Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-12-10
wish" Of the Mexican govern

"~snxious wish Of the Mexican govern
ment mot TO delay the moment Of that o.
nal and equitable adjustment which Is
10 terminate the existing difficulties be-
ta cen the two governments; that no.
thing should be left undone which may
contribute to the most speedy and equIia-
bic determination Of the subjects which
have SO seriously engaged the attention Of
the American government" that The
mexican government would adopt, as the
only guides for IFS conduct, the plainest
principles Of public right, the sacred obi
cations imposed by international law, and
the religious faith Of treaties !" and that
whatever reason and justice may dictate
respecting each case will be done" The
assurance Was further given, that the de-
cision Of the Mexican government upon
each cause Of complaint for which redress
had been demanded, should be coinmuni-
Gated to the government Of the United
States by the Mexican minister at Wash
ington.
These solemn assurances, IN answer To
our demand for redress, we're dIsregarded.
By making them, however, Mexico obtain
ed further delay. President Van Buren,,
in his annual message 10 Congress Of the
fifth OF December, 1897, states, that sal
though the large number" Of our demands
for redress, and "many ofthem aggravated
cases Of personal wrongs, have been now
for years before the Mexican government,
and some OF the causes Of national COM
plant. and those OF the most offensive
character, admitted Of immediate, simple,
and satisfactory replies, ii is only within a
few days past that any s~reriic commuoi-
cation IN answsr to our last demand, made
five mouths ago, has been received from
the Mexican minister" and that ''for not
one of our public complaints has s~atisfac-
ton been given or offered /; that but one
of the cases Of personal wrong has been
fsyorably considered, and that but -four
cases OF both descriptions, out OF all those
formally presented, and earnestly pressed,
have Is vet been decided upon by The
Mexican government" Pies dent Van
Buten, believing that II ~oGld be vain to
make any further attic q Of TO obtain redress
by the ordinary means within the power
OF the Executive. communicated this
opinion to Congress in the message re-
tered TO, in which he said "On a Care
full and deliberate examination OF the con-
tents" (of the correspondence with the
Mexican government land considering
The spirit manifested by the Mexican 60
vernnent. IL has become my painful duty
10 return the subject, IS 1t nov stands, to
GNnA. 10 ., H., - bal,pyS D., slartla
upon the time the mode. and The meAsuf
Of redress" Had the United States, at
that time, adopted compulsory measures,
and taken redress into their owl hands, all
our difficulties with NJ xico would proba-
bly, have been long since adj listed, and the
existing war have been avefied. Magma
nimlt, and moderation on our part only
had the effect to coupiicste these d,fical-
Ties, and render an Auica'Ie settlement of
them the more embarrassing. That such
We ssores OF redress under similar provo
cations. committed by any of The powerful
nations of Europe, would have been
promptly resutted to by the United States,
canno, be doubled. The natio0.l honor.
and the preservation of the national char
acter throughout The world, a. well - 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 a period, so
many wanton attacks upon the honor Of
lis flag, and upon The properly and per-
sons Of its Citizens, as had at that tine
been borne by the United States from the
Mexican authorities and people. But
Mexico was a sister republic, on the North
American continent, occupying s,~s'itc'y
contiguous 10 our own, and was IN feeble
.nd distracted condition and these conSi-
derations it is presumed, induced Con
gtess 10 forbear stIll longer.
Instead of taking redress into our own
bands, a new negotiation was entered
upon with fair promises on the part of
event has proved, Of indefinitely postpon-
ing the PREPARATION which We demanded,
and which was so Justly due. This DegO-
tIatlou, after more than a years DELAY, re-
suited 10 the convention Of the eleventh
of April, 1899. 'for the adjustment Of
ella ms Of citizens of the United States of
America upon the government Of the
Mexican republic" The JOINT board Of
commissioners created by this convention
to examine and decide upon these claims
was not organized until the month OF Au-
gust, 1910. and under the terms of the
convention they were to terminate their
duties within eighteen months from that
time. Four Of the eighteen months were
consumed in preliminary discussions on
frivolous and dila,ory points raised by the
Mexican commissioners and ii was not
until the month OF December, 1910, that
they commenced the examination of the
claims Of our citizens upon Mexico. Four
teen months only remained 10 examine
and decide upon these numerous aud COM
plicated cases. 10 the month of Feb
ruaary, 1912, the term of the commission
expired, leaving many claims undIsposed
of fer wan, of time. The claims which
were allowed by the board, and by the
umpire authorized by the convention TO
decide in case of disagreement between
the Mexican and American commits
s%ioners. amounted to two millions twenty
six thousand one hundred and thirtv.ninp