The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-14
tanned be due but all undecided by the umpire anu

vet have large balance IN her favor ,
TONS YOU have hastily and without debesatlon adopted
both the suggestions and the easonings 81 your
informant Neither the one nor tne oei hsart o
me as marked with the characteristics Oh your near Vi
your understanding They are, moreover as inaccua.e
in point of fact as they unsound IN reasoning.
aaccuracy include and comprehend az ws =, hrng
to YOUR consideration circumstances which appre
bend could never have met your observation.
The convention OF $780, to which you alude, was not
n. might be inferred from your statement insulated
and original arrangement between the two powers lor
the liquidation and payment of the claims OF our cnzens
upon Mexico; the provisions OF that treaty to De
distinctly understood without reference to incidents OF
an earlier date previous convention had been signed
by the penpotentares of the two governments on 'he
10th September 1888, providing for the same matters OF
controversy The 9th article of this convention was IN
the following terms, to which beg your especial alien
ton "And is agreed that, should ii not be convenient
so found DUE it shall, Immediately after the decisions IN
the several shall have taken place issue ceoaae
Of debt bearing the usual interest OF Mexico, IN avot
the United States or Of the persons interested III wy
claims found due, rhic certificates stat De yof an ano
Sufficient according 70 the price Of Msriean securities s h.
Ms London market to enable me holaers 20 ~ S
This article exhibits two features well deserving your
notice. In the first place, the term Treasury noey Is
not employed but the phrase is certificates Of debt" The
former maine is peculiar to this country and Its sgmhca
ton familiar to all conversant with our nscai
the other equally well known in Mexico ana 10 al
having pecuniay transactions with her government
treasury note with us implies e1 termi, promise TO
pay specie or its equivalent fixed sum a Of money al
acknowledgement that the sum named IN Is due ana
by the government the holder. These certificates had
been issued by Mexico enormous amount lar beyond
her capacity to pay and they had consequently greatly
deprecated in the market The provision above ci!ed
from the convention of 1888 efectually guarded the
made from the consequences Of this depreciation; the
entire loss fall upon Mexico herself Inns IS me
second point to which ask your attention me oer, ha
awards were not restricted to the amount which might De
asceraned to be due from her. but to be Tor such
amount as would enable the United States OF nes
zens to realize, by sale of them in the London market
the full sum adjudged to be due This stipulation Sc
cured to the claimant full and perfect money indemnity
for the entire sum which might be awarded to him.
This convention although duly ratified by the United
States in accordance with its terms, was suffered 1y
Mexico become imperative, by her omission to ratly
it. II is unnecessary this occasion to detail the CIR
cumsances under which, and the preences upon which,
Mexico thus failed to comply with her engagements
The convention Of April II, 1889, was designed
TO supply this omission, and to to the Amerl-
can claimant the same measure Of indemnity which
had been provided by the unratifed treaty OF 1888.
This is the language Of the preamble Whereas con- on,
venon for the adjustment of claims OF citizens OF the
United States upon the government OF MexlcS was con
cluded and signed Washington the 10th September
1885, which convention not atlhed on the part OF
the Mexican government the alleged ground that the
consent of his majesty the King of Prussia to provide an
arbitrator set in the provided by the convention
could not be obtaned and whereas the parties to sand
convention still and equally DESTROYS OF terminating
the discussions which have taken place between them IN
respect to said claims. arising from injuries TO the per-
and property of the citizens OF the United States ny
Mexican authorities equally advantageous
to the citizens of tie United States. by whom said inju-
res have been sustained and Convenient 10 HeIc0
than that provided by said convention" &c.
Such being the principles avowed IN the preamble
such the views and designs of the contracting parties
soemnly declared by themsevesle us turn TO the 9th
article Of the convention of 1889, to which you particu
ary advert and you have been accurate IN stating
its provisions That article is thus worded at Is agreed
IL he
men pay the amount found due, 1t shall be at
liberty Immediately after the decisions in the several
shall have taken place, to issue Treasury notes. re-
cevabe at the maritime custom houses OF the republic In
payment of any duties which may be due or imposed at
said custom houses, upon goods entered for impora-
tion," &c
Can there exist doubt upon any fair rational in
depreciation OF this language that provision was made
for the payment Of the claims OF American citizens which
might be adudcated equally beneficial to the parties m
erested as those contained in the arrangement OF 1888
Can be questioned that this article secured TO the par
ties who might obtain awards payment h com Or s ITS
might be ascertaned to he due them Can be serious
ly urged that, under this stipulation. which 1t was
% the eess Of he
States that provided in 1888, and introduced only as
'more convenient Mexico, that that government had
now adjudcated debt by discharging it in her paper
money, already deprecated to the amount OF twenty or
twenty five cents in the dolar Will you rest your per-
cation that Mexico might, will say honoraby, but
with even shadow Of Justice or right, have claimed
this Interpretation to be gwen 10 the provisions OF 1899
In the passage quoted from your speech upon which
now commenting, you say that Mexican Treasury
notes were then worth from twenty to twenty-five cents
in the dollar" The idea that Mexico had ever issued
treasury notes. to any extent whatever, is, to me,
novel piece of information and must be permitted to
believe that it exists only in the Imagination of your
"au,icus incogn,ius." have already alluded to this
point and win now, with your permission, advert to the
history Of the introduction of this expression into the
convention Of 1882 The facts 10 which design to draw
your attention communicated to me some years
since ut the State Department. and are, believe, well
known there. The phraseology employed IN the Amerl-
version of the arrangement of 1885, was, as has been
already seen, certificates of debt the corresponding
the import of which was well known in Mexico, had
been issued from time to time by that governments and,
from the joint circumstance of the enormous amount thus
put FORTH and the embarrassed state of the Mexican nan-
vention Of 1888, by the strongest implication. re-
cognsed this state of things, and has been heretofore
shown provided in the explicit terms that the loss
arising from this depreciation should be borne by the pay
ing debtor and not BY the receiving creditor
In 1880, when the new arrangement was IN progress,
acknowledgement Of the deprecated character of the paper
money of his government-an acknowledgment which
would only agRravate the evil thus admitted to exlstin-
troduced to designate the paper with which 1t
contemplated to pay these claims The Spanish term
now adopted "libransds." This word, not beng
versed in the Spanish language well vernacular as d-
pomatc, he naturally inquired what was Its precise I'M
port in our language Mr. Martinez assured him 1t was
equivalent to what understood by treasury notes; and,
upon this assurance, the term treasury notes. was en-
ployed in the English version of the convention Your
own acquaintance with the two languages must satisfy
YOU thaf the terms Hbrdn=ds and treasury notes could
never have been used TRANSACTIONS the or the 9th