Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-02-03
on BsHALr or TnREE BHtTfsH SUBJECTS
wao wax inrRIsoNED WITH MR. BREDALL.

ON BEnALFa OF ThHEE- DhETISH SUBJECTS
WHo wEak inrRIsoNED WITH Mn. BREDALL.
.No. 5i. Claim OF Captain Jonas p.
Lesy.--ls In is4S, the store Of the claim
ant with all itscohtents, was forcibly taken
possession Of with the conniyance Of the
public authorities, and never returned. -
Amount Of properly lost $6.546 02. Re
paraiion has been refused from the COM
mission OF the outrage to the present time.
a2d. This claim is for illegal duties OK
torted fiom Capt. Levy by the collector Of
the port Of Laguna in ls4s, under false
pretences, amounting to $5l3 80.
"3d. The third claim is for goods belong
ing to the claimant and his brother, thrown
overheard by the captain Of the steamboat
Petrita, amounting to 81 ,483 rs, for which
relief has been denied by the Mexican gov.
ernment.
ss4th Captain L. also claims reparation
for being imprisoned after the commence
inent ofhostilities between the United States
and Mexico, in direct violation Of the treaty,
providing for the occurrence of such an
event, and for being compelled to leave
Mexico, without time to arrange his busi-
ness, also in violation oftreaty stipulations."
The character ofthese Mexican outrages,
being ninety-fiye in all, is we'll summed up
in a letter addressed by Mr.. Forsyth, secre-
tary of State, to the Mexican Minister Of
Foreign Affairs, under date of May 9th,
fSS7. In that fetter Mr. Forsyth says:
"These wrongs are Of character which
cannot be tolerated by any government inn
bued with a just self.respect. with proper
regard for she opinions Of other nations or
with an elighted concern for the permanent
welfare of those portions Of its people who
may be interested in foreign commerce.
Treasure belonging to citizens Of the United
States has been seized by Mexican officers,
: in its transit from the capital to the coast.
Vessels Of the United States have been cap
tured, detained, and condemned upon the
most frivolous pretexts. Duties have been
exacted from others, VIGOROUSLY against law
or without law. Others have been employ
ed, fand in some instances ruined, in the
Mexican service, without compensation to
the owners. Citizens of the United States
have been imprisoned for long periods of
sime, without being informed OF the offences
with which they were charged. Others have
been murdered and robbed by Mexican
officers, on the high seas, without any
attempt to bring the guilty to Justice
This career Of Mexican violence and per-
fidy continued through successive aspects Of
our international relations with that coun-
try, which lend to it new features Of aggra-
vation. One portion Of these robberies was
committed upon US in the year in which we
took the lead among all nations in acknowl-
edging the independence of Mexico, and in
procuring its acknowledgment from Eng
land. Another portion Of these crimes was
committed against US just after our treaty of
amity, commerce and navigation had been
concluded with Mexico, in 1881. The
same course Of violence and wrong-doing
against us was kept up through the year
1887, in which our government rejected
the first overture Of Texas towards Annexa.
ton. And, finally, the whole of these out
RACES, occurring, as they did, before the act
Of Annexation was consummated, constitu-
ted, so to speak, the broad basis Of wrong
doing any insult-extended through nearly
thirty years, and wholly unatoned for-upon
which Mexico seems to have shaped her
conduct toward US in relation to tho act of
Annexation.
And the sequel Of Mexican policy was
worthy Of its opening chapter. 1t is really
difficult to conceive course of conduct
more utterly at war with every principle Of
international right and comfy, than that
pursued by Mexico towards US In relation
10 this matter Of the annexation Of Texas
For ten years Mexico had slept over the
acknowledged and established independence
of Texas. She woke from her slumber
when annexation was spoken Of in l843.
She offered to acknowledge the independ-
ence Of Texas on condition that annexation
should not take place. Her offer was re-
jected; and through her minister, Almonte,
she denounced war against us, to resist an.
ncxation and to recoper Texas. To that
position she has ever since held. On the
18th OF March last, her Secretary of For
eigr Affairs, Castillo y Lanzas, tells us in
despatch. under that date, that his govern
ment had declared, in view Of the annexa-
tion Of Texas, that it would consider $50
notable an act Of usurpation' as cause Of
war; and he adds that when the act was con-
summated, enegotiatior was by its very ma
lure at an end, and war was the only re.
source Of the Mexican government" Be-
, fore this declaration, we had urgednegotia-
stion upon Mexico in every most conciliato.
~ form. Again and again, we have
proffared il since to Herrera, to Paroles,
and to Santa Anna. Whenever proffered
il has been rejected. The reason seems
plain enough. Mexico, on her own show
ing, does not iookto negotiation as means
Of gaining what she asks. She goes fol
sthe whole Of Texas and from the whole
tenor Of American diplomacy and Legislation
sifce lB4O, she knows that claim is regard
cd by ns as wholly inadmissible. Tha
claim is not subject for negotiation. Sht
must relinquishsit or support it in war, ant
her Secretary Lanzas tells us she has made