Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-01-06

permits the Intervention Of government in .
suits where either party is u foreigner. Vesse
j of the United States have been seized withov
4 law, and consular officer who protested again'
such seizure has been fined and imprisoned ft
disrespect to the authorities. Military contr
buttons have been levied in violation OF ever
principle of right, and the American VIII
resisted the lawless demand has had his proT
erty forcibly taken away, and has been himse
banished. From conflict of authority i
different parts of the country, tariff dutie
which have been paid in one place have bee
exactcd over again in another place.
Large numbers of our citizens have bee
arrested and imprisoned without any form Q
examination or any opportunity for y hearing
and even when released have only obtaine
their liberty after much suffering and injury
and without any hope Of redress. The whole
sale massacre of Crabbe and his associate
without trial in Sonora, rs well as the seizur
and murder of four sick Americans who hat
taken shelter in the house of an American
upon the soil Of tho United States, was com
municated to Congress at its last session.
Murders of still more atrocious character
have been committed in the very heart O
Mexico, under the authority of Miramon'i
SONSs NNt'"6 WV ~ SSSus ycoA'et SOAAAS
of these were only worthy of n barbarous age
and, if they had not been clearly proven
would have seemed impossible in country
which claims to be civilized. OF this descrip
tion was the brutal massacre in April last, BY
order of Gen. MARQUEE, of three American
physicians, who were seized in the hospital al
Tacubaya, while attending upon the sick and
dying of both parties, and without trial, as
without crime, were hurried away to speedy
execution. Little less shocking was the fate
of Ormond Chase, who was shot in Topic on
the 7th Aug, by order of the same Mexican
general, not only without trial, but without
any conjecture by his friends of the cause ot
his arrest. He is represented as young man
of good character and intelligence, who had
made numerous friends in Tepie by the cour-
age and humanity which he had displayed on
several trying occasions, and his death was as
unexpected rs it was shocking to the whole
community. Other outrages might be emu
merated, but these are sufficient to illustrate
the wretched state of the country and the un-
protected condition Of the persons and prop
erty Of our citizens in Mexico.
In all these cases our ministers have been
constant 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
demands effective. Their testimony in this
respect, and in reference to the only remedy,
which, in their judgments, would meet the
exlgency, has been both uniform and emphatic.
Nothing but a man Hesitation of the power
of the government of the United States (wrote
our late Minister in 1856, )and of its purpose to
punish these wrongs will avail I assure you
that the universal belief here that there
is nothing to be apprehended from the
government of the United States, and that
local Mexican officials can commit these out
RACES upon American citizens with absolute
q 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, ut the call of the constitu-
tional authorities, in order to protect the citi-
zen and the treaty rights of the U. s. Unless
such power is conferred upon him, neither the
one nor the other will be respected in the exist
ing state of anarchy and disorder, and the out
RACES already rperpetrated will never be chas
tised ; and, as 1 assured you in No. %, all
these evils must increase until every vestige
Of order and government disappears from the
l have been reluctantly led to the
same opinion, and in justice to my country
men who have suffered wrongs from Mexico,
and who may still suffer them, feel bound
to announce this conclusion to Congress.
Tnc case presented, however, is not merely
u case Of individual claims, although our just
claims against Mexico have reached very
large amount. Nor is it merely the case of
protection to the lives and property of the few
American citizens who may still remain in
Mexico, although the lif. and property of
every American citizen ought to be sacredly
protected in every quarter of the world. But
it is question which relates to the future as
well as to the present and the past, and which
involves, indirectly at least, the whole subject
Of our duty to Mexico asa ncighboring State.
The exercise of the power of the United States
IN that country to redress the wrongs and pro.
tect the rights Of our own citizens is mono the
less to be desired, because efficient and neces-
sary aid may thus be rendered ut the same
time, to restore peace and order to Mexico
itself: In the accomplishment of this result
the people of the United States must neces-
sarily feel deep and earnest interest. Mex
leo ought to be a rich and prosperous and
powerful republic. She possesses AN extensive
territory, Il fertile soil, and an incalculable
store of mineral resources. She occupies an
important position between the Gulf and the
ocean for transit routes aud for commerce.
Is it possible that such u country as this can
be given up to anarchy and ruin without an
effort from any quarter for its rescue and its
safety? Will the commercial nations of the
world, which have so many interests connec-
4 result? Can the Untel States, especially,
which ought to share most largely in its COM
intercourse. allow thc'r immediate
nciyhbors thus to Destroy Itself and inJure
them? Yet, without support from some
quarter, it is impossible to perceive how
Mexico can resume her position among nations
and enter upon n career which promises any
good results. The aid which she requires,
and which the interests Of all commercial
countries require that she should have, it
belongs to this government to render, not
only by virtue of our neighborhood to Mexico,
along whose territory we have a continuous
frontier of nearly thousand miles, but by
virtue. also, of our established policy, which
is inconsistent with the intervention of any
European Power in the domestic concerns of
that republic.
The wrongs which we eiiave suffered from
Mexico are before the world. and must deeply
impress every American citizen. A govern
ment 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
W Iuo COHSGiIueioudi oe OAo SIuA,
it is. well disposed to do US justice,
for adequate redress. Whilst its authority is
acknowledged in all the important ports and
throug ghout the sea. coasts Of the republic, its
power does not extend to7the city of Mexico
and the States in its vicinity, where all the
recent outrages have been committed on
American citizens. We must penetrate into
the interior before we can reach the offenders,
and this only can be done by passing through
the territory in the occupation of the consti-,
tutonal government. ."' .''~is % ga
9 The most.ncceptable and least difacuft mode
of, accomplishing the object will be to act in
concert with that government, Their con-
sent and their aid might, believe. be OBJ
tanned; bat if not, our obIig igaiioh to- protect
our own citizens in thcf duet rights, ,oseeured
by treaty, wopld not be the less Imperative;
For these reasons, recommend to Congress
to pass law authorizing the President, under
such conditions as they may deem expedient,
t. employ u sufficient military force to enter
Mexico fur the purpose Of obtaining indemni-