Daily American telegraph., 1851-12-23
Mexieo---Threatened British Blockade.

was put to press.
Observation-Disclosures British Blockade.
BY telegraph from New Orleans, under date of
the 18th of December, we have the following
very interesting information:
GIVE ENGLISH VESSELS OF WAR HAD
APPEARED OFF VERA CRUZ. The object Of
their visit eas not knoWa."
The object, if not known in New Orleans, is
well understood at the Department Of State and
by others in this city. The explanation is as fol-
lows:
BY the late treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the
United States government bound itself to pay
Mexico for California and New Mexico $l5,O00,-
O00-$3 900, 900 to be paid on the ratification of
the treaty. and the balance, with interest in four
annual instalments. Three instalments have been
paid. The fourth and last is payable on the 3lst
of May next. BY the treaty the money is paya
BILE in the city of Mexico, and in the gold or sill
yer coin of Mexico. 1t is well known that, i'm
mediately on his entrance into the State Depart
ment, Mr. Webster, without authority of law,
in disregard of the earnest request and remon.
strances Of the Mexican government and in viola
ton of the good faith of the United States, which
had been pledged to Mexico by his predeces-
@or for the payment of the money through another
channel, gave contract to the Barings & Co.,
British Bankers of London, to pay the indemnity
The purpose of the arrangement which Mr..
Clayton proposed to the Mexican government
was, in the language of letter addressed by the
Mexican Minister of Finance to the American
Secretary of Treasury, that "the multitude Of
usurers acho pish to speculate both governments
(aoil) shouldnotremant tapored (ao quedaron tauore
cidos." The purpose of Mr.. Webster's refusal to
respect the assurances given to the Mexican
government by his predecessor, and of the con
tract which he gave to the Barings & Co., was to
favor them at the expense of both governments
and especially to enable them to speculate on
the exhausted treasury and ruined credit Of
Mexico. Our readers doubtless remember the
recent demand made by Mr.. Doyle, the British
charge in Mexico, for immediate payment Of
the Mexican bonds, accompanied by threat
of blockade. The Barings & Co. have bought up
those bonds at between twenty and thirty cents
in the dollar; and the object Of Mr.. Doyle's
threat and of the visit of these five English ships
of war, is to force Mexico to accept from the
Barings Co. their Mexican bonds in lieu of the
gold and silver due by the United States, and
which they are employed to pay. The amount due
by the United States to Mexico on the 3lst May
next is $50, 720, 900. That amount Of bonds cost
the Barings from $744, 900 to 81, ,116,000. If
backed as they are by Mr. Webster, Mr.. Bayly,
Mr.. Doyle, and five British ships Of war, they
can force Mexico to accept the bonds in lieu of
the money, and to give receipt for the indem-
nifty, they make a profit by the speculation Of
from SO, GOA, 900 to So, $780, 900. But enormous
as this profit is-grievous as the corresponding
loss would be to Mexico,- aggravated as her ne
cessities have been by the failure of the United
States to fulfil the stipulations of the treaty for
the suppression of Indian depredations, would
still be wise for Mexico to submit, rather than
counter the greater evils of BRITISH BLOCK
ADE!
We will recur to this subject again. We can
not promise to CRAFTY our readers; but we will
certainly astonish them, by the additional infor-
nation which we will give in relation to this
matter