara bonored him, on the both instant I'D an'"'' p"
tho demand for regular. procedure maze " ""' :"
,..o, If The unfortunate men whom chance, ana not
war, has cast into the hands OF General hupua'a"
He will remark upon the motives alleged ny Inc
Minister of Foreign Affairs, who makes 'he rrs'-
dent of the Republic speak directly Tor refusing ~
comply with his demand
His ErseIlency the President, says the Minister Of
Foreign Relations relies on the decree oil june y
lS43 for putting TO death, without form oil uia' INC
foreigners who have been seized near Iaoasco' has
this Cecree, which overthrows all tho rules oil JUS
tice, been communicated to the diplomatic sgen" II
Had il been So it would have excited protests on ali
sides, and the legations would not have iabed 70
make reservations for having judges assigned TO the
people Of their respective nations whenever the oc'
casion should present itself
But even relying on this decree, the President de-
cidss the question by the question: no declares men
guilty whose guilt is doubtful. In fact, what does
the decree of June II, sayI That no quarter shai'
be given to foreigners taken with arms 10 Their
hands Were those who have fallen into the power
of General Ampuda taken with arms IN their hands,
All the information obtained from Tsbasco, even the
accounts inserted in the official journal, attest the
contrary; they have been taken without arms, and
for the most part dying Of hunger. Thus they are
not in the condition to which the decree OF June ~
l843, applies.
According to the Minister of Foreign Relations
His Exceency the President has decided that these
men are invaders. This is another questionable cir
cumstance, which is here attempted to be shown as
fact Where are the proofs of this quality of in'a
ders which is assigned TO the Tabasco prisoners >
Who knows the motives which have determined them
to embark on board the schooner William Turner
Who knows whether the greater part of them did mo-
believe that he was going to another destination
Whether they did not leave New Orleans with inten
lions different from those now attributed to them
Whether, in a word, Sentmanat did not propose te
them an object to his voyage very different from thai
which he alone had in view Let His Excellency
Senior de Bocanegra read the dispositions received by
Lieutenant Gabriel Herrera and Captain Luis Tore
of the navy and then let him say If he can that nc
doubt has entered his mind.
A solemn trial could alone have elected the truth
it alone could have made known who were the gull
". and " no we're the innocent who were the inva
ders and who the inofensive; who we're those ia
ken with arm, in their hands and who were un
armed.
After determining these facts legally, and by re-
gular proceeding, the Government would have done
Justice and the guilty would have undergone their
punishment the innocent would have been spared
society would have been avenged public vengeance
would have been satisfied, and humanity would have
had no cause to sigh.
This was what the unde rsigued demanded. He de-
handed justice, and did not invoke clemency, which
he knew would not be extended. He demanded le
gal procedure regular and equitable sentence he de-
handed it in order to prevent the odium OF sentence
Of death without form of trial But what the an.
cient Mexcans did TO their prisoners is now, to be
repeated, and has already been repeated at Tabasco
Could Cor,e., when he overthrow the affairs of hu.
man sacrifices, have foreseen that they would one
day. be renewed at the very place at which he gained
his first victory
The Minister of Foreign Relations announces to
the undersigned, that his Excellency is struck with
astonlshment at the Intervention of the Ministers of
France and Spain. There were certainly no grounds
for this astonishment.
Their Intervention rightful duty it was pre-
scrbed by humanity, by the laws of nations, by the
most sacred principles of Christ ian civilizations
authorized by the eighth paragraph of the 9th ar
ticle of the organic bases, which declares that no
shall be tried condemned except by his natu-
raj judges by the laws and before the established iri
bunals." 1t was also authorized by the 10th article
of the bases which assures to foreigners the
rights guaranteed to them by the laws and by treaties
by the solemn words which General Santa Anna
pronounced on the 18th of June, 1913, two days be-
fore the fatal decree, affirming that " from this day
the organic bases will begin TO govern the Republic
by the oath then taken by the President and which
he has since renewed observe the new constitution
faithfully and since it must be stated to the Minister
of Foreign Relations, it was written in the Conven.
tions, the benefits of which were secured to France
by the treaty of Vera Cruz, on the 9th of March
1899
Not TO extend his observation to too great length,
the undersigned will content himself with citing ls
the 9th article of the treaty with Eng and, assma-
ting Her Britannia Majestys subjects with Mex lean
citizens, as regards the administration of Justice, and
granting to them the same privileges, liberties and
rights, as if they were natives Of The Republic g.
The i4th article of the treaty with the United States
which says that the citizens of that Republic shall
enjoy in the defence of their person, Gin questions of
jurlsdiction) the same rights and privileges as the
Mexcans; finally the 9th article of the treaty with
Spain, which places the subjects of Her Catholic Ma
jesty on the line with the natives of the coun
try, as regards the administration of justice.
Thus the organic bases, as well as treaties admit
no exceptional Jurisprudence, strangers;
and they equally prove the decree of June II, ls43
to be null and void To apply this decree, after ha
wing sworn on the Gospel to observe the organic
bases, and after having accepted the ratification Of