The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-14
warrant me in making on this part Of your speech few

Rv the terms Of the convention of 1885, under which
that board organized, two COMMISSIONER were APP
pointed by each of the contracting parhes-the oned
States and Mexico You will understand, however tha
Mexico was a real substantial party IN interest IL was
for wrongs perpetraed by her, or under her aulhorl
that she called upon to make provision Inc
United States had no concern the ISSUE except so lar
as the government might find itself bound 70 asser. ue
rights OF its own citizens-an oolsanon ar, Inoselv
upon its shoulders The claimants had no voice IN ue
selection of the arbitraors who were to adludcae upon
their claims On the other hand, Mexico, against WHOM
the complaints were urged, and who was bound 10 pay
the sums which might be awarded was ahoweu "
nominate a moiety OF the board Inc consequently
was obvious. The American commissioners rep
resening their government, not the parties com
plainant regarded themselves as occupying me
position of impartial and disinteested Judges Douhu uS
hand. With board thus constituted II was easy 10 APP
prehend the result The Mexican commissioners were
the advocates and counsel of their nahon Obliged by
their tenure of office to obey the instructions OF their GOV
ernment stimulated by every incentive to deny the valid
y of every charge and to ntepose obstacles OF every
kind to embarrass the claimants They were vested win
so much of the power of the board as to enable them
successfully resist every attempt to adopt system OF
proceeding for the guidance OF the sutos and ioi men
own regulation Every effort to allow to the claimants
the privilege of presenting in person, or by counsel le
own cases. their memorials, their evidence their agu
mentsto be permitted to hear the represen.auons ana
the testimony by which they encounered-ai TINS
was refused; and you may Judge under such cscu'n
stances, what prospects were afforded 10 he pares u
having Justice extended to them. Nor was their sltua-
ton improved when their referred to the UNI
pire In the event of division OF opinion upon the poaa
the convention provided that the commissioners should
Jointly severay draw report setting orh the points
of difference and the grounds upon which their respective
opinions were formed These reports with an authentica-
ted copy OF all the upon %ncd a
1t appeared that the Mexican commissioners would
not unite any joint statement OF these natters they
claimed and insisted upon their right to present their own
separate and er psrte reports Not only the claim
precuded from all access to these documents iur
uishing to the umpire the grounds upon whch MS u1g
H. bpfthn
excluded from the inspection of their Amencan associates
Ample opportunity thus afforded OF making repre-
sensations which had no foundation IN the 1acls OF e
case of ntepolating documents which had never been
before the board and presenting arguments which no
opportunity was afforded 10 combat refute In three
OF the to which you have yourself alluded u was
ascertained that forged spurious, and mutated docu
ments thus imposed upon the board ana umpire,
and far from the decisions thus brought about oeg
liable to the animadversons you have made the most
papable and cruel injustice was through these means,
perperated upon American citizens who had CLAIMS oe
lore this worse than nquisorlal tribunal II was 10
the conduct OF the Mexican commissioners IN mus
delaying the action and proceedings OF the Doaru,
nterposing obstacles when the causes were prepared
for hearing, and insisting that the functions OF the
| umpire terminated when their own authority expired,
that may clearly be traced the cause why he Doaf
adjourned, much than moiey of their business and
duties left unperformed These SIT, are grave
charges but the truth of them cannot be conirovered
and prepared with the most ncontrovertble proof to
sustain them to the fullest point of demonstration
Yet despite all these circumstances, MORBID synpa-
thy has been evoked in favor of the perpetrators OF these
Wrongs and feeling of dstrst and antpathy aroused
against the unfortunate citizens OF our own land VINO
have been made the victims of these outrages The one
party auded in the face OF all the testimony establishing
guilt beyond the possibility of caril of doubt the other
denounced without inquiry and without proof lnsldlous
misrepresentation goundless assertions, have been
whispered secret; and the honest preudces OF honor
bic gentlemen have been stimulated by these dIsngenn-
GUS artifces These denunclaions have been made IN
| high places and sanctioned by distinguished names
They daily reiterated in our ears IRON the
leading presses of the country. The objects OF them
ha rrrhf nf Anna
guilty to the charges and put themselves upon ther
country for trial. They are prepared to meet the
any tribunal composed of honorable and competent Judges
to these chages and they desirous that IN the
investigation which they ask, they may meet face to
face any man or set Of men who shall appear either IN
the character of the retained counsel of Mexico or who
shall gralitously represent her interests. Nor VIII they
SO far as am able to know and speak their sentiments
nerpose the plea Of res adudisaia in bar OF any nves
CATION. They willing to accord full authority to
open and retry every case in which Mexico dd not by
grounds OF treaty obligations and the law OF nations.
Let Congress select its tribunal; let it be organized
without reference to the local divisions OF the country or
to party distinctions. Most willingly, nay gladly, would
we you, with all your prepossessons, member OF
this tribunal 1t may be in your recollection that for the
of the claimants Assaed they have been, they might
rghtfuy demand as an act OF justice; they are willing
to accept it boon. II may not have been equally
every OCCASION met such allegations you have now
made with prompt and distinct denial through the pubic
press. They have deed proof and cOured investigation,
but being American citizens, their complaints have been
UNDECIDED and their wrongs remain unredressed.
In concluding this already too proracted address, allow
to say, that after the fullest and most deliberate con-
sideraon, cannot avoid the conclusion that, in this
matter, you have been grossly deceived. Your own I'M
suspecting honesty of purpose would prevent you from
distrusng the suggestions OF men, who, whether from
ignorance less excusabe causes have swayed your
Judgment by false information and inaccurate statements
May |, without offence add, that the warmth OF your po-
cal yea and your hostility to your political opponents
may also have had their influence in perverng your Judg
ment, rather preventing its fair and impartial exer-
cise' In audiHg to the existing war with Mexco as
having had its origin in the annexation OF Texas, you
employ language which, upon reflection, think you VIII
viruous victims of Mexican spoliations and out,
RACES here in Washington, spectators and
adventures obbers and shavers and bond holders con-
gregated about Capitol; and according to very
distinguished senator from Missouri, the White House
itself in the hands of desperate gang who fashion
ed the policy and directed the action OF our own Execu
tive" The Mexican claimants here brought into
certainly not very envabe category and the eplthet
ironically affixed to them class gives additional pun
gency to the charge Whether there single
individual among them justly obnoxious to the accusa-
ton, am profoundly ignorant am unable even to
conjecture against whom it was aimed but this DO
know and feel warranted asserting before the world
opinions and expressing decided convictons-and both
are founded widely extended knowledge OF both
men and facts-these claimants as body are wholly
undeservng of the shadow of the mputation you
have cast upon them that among them were and are
men, from all quarters of common country, OF all
sulled integrity to any whom the land can exhibit.
banded together for political purpose, uniting in no
political views, expressing upon these topics no other
opinions than such they honestly entertain ndivid