Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-12-25
to their careful consideration.


among the claimants in the Amistcnd case"
President Polk first made a similar recon-
mendation i'll Dcccmbor 1917, and it was
repeated by my immediate predecessor in
December, 1853. | entertain 10 doubt that
Indemnity is fairly due to these claimants
under our treaty with Spain of the 9th Oc-
tobcr, lI9o; and, whilst demanding Justice,
we ought to do justice, An appropriation
promptly made for this purpose, could not
i'ii 10 exert favorable influence or our nr-
gotiations with Spain
Our position in relation to the mdcpeu)ant
States South of us on this continent. and as
pccially those Within the limiis of Nnr,h
Amcrlca, Is OF "a peculiar character The
Northern boundary uf Mexico is co;i,cidcnt
with our OWN SDnihcrn boundary from araau
to ocean; ana VIC must necessarily ice, ~
deep interest IN all that concerns the we'll
being and the fate of SO near a urigbGar
We have always cherished The k;ndcst wiyn-
cs Tor the success of that republic. and hnyc
indulgel the hope that it mig ut last. aNcr
all It's trials. cnloy peace and prosperity un-
der n Tree aud stable government. We have
never hitherto intcrlercd, directly or ind-
rcctly, with its internal affairs and ii is a
uuty which we owe to ourselves, to protect
the integrity of its territory, against tic hos
tile interference of any other power Our
geographical position our direct interest in
all that concerns Mexico. and our wcl-Scttlcd
policy in regard tn the North American con-
tnent render this an Indispensable duty.
Mexico has been in state of constant rev
olution. almost ever since it achieved it's in.
dependence. One military leader after an
other has uSurpcd the government in rapid
succession; and the various constitutions from
time to time adopted. have been set MT nau"ht
almost as soon as they wcro proclaimed The
successive governments have afforded no
adequate protection, either to Mexican citi-
zenS OF foreign residents. against awlcss vio-
lcncc Heretofore, u seizure of the CAPITAL
10y military ohicItain, has been generally
followed 10y at least the nominal submission
of the country to his rule for u brief period,
lmt not so at the present crisis OF Mexican
affairs. y civil war has been raging for
some time throughout the republic. hGiwccn
the central government ut the city of McXi-
40, which has cndcavorcd to subycrt the con
Rttution last framed, by military power, and
those who maintain the authority ofthat con
sttution. The antagonist parties each hold
possession Indifferent States of the republic.
and the fortunes of the war arc constantly
changing. Meanwhile. the most rcprchcns!-
l,le means have been employed bv both par
ties to cxtort money from iorcignc $, us we'll
MS natives, to carry on this ruinous conlcS'.
The truth is, that this fine country. blessed
with productive Spi aud IL benign climate
has boon reduced by civil disScnsion to Il CON
dtiOn of almost hopeless anarchy and imbc.
cility. 1t would be vain for this government
80 attempt to enforce payment in money of
the CLAIMS of American citizens now amount
ing to more than ten million dollars against
Mexico, because it is destitute Of all pccuni-
AIRY means to satisfy the demands.
Ouratc minister was furnished with annie
powers and instructions for the udjustmcnt of
all pending questions with the central govern
'nontoiAlcxico, anil he performed his duty with
Zcalandability. The claims ofOur citizens, some
of them arising out of the violation of an cx-
press provision of the treaty of GUADALUPE
llidalgo, and others from gross Injuries to
l'crsonS as well as property. have remained
unrcdrcSscd and even mnoticcd. Rcmon-
stranccs against these grievances have been
addressed, without effect, to that govern
ment. Meantime, i'll various parts of there
public, instances have been numerous Of the
murder, Imprisonment and plundcr of our
citizens, by different parties claiming aud
exercising local jurisdiction: but the cen
trnl government, although repeatedly urged
thereto have made no effort either to punish
the authors of these outragcs. or to prevent
their recurrence. No American citizen can
now visit Mexico, on lawful business. with
out imminent danger to his person and prop
crty. There is NO adequate protection to
either; and in this respect our treaty with
that republic is almost n dead letter
This state uf affairs was brought to n cri-
sis in May last by the promulgation of IL de-
cree lcvyinS contribution pro rate upon all
the capital in the republic, between certain
specified amounts, whether he'd hv McxicanS
or frcSp"rs NJ" Enrsv.h. .a:,....;a- 1T.
decree in the light Of u '';oycca loan, form
ally protested against is application t,his
eountrymen, and advised them not To pay tho
contribution, lnt to suierit t, be i6rc.hly
exaetcd Acting upon this advive, an Au,.
erlcan citizen refused topny ,ic cuHtributiun
and bis property was seize! by armed inon
to satisfy the amount. Not cunicnt with ihiS
THE government proceeded st.i! farther end
issued decree banishng Linn from the carn.
try. Our minister Immediately notified item
that if this decree should he carried into OK
stution he would feel it to be his duty to
adopt "the most decided measures that he
bng to the powers and obligations uf the rep
resentative Office" Notwithstanding this
warming the hanShmcut was enforced, and
Dir. Forsyth promptly announced to the gov
ernment the suspension of the political rolu-
tions of his legation with them. until the
pleasure of his own government should be
ascertaincd.
This government did not regard the con-
tribution imposed by the decree of ii G 18th
May last t0 be in strctness II forced loan"
and us such prohibited by the 10th article of
tho treaty Of 1896 between Great Britain and
Mexico, to the benefits of which american
citizens are entitled by treaty; set the mpo-
si%.vn of the contribution upon foreigners
was considered an unjust and Oppressive
measure. Besides, internal factions Ia other
parts, of the republic were Mt the same time
lcyying similar eXactions uDon the proncrty