The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-12-17


, Mexican ministers" and that ." for not one
l. our public complaints has satisfaction bee
e given or offered; that but one OF the cases
r personal wrong has been favorably conside
l. ed, and that but four cases Of both descril
e tons, out OF all those formally presented, an
earnestly pressed, have as yet been decide
l. upon by that government" President Va
It Buren,, believing that it would lie vain to max
e any farther attempt to obtain redress by til
l. ordinary means within the power of the e.
T. ecutive, communicated this opinion to Cor
e gress, in the message referred to, in which b
g said "On careful and deliberate examins
/, ton of the contents" (of the correspondence
T. with the Mexican Government land con
a sidering the spirit man tested by the Mex
r can government, it has become my painful
e duty to return the subject as it now stands,t
: Congress, to whom it belongs, TO decide upol
the time, the mode, and the measure Of re
S dress" Had the United States at that TIM
t adopted compulsory measures, and taken re
dress into their own hands, all our difiicutie
with Mexico would probably have long since
been adjusted, and the present war have beer
averted. Magnanimity and moderation on
our part only had the effect to complicate these
difficulties, and render an amicable settlement
of them the more embarrassing. That such
measures of redress, under similar provoca.
tons, committed by any Of the powerful ma
lions of Europe, would have been promptly
resorted to by the United States, cannot be
doubted. The national honor, and the pres
ervation of the national character thrCu4 hout
the world, as well as our own self-respect and
| the protection due to our own citizens, would
have rendered such a resort Indispensable
The history of no civilized nation in modern
times has presented within so brief period
so many wanton attacks upon the honor Off its
flag, and upon the property and persons of
its citizens as had at that time been borne by
the United States from the Mexican authori-
ties and people. But Mexico was sister re-
public on the North American continent, oc-
cupying a territory contiguous to our own and
was in "A feeble and distracted condition and
these considerations, it is presumed, induced
Congress TO torbear still longer.
Instead Of taking redress into our own
hands, new negotiation was entered upon
with fair promises on the part of Mexico, but
with the real purpose, as the event has prov
ed, Of indefinitely postponing the reparation
which we demanded, and which was SO justly
due. This negotiation, latter more than a years
delay, resulted in the convention of the 1lth
of April, 1889, /" for the adjustment of claims
OF citizens OF the United States Of America
upon the government Of the Mexican Repub-
lic." The joint Board of Commissioners ere
ated by this Convention to examine and de-
eide upon these claims was not organized un-
til the month OF August, 1910, and under the
terms OF the Convention they were to termi-
nate their duties within eighteen months from
that time. Four Of the eighteen months we're
consumed in preliminary discussions on friv-
olous and dilalory points raised by the Next
lean COMMUNIST ners; and it was not aptil the
month Of December, $40, that they commenc-
ed the examination of the claims of our c.ti-
zens upon Mexico Fourteen months only
remained to examine and decide upon tlese
numerous and complicated cases. In the
month Of February, 1912, the term of the
commission expired, leaving many claims I'M
disposed OF for want OF time. The claims
which were allowed by the Board, and by the |
umpire authorized by the Convention to Ge
eide In case Of disagreement between the !
Mexican and American commissioners, d
mounted to two millions twenty-six thousand |
one hundred and thirty-nine dollars and six
ty-eight cents. There were pending before
the umpire when the commission expired. ad
ditional claims which had been eXamin-
ed and awarded by the American commission
ers, and had not been allowed by the MeXi-
can commissioners, amounting to nine hun
dred and twenty-eight thousand six hundred |
and twenty.seyen dollars and lightweight
cents, upon which he did not decide, alleging
that his authority had ceased with the tcrmi-
nation Of the joint commission. Besides these
claims, there were others Of American citi-
zens amounting to three million three hun
bred and thirty-six thousand eight hundred
and thirty-seven dollars and five cents, which
had been submitted to the Board and upon
which they had not time 10 decide before their
final adjournment.
The sum OF two million twcnty-six thousand
one hundred and thirty-nine dollars and SIX
weight cents, which hal been awarded to
he claimants, was q liquidated and aca,r-.
aimed debt due by Mexico, about which there
rohht be no dispute, and which she WIS bound
10 pay according to the terms Of the Conven-
ton. Soon after the final awards for this a.
mount had been made, the Mexican govern
mcnt asked for postponement of the time of
making l.ayment, alleging that it would be
convenient to make the payment at the time
stipulated. In the spirit OF forbearing kind
hess towards sister Republic, which Mexico
has so long abused the United States prompt
y complied with her request. A second
Convention was accordingly concluded be-
tween the two governments on the thirtieth
u January. lS43,whch upon its face declares
that " this new arrangement is entered into
for the accommodation of Mexico" BY the
terms ofthis Convention, all the interest due
OH the awards which had been made in favor
Of the claimants under the Convention of the
nth of April, 1889, was to be paid them on
3oth of April, 1S43, and 4" the principal of
The said awards, and the interest accruing
therein" was stipulated to "be paid in five
years, in equal installments, every three
months" Notwithstanding this new Conven-
ton was entered into at the request of Next
co, and for the purpose of relieving her from
embarrassment, the claimants have only re-
ceived the interest due on the thirtieth of A.
pril, lS43, and three of the twenty INSTALL