Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1846-12-10

y 49,. -,,, ~ t.kidr sach siep. Bat they
y ;I,- :, frv the efoeriment 81 atiether O.
,i,.a rec i, he most solemn FORM upon the
I3stice q The Mexican gcyernmenl tNiore any
flr,her procseiin9s are adoPted-
No difference q opinion upon tne sssse I. 3 y
The Executive and Legislative departments con
Cured; and YET srch has been our ioFoeaSanee,
atd desire % preserve peace with lexco, thst the
wrongs Of which we then complained, end which
1--WE rise 10 these solemn proceedings, not only
remain unredreFsed to this day but additional
causes Of complaint, Of an aggravated thaIaeter,
have ever since been accommodating.
Shortly after these proceedings asPeciaI mes
senger was despatched 10 Mexico, % tsake b
nal demand for redress, and on the tusentieth OF
JULY. 1897, the demand was made Tlse reply Of
tia Mexican government bears date on the tssen-
ty-ninth OF the same month, and conta5ns assur-
ances OF Tie aanxions viii" Of the; MeSican
government tsnot 10 delay a moment Of that hnal
and equitable adjustment which : TO terminate
tie existing difficulties between the twp govern
ments e thai .notl,iug should be lelt und<ne which
lmay contribute to the most speedy and lcquitable
determination Of The subjects which haze so seri-
lously engag ed the attention Of the American go
yerntneni = that the Mexican government would
adopt, a. the only guides for its conduct the plain
lest principles public right the sacred obligations
imposed BY international law, and the religious
faith Of treaties = and that whatever reason and
Justice may dictate respecting each case viii be
dane.n The assurance was further given, that
THE decision OF the Mexican governmentnpon each
eause of complaint, for which redress had been de-
mAnded, should be communicated 10 the govern
tmeni Of the u. States By the Mexican minister At
4 Washington.
4 These solemn assurances, in answer 10 our de-
Inland for redress, were disregarded. by making
Itheul, however, Mexico obtained furthes delay
President Van Bnren. IN his annual unessage 70
Congress Of December, 1887, states, that "altho'
the larger number Of our demands Cor redress,
land amany Of them aggravated cases " personal
wrongs, have been now for years before the Mexi-
can government, and some Of the of national
lcomplant, and those OF the most offensive charac-
ter, admitted OF immediate simple, andsatsiacto-
nv replies il is only within few days, past that
any specific communications in answeEtoo our last
demand, made FIVE months go, has been received
from the Mexican minister and that for not one
lof our public complaints has satisfaction been
given or offered that but one Of the cases OF per-
sonaI wrong has been fayoraby considered, and
that Tour cases pf both descrptonss our Of all
those formally presented. and earnestly pressed,
have as yet been decided upon by tho Mexican
government.
4 President Van Burcn, believing that 4 would be
vain to make any further attempt to obtSin redress
Iby the ordinary means within the power Of the
Executive communicated this opinion to Congress
In the message referred TO, in which he said, On
"a careful and deliberate examination pf the con-
tents" tef the correspondence with tie Mexican
lgoyernmeni,) "and considering the f3iri. mani
Tested BY the Mexican government, i has become
my painful duty to returnthe subject as il now
stands, TO Congress- to whom itbelongs to decide
. upon the time, the mode, and the mea5ure OF re.
dress"
Had the. United States at that time adoptet
compulsory measures, and taken redress into leil
r own hands, all our difficulties with Mexico Womb
probably have been long since adjusted, and the
existing war have been averted. Magnanimity
and moderation on our part only had the effect 4
complicate these difficulties and render an AMIGA
bic settlement OF them the more embarrassing
, That suchameasures OF redress under similar pro
vocaiions, committed BY any of the powerful M
tons Of Europe, would have been promptly resort
ed to by the United States, cannot be doubled
: The national honor, andihe preservation Of III,
national character, throughout the world AS wei
as our own selfrespect. and the protection due d
, our own citizens, would have rendered such 4 re
sort Indispensable.
The history of no civilized nation in nloden
times has presented within 50 brief period 8
!. many waBton attacks upon The honor Of its flag
and upon the property and persons Of It's citizens
w'asia sistcr fcpuufir, on me North Amer
can continent, occupying territory contiguous Z
our own. and was in feeble and distracted condf
ton; and these considerations, 1t is presumed, in
dnced Congress to forbear still longer.
Instead Of taking redress into our own hands, q
new negotiation was entered upon with fair pro
misses on the part Of Mexico, but with the real pur
pose, as the event has PROVED, of indefinitely post
lponing the reparatiou which we demanded, anC
(which was so Justly due This negotiation, ate
, more than years delay, resulted ia the eonsen
ton OF the eleventh Of April 1885, "for The adjust
ment OF claims Of citizens q the United States o
America upon the government 81 the Mexicar
republie.e The Joint board Of commissioner
created by this convention to examine and decide
upon these claims was not organized until ths
month Of August, 1870, and under the terms o.
the convention they were 10 terminate their duties
within eighteen months from thastime.
y Four OF the eighteeR months were consumed il
!. preliminary discussions on frivolons and dilateS
points raised By the Mexican commissioners ant
liz was not until the month Of December 1910
that they commenced the examination Of tbs
: claims OF our citizens upon Mexico. Fourteer
months only remained 10 examine and decide upon
/, these numerous and complicated cases. In tho
month of February, 1912, the term Of the com
mission expired, leaving many claims andseoset
The claims which were allowed BY the board
and the umpire authorized by the convention "a
decide ID case 81 disagreement between the Mex.
lean and American commissioners, amounted &c
two million twenty-six thousand one hundred and
thirty-nine dollars and sixty-eight cents, There
were pending before the umpire when the com.
OMISSION expired additional claims which had been
Iexamined aud awarded by the American commits
sioners, and had not been allowed by the Mcxi-
can commissioners, amounting to uine hnndfec
and twenty .eglt thousand six hundred and ,wen-
iy-sevcn dollars snd eighty cents, upon which he
did not decide, alleging that his authority had
ceased with the terninAiiSa Of the joint COM
mission. = FsASslsi7
/ Besides these claims, there were others of A.
merican citizens amounting % three miIlinn three
thnndred aud thirty-sixstlse.sande eight hundred
land thirty dollars aud FIVE cents which had
lheen submitted 70 the board, and upon which they
lhad no; time to decide before their final adjourn
ment. - lbs ESIE
The sum of twa millions twenty. six thousand
Zone hundred and thirty nine dllars and sixty-eght
Ieents which had been awarded 10 the claimants,
was liqudaied aud asteriaincd debf due by
Mexico. about which there could BE- no dispute,
and which she was hoand IL pay according Is the
terms 81 the convention. Soon aftef the final
k.l