New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-03
OUR RELATIONS WITH MEXICO.
The Clearance Of Supplies for the Allies
PROTEST BY TIE MEXICAN MINISTER.
The Correspondence en- the Subject
Yro;n Our Own Correspondent.

WARRINGTON, Dec. ~, 1862
In order to understand the precise situation Of
Affairs on, OF which arises the correspondence at
present going on between Mr. Romero, the Minister
of Mexico here, and Secretary Seward brief retro
suect OF rece NJ occurrences may not he unpr0fable
There are grounds for the belief that the facts about
10 he stated WI be confirmed By Official documents,
when the pondence on the subjects treated Of
shal be published. In the absence of these docu-
inents ;hc following statement may be relied upon
a, substantially true:
In February last, the Mexican Consul at New'
York informed Mr. Romero that vessels were leaving
:hat city carrying provisions and articles conraband
ct war to Vera Cruz for the OF the Allies, whose
troops were thea at tina, port. The Mexican Minis
r.r, without delay, advised Secretary Seward Of
these facts. and at the same time Put to him the
question whether the United States intended to be
neutral in the pending war and made the sugges.
hon that il that their purrose, they should Put
stop to the expectations from New-York then 60
ing on.
The Secretary Of State in lis answer to this CON-
municsiion took the GROUND that the L. S. did not
recognize state OF war as existing between Mexico
aud The allied powers the latter having landed at
Vera Cruz oSensibly as friends and being still en-
gagged in negotiation with Mexico. The Secretary
of State added that il for the interest Of Mexico
that tue United States shoud take this position since
abe was more dependent upon us for supplies than
the allies 20 whom Europe was oEen, aid th there
fore it WAS for her advantage that we should trest
both ler ard the allies friends and export TO each
what was anted.
To this NJ Romero replied accepting Mr.. Sew
ards PRINCIPLES and propositions and saying that he
was perfectly willing that the Allies should be
allowed to export provisions and articles coniraband
of war, IL the same privilege were extended TO his
Government. Tins the matter stood until July last,
when an agent of the Jusrez Government having
been apprised Of tue understanding with Secretary
Seward. came TO this country to purchase arms
His first effort WAS TO buy them from the Govern
ment He failed in this, but was told that although
the Government had hone to sell, he could export
them to Mexico if be could arrange for their pur-
chase from private parties
After some difficulty, the agent effected purchase
Of about thirty-six thousand i36,OOO) Belgian mus
Iets altered to percussion locks, with fifteen mil
lion 1900 600 percussion caps, sud few thousand
sabers and pistols. He loaded vessel With these
articles, and applied for clearance to Matamoras,
that port being the only open at the time. az
Tampico and Vera Cruz We're then In the possession
Of the enemy. Collector Barney, on the 2ist Of
August, refused to grant the clearance without n
specal permit from Sec. Chase, pleading bis nstfue-
lions to the effect that such permit was necessary in
the case of all vessels desiring to 60 to Mntamorss,
that rort being convenient entrCpot for the Rebels
Being appised of this fresh difficulty, Mr.. Rolaer
laid the case before Secretary Seward, who referred
him to Secretary Chase, to whose province The mat
q LII 1;.,Iv fhp nf
August Mr.. Romero called on Secretary Chase,
who wa. at fret willing authorize the expectation,
but after seeing the list of articles embraced in the
cargo said that be did not feel at liberty to permit
such large expectation, uness the Secretaries Of
War and Navy authorized it. A memorandum was
thereupon drawn up, comprising a schedule OF the
cergo and the suggestion that the guns being Bel
giau muske;s altered to percussion locks worth but
81 apiece cash, woUld be OF use to our eoldiors.
Assistant Secretary Harrington called upon the Sc
re,aries named above with this memorandum.
Mr. Wellcs saw 10 objection ID the proposed pro-
preceding Bat Dir. Stanton declined in writing to
relax the order heretofore made prohibiting such
explorations"
Upon this Mr. Romero went TO Secretary Chase
and said in effect that the necessities Of Mexico
which had but about 10000 eighty thousand stands
of arms for three hundred thousand (5OO,000) SOL
diers were 70 pressing that he would waive the az
sument principle, if permission could be granted
bin to eenG a smaller number Of than tbose
named in bis invoice. He also took occasion to re-
mind Mr. Cbase tina; bis objection at the first inter-
view had been not to allowing any but to allowing
30 many arms to 90 and asked him to fix a number
that be would Pc nit 10 be exported. To this Sec
rotary Chase answered, that as matters at present
stood be could not clear vessel carry ing single
gun out Of the county, since the Secretary OF Wars
order against such expectation was very clear, and
be had declined to relax it in this case.
II is noteworthy that, in previous interviews,
oeithoF Secretary Chase nor Collector Barney bad
referred, directly or indirectly, to the existence Of
the alleged order, but bad spoken in manner neon
sstert on the face OF it, with their knowledge Of its
existence.
Rebufled in this way, but receiving an intiDation
that there might be objection to the expectation
of few thousand stand of srms, if it could be done
without the Official knowledge Of the Government,
aud not under clearance to q Mexican port with
which France might be disposed TO quarrel. tie
parties that had sold tie arms to Mexico made ar
rangements for roundabout passage for then Col
lector Barney refused c,s aTsnee to Nassau the
ground that munitions Of war carried there were
very likely to find their way to the Rebels Bu, he
cleared the arms for Quebec, Canada, whence il
was intended TO send them 10 Matamoras although
before such clearance wac granted, Oh the 29'h or
Both of August, Secretary Chase had Issued
special order 10 Collector Barney, forbiddng him to
clear the arms in question Oh any pretense or by
: any route.