New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-02
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notice, in q letter published in THE TRIBUNE,
from Mexico, that the Supreme Court there has
decided thst German was not flhbuster, and that
this " favorable result has been mainly owing to the
% firm and energetic course Of Mr.. Forsyth, our
Minister" Let me tel you something more
about this affair. Soon after Alvarez revofted
against Santa Anna, ComOnfort came to this city
for the purpose Of obtaining money and arms 10
support the revolution. He did not stay long, and
bis place was taken BY nephew Of Alvarez, who
was here to learn something Of Americanism, and
at the same time to send assistance to his uncle.
Through the agency Of Comonfort and young AVA
rex the old General Alvarez was induced ~ appoint
three Commissioners in this city, who were hoder'
ick Matthewson, q we'll known Wing and Know
Nothing politician, and ofice-hoder in this city
H. N. Noah, formerly of New.York City, son OF
the famous Major Noah, and newspaper reporter
here; and NJ. Lschapehe, the editor OF a french
Newspaper. These three managed, under Ine in'
,tructious of Alvarez to fit up the Archibald Oracle,
70 % 70 the assistance of Alvarez. She was to
carry acme arms and clothing to Alvarez, and was
sub,eouently TO constitute the greater portion OF
the Mexican navy on the Pacific, and be par
ticularly seryiceabe to Alvarez, by seZng the Gus
toni Houses of Mazatlan, Guaymas La Paz and
Mapzanila where considerable sums were received
tor the CUSTOMS lHe ptucut vi thO pohto-HAhh"
party. The vessel was small, and would have been
Unworthy of notice as q part of any great navy;
but she was to carry the Admiral of the Mexican
NAVY on the Pacific. The Commissioners had
authority to appoint an Admiral, and, under the
advice Of Lachapelle, they appointed Mr.. Napoleon
German.
Though the Archibald Oracle had been fitted up,
provided with arms and laden with soldiers and sail
Ors to make war against the then Government de
facto of Mexico, yet she managed to get off without
any interference from the authorities. But her de-
parture had been delayed too long, and, as she was
q slow sailor before she arrived at her destination
Santa Anna had been OyerthrOwn and COmOnfort
was President. This change placed the Archibald
Oracle, her forces and the Commissioners, in an en-
tirely new position. So long as Alvarez and Com
onfort were rebels they were glad for any assist
ance come whence it might; but after ATTAINING
power they needed not the little schooner, and be-
gan to fear to have it known that they had invoked
the interference Of the hated foreigners. German,
by his mismanage increased the difficulties IN
the way of recognition of the expedition by the
Government
He was anxious to conquer Lower California on
bis way, and therefore stopped at La Psz, went
ashore alone, and demanded the surrender of the
place to- him. He was at once seized and the men
in his vessels, for he had chartered whdeship on
the way and put some of his men on her and sur
rendered, and the whole party was sent of in
chains to Mexico to be tried for fillibusterism.
The trial was mere farce; COmonfOrt and Al
varez of course, felt all the time that German
acting under their own authority, but they could
not confess it before the public. They wished to
get rid of German; but they did not know how; and
Il is said that after he was acquitted by the Su'
preme Court of Mexico, the verdict was not known
TO the public for several months. and would not
have been revealed when it WAS, had not clerk
about to fee on account of revolution, betrayed
the fact to the American Minister.
1t seems that q singulary unfortunate choice was
made in German for Admiral, and this no doubt IN,
creased the difficulties in the way of settlement OF
the affair German had been oherat,er dindustrH
in France, and had fed to escape the feach OF the
law. When he arrived here, Consul Dixon received
from the Minister of Foreign Affairs copy of Off
cia documents setting forth the character and pre-
yious history of Mr. German. These documents
were shown to Mr.. H. himself, and also to Mr.. LID
chapee, but Dillon malicious enough not to show
them to the latter person until after the Oracle had
sailed.
Well after the Oracle had been siezed, and the
men imprisoned, the Commissioners set up claim
for large amount Of money spent in fitting up the
Oracle, and the American Minister, Mr.. Forsyth,
has been interesting himself to obtain indemnity for
losses incurred in an expedition prohibited by the
laws of the United States, and to protect men en-
gagged in the expedition.
the Oracle were in constant correspondence with
Gen. Alvarez and OF course the letters were pre-
served, and would suffice to showth Alvarez and
COmonfort were in honor bound to pay the ex-
penses The total claim, principal and interest,
amounts now it is said to about 81, OOO, OOO and IT
is said also that the Mexican Government has ISSUED
bonds to the Commissioners. Various grants of
monopolies have also been made to them, probably
intended as part payment of their clams or as
sops to prevent their publishing the letters IN their
pOssessiOn. Noah has an exclusive grant OF the
privilege of coming money in Lower California, and
az Mexican dollars are worth from IL to 10 per
cent premium for expectation to China, splendid
fortune might be readily made out of the affair 1t
we're in the right hands. A wealthy man, who
knows something about mint operations, had made
arrangements to go into partnership with Noah IN
establishing mint in Lower California, not far from
San Diego but the capitalist got involved in troubles
of his own, and was compelled to give up this
project
The annual reports of the State Controller and
Suryeyor-Genersl have been published and they
contain large amount of interesting statistical In
formation the most important of which ! shall ell
deavOr TO present briefly for your readers.
The report of the Controller gives the amount of
taxable property in the various counties and the
amount of tax paid to the State by each county.
There are thirteen mining counties, which cast
5S 753 votes at the last Presidential election, and
paid 1926, 1876 into the State Treasury during the
YEAR ending June 80, 1857; while seventeen agri-
cultural counties cast Ia 697 votes, and paid $780,,
9l5, For every voter in the mining counties "a G2
on an average went into the State Treasury and for
every voter in the farming counties 50 90. San
Francisco and Sacramento, being extensively en-
gagged in commercial and mechanical pursuits, are
not included in either class; for every voter in the
former city $l5 81 are paid, and for every voter
In the latter 81 90. 1t is not at all wonderful
that under this state Of affairs the people OF the
ccast counties should be anxious to have mining