The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-03

The undersigned has the especial instruction Of
the President of the United States 10 call the serious
attention, both Of Mr.. De la Rosa and his Govern
ment, to the serious embarrassments which NAV re-
suit If this treaty should be rejected and those sti
of the United States who have. with so much
laudable zeal entered upon the enterprise, and in
Cured such heavy expenses in its prosecution should
now DO turned back on appeal TO their own Gov
orumen well for tho disappointment Of just expect
atoms as for indemnity for actual losses
" In conclusion, the undersigned has to say to Mr.
Dc la Rosa that having the treaty of the 25t. of
January negotiated, aSscnted to, and approved by
highly respectable and eminent citizens OF Mexico
honorably known in other countries we'll as their
own and all this under the sanction of distinguished
citizen just placed by the voice of his oountrymen at
the head Of the Government, the President of the
{ nited States cannot persuade himself that such
calamity s its rejection by MEXICO impends
over both countries
The meaning Of that language cannot be
mistaken, and the idea which Mr. Webster
meant TO convey cannot be misunderstood.
Again in writing to Mr.. Letcher, under date
Of December %, 1851, Mr. Webster says:
1T is we'll known that relying upon tho grant
from the Mexican Government, and upon the protec-
uou Of the American Government American citizens
have proceeded to the expenditure Of large sums OF
money, towards the accomplishment Of the great pur
pose which is tho object Of tho treaty
Mr. Letcher in writing to Mr. Webster
from Mexico February IL, 1852, says
Mexico shall have full view Of thodangerous
prOcipice which she IS standing She shall
know that Il is tho positive determination Of the
Government of the United States 10 protect, at all
hazards, her citizens who have made large invest
mens in the enterprise, relying upon the good faith
Of the public acts OF Mexico
will not weary the Senate by repeating
declarations Of this sort, which are to be found
in the published correspondence between the
Government Of Mexico and our Government
and their various officers, on this subject. 1t
has been assumed by Government, throughout
the whole matter as an ineOntrovertibe fact
that TO the citizens of the United States were
held out the tempting inducements of Mexico
70 enter into this matter with their capital
and that now Mexico is breaking faith with
them, and that our Government is bound by
every consideration which can address itaelf to
Government able and willing to maintain the
rights of its own citizens, TO protect the rights
thus trampled upon by Mexico.
IL that Is the true state of the case--if such
are the facts-l grant there would be some
reason in the language that we have assumed,
and there would be some reason for the course
indicated by the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tons provided that we had not already a sub
sisting treaty with Mexico, by which we have
bound ourselves by the most solemn oblga-
tons that can bind nations that if difficulty
should arise, war shall not be the remedy we
will seek, but that We will first seek peace
able and friendly rbtratOn | say, that if we
had not such treaty as that binding upon us
to-day, there might be some propriety i'll the
belligerent attitude which has been assumed
by the Administration toward Mexico; that
is, if what they assume as correct were really
facts
deny the proposition entirely. lay down
this position and | will prove ii by the authen-
tic and published documents that 20 far was
the Government of Mexico from ever inviting
the citizens of the United States into this affair
and so far were the citizens of the United States
from going into it upon any such invitations,
that 1t was grant made by Mexico to her own
citizens; and the first assignment of this grant,
or any part of it, made to Manning & Mackin-
tOsh, the English house under whom the pres
ent American holders claim title, was made
upon the express condition that they must, in
the most positive and conclusive manner. re.
nounce their nationality, so that VhdteUer CIR
cumNanceS mag happen. and WhdteUer measures
these mag require neither The settlers aIoreoiA
nor the p,0py,etorJ may an any case nor for any
cause, piead alien pr,uiegts nor any other pre-
ilegeS, ereep those uhich have been granted or
may be granted TO them by The lars Of The cOun
try TO Uhich bath their persons and ther property |
must be SubIceted, AND WITHOUT THIS REQUISITE !
they OW not be admitted. In addition to tins |
the grant had been annnlled BY the Congress
Of Mexico, and the Government of Mexico had
refused to acknowledge Manning & Macintosh
as the assIgnees of the grant or "a having any
right in the contract; and that Government
had not only refused to acknowledge the assign
ment to Manning & Mackintosh but it had
notified those parties that the Government would
not consent to the transfer, and it had further
notified its Minister, residing at the city of |
Washington, to inform Garay, the original |
holder of the grant, that the Mexican Govern
ment would not consent to any assignment, be
fore any American citizen was interested III it
to the amount of a single dollar. Here then,
is the phi ghted faith OF Mexico
Instead of inviting citizens of the United
States, or any other foreigners to join in the
undertaking, she expressly excluded them ALL
except upon the express condition that they re-
nounce their nationality and tho protection of
their own Government, careful was she to
keep this under her own jurisdiction. She had
unnulled tho grant she had refused to nc
knowledge the assignment to the English COM
pany; she notified the English house that she
would not consent to the assignment; and re-
sumed the grant, because it had been forfeited
bv Il neglect to comply with its conditions the
Minister of Foreign Relations had instructed
the Mexican Minister near this Government TO
notify Garay, the original holder of the grant,
that the Government refused to consent to the
transfer; and further that it resumed all the
rights that he ever had This was done on
the l4th or 18th of January, l8l9; and the
very first notice that Mexico had that there
was anybody except her own citizens interested
in it was not given till the 5th of February
l8i9, by Manning & Macintosh; and that
Government was not Notified that anybody in
the United States had any interest in it till six
months after that time.
Now, | ask with what face the President of
the United States or tho Secretary of State, OF
the Minister of the United States in Mexico
can como before the Senate and before the
world, and repeat over and over again, in every
form in which they have put it, that American
citizens were induced TO 30 into this matter by
the plighted faith of Mexico, which faith Mex
leo has broken have made the proposition
that such is not the case, and intend to prove
it; and hope the Senate will attend to it, for
look upon this ASA question of great moment
| look upon it az II question which is likely, if
it be not arrested by the consideration and ac-
ton OF tho Senate, to place the country in
very false position.
OF, II hicAlco were srOng Government
if it were Government like England, or like
Russa-l should not have tho least concern on
earth about these resolutions but should take
them as some Of those harmless ebullitions,
some of those stupendous jokes, in the shape of
solemn resolutions, which Old Conservatism and !
Young America throw before the Senate in the |
race they have to run to get ahead of each |
other-but that IN not the case here Mex co |
IL weak feeble and distracted She has no |
defence to make, except what il to be found in
the justice of her cause and in the magnanimi-
ty with which n powerful nation should always