The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1860-01-07

i not been Eufere0 Dy our GltizenS III MEXICO uuf-
| ing the last few years We have been nominaly
1t peace with that Republic, but, so far as the
interests of our commerce or of our citizens who
have visited the country a. merchants shipmas-
i tiers, or in other capacities. are concerned, We
might a. well have been at war; Life has been
insecure, property unprotected, and trade impos-
sible, except 1t risk of loss which prudent men
/ cannot be expected to incur. Important con-
tracts. involving large expenditure, entered into
by the central government, have been set ct de.
fiance hy the local governments. Peaceful Amer.
lean residents, occupying their rightful posses
| sions, hare been suddenly expelled the country,
| in defiance Of treaties, and by the mere force of
arbitrary power. Even the course Of Justice has
not been safe from control, and n recent decree
| Of Miramon permits the Intervention Of govern
ment in all suits where either party il a foreign
er Vessels of the United States have been
seized without Law, and consular officer who
protested against such seizure has been fined and
| imprisoned for disrespect to the authorities.--
Military contributions have been levied in viola
ton of every principle of right, and the Amcri-
can who resisted the lawless demand has had his
property forcibly taken away, and has been him.
self banished. From a conflict of authority in
different parts Of the country, tariff duties which
| have been paid in one place have been exacted
| over again in another place.
| Large numbers of our citizens have been ar
| rested and imprisoned without any form of ex-
| animation or any opportunity for a hearing, and
even when released have only obtained their
liberty after much suffering and injury and with
| out any hope Of redress. The wholesale massa-
ere of Crabbe and his associates without trial in
Sonora, AZ well as the seizure and murder Of four
| sick Americans who had taken shelter in the
| house Of an American, upon the soil Of the Uni
| ted States, was communicated to Congress at its
| last session. Murders of still more atrOcous
| character have been committed in the very heart
Of Mexico under the authority of Miramon's gov
ernment, during the present year. Some Of these
were only worthy Of barbarous age, and, if they
had not been clearly proven, would have seemed
impossible in a country which claims to be civil
lied OF this description was the brutal massacre
in April last, BY order of General MARQUEE, Of
| three American physicians, who We're seized in
the hospital at Tacubaya while attending upon
the sick and diving Of both parties, and without
| trial, as without crime, we're hurried away to
| speedy execution. Little less shocking the
| fate Of Ormond Chase, who was shot in Topic on
the 7th Of August, by order of the same Mexican
general not only without trial, but without any
| conjecture BY his friends Of the cause Of his ar
| rest. He is represented as young man of good
| character and intelligence who had made numer-
| Gus friends in Tepic BY the courage and human
| ity which he had displayed several trying oc-
| casions, and his death was unexpected as it
was shocking to the whole community. Other
| outrages might be enumerated but these are
sufficient to illustrate the wretchcd state of the
| country and the unprotected condition of the
| persons and property Of our citizens Ill Mexico.
In all these cases ministers have been con-
slant and faithful in their demands for redress,
| but both they and this government, which they
| have successively represented, have been wholly
| powerless to make their dem .nds effective Their
testimony in this respect and in reference to the
| only remedy which, in their judgments, would
| meet the exigency, has been both uniform and
| emphatic Nothing but manifestation Of the
| power of the government Of the United States
wrote our late minister in 1861 and its purpose
| to punish these wrongs will avail. | assure you
that the universal belief here is that there is
nothing to be apprehended from the government
of the United States, and that local Mexican Off
| cials can commit these outrages upon American
| citizens with absolute impunity." i hope the
President (wrote our present Minister in August
last) "will feel authorized to ask from Congress
| the Power to enter Mexico with the military
| forces of the United States at the call of the
constitutional authorities, in order to protect the
citizens and the treaty rights Of the United States
| Unless such power is conferred upon him, nei-
ther the one nor the other will be respected in
| the existing state of anarchy and disorder, and
| the outrages already perpetrated viii never be
chastised; and, as assured you in my No 23,
all these evils must increase until every vestige
of order and government disappears from the
| country" | have been reluctantly led to the
| same opinion, and in justice to my countrymen
| who have suffered wrongs from Mexico, and who
NAV still suffer them feel boand to announce
this conclusion to Congress.
! The case presented. however, is not merely a
case Of individual claims, although just claims
against Mexico have reached very large amount.
1 & alx- aofv, ~ thn
| lives and property of the few American citizens
who may still remain in Mexico, although the
life and property Of every American citizen ought
| to he sauredly protected In every quarter Of the
world But it is a question which relates to the
future Us we'll as to the present and the past and
which involves indirectly at least, the whole sub
jeet of our duty to Mexico neighboring
| State. The exercise of the power of the United
| States in that country to redress the wrongs and
protect the rights Of our own citizens is none the
less to be desired, because efficient and necessary
aid NAV thus be rendered at the same time, to
| restore peace and order to Mexico itself. In the
| accomplishment of this result the people of the
| United States must necessarily feel deep and
earnest interest. Mexico ought to be rich and
prosperous and powerful republc. She possesses
an extensive territory, fertile soil, and an in
calculable store of mineral resources. She occu-
pies an important position between the Gulf and
Is il possible that such country as this can be
given up to anarchy and ruin without an effort
from any quarter for its rescue and it, safety
| Will the commercial nations of the world, which
have SO many interests connected with it, remain
wholly Indifferent to such result. Can the
United States, especially, which ought to share
most largely in its commercial intercourse, allow
their immediate neighbors thus to destroy itself
and injure their neghbor? Yet without support
from some quarter, it is impossible TO perceive
how Mexico can resume her position among ma
tions and enter upon career which promises
any good results. The aid which she requires,
and which the interests Of all commercial coun-
tries require that she should have, it belongs to
this government to render, not only by virtue OF
our neighborhood to Mexico, along whose terri
| tory we have continuous frontier Of nearly a
thousand miles, but by virtue, also, of our estab-
lishcd policy, which Is inconsistent with the in
teryention OF any European Power in the domes-
tic concerns Of that republic.
The wrongs which we have suffered from Mex
leo are before the world, and must deeply i'm.
press every American citizen. A government,
which is either unable or unwilling to redress
such wrongs is derelict to its highest duties
The difficulty consists in selecting and enforcing
the remedy. We may in vain apply to the con
stitutional government at Vera Cruz, although
it il well disposed to do US justice, for adequate
redress. Whilst its authority is acknowledged
in all the important ports and throughout thu
sea coasts of the republic, its power does not ex
tend to the city OF Mexico and the states in il
vicinity, where nearly all tho recent outragei
have been committed on American citizens. w
must penetrate into the interior before we car
. reach the offenders, and this can only be don,
by passing through the territory in tile occupa
ton OF the constitutional government.
The most acceptable and least difficult moi,
Of accomplishing the object will be to act il
concert with that government. Their consen
,, and their aid might, believe, be obtained; bn
: if not, our obligation to protect our own citizen
in their just rights. secured by treaty, would no
be the less imperative. For these reasons, re
commend to Congress 70 pass law authorizing
the President, under such conditions a. the
r may deem expedient, to employ sufficient mill
: tagy force to enter Mexico Mr the purpose Of OBJ
!. tanning indemnity for the past and se .urity 10
Z the future. l purposely refrain from any sua
! gestions as to whether this force shall consist
: regular troops or volunteers, or both. This qucs
i tipl may be most appropriately left TO the de
!. . cision Of Congress. lwould merely observe tha
. should volunteers be selected, such force coul