Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-14
FROM WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, May l3, 1866

FROM WASHINGTON.
/; WASHINGTON, May 10. 1866
The last instalment of documents relative 10 Mexico
makes between five and six hundred pages 1t ap-
pears from this of correspondence that on the
| 5th of January, Mr.. Romero sent documents to MIR.
Seward showing, in the first place. that the assassiua
ton of Gen. Ortega was an accomplished fact. not
wthstandng the endeayors of the French to conceal
| it. and moreover, that twas premedtated and exc
cuted by orders from Mexico, Or by command of the
| French Genera-in- Chief of tho invading army or
by the French agent in that city on whom they try
to lay the responsibility of their conduct He adds
that the asSaSsinS have not had the manliness to
assume the responsibility of their crime but have
tried conceal it. impose the guilt of it upon an
unhappy traitor officer who has joined the conquercrs
| of his country.
In subsequent communication, dated February
Goth, transmitting to Mr. Seward additional docu-
/ ments. in order to keep the U. S. Government in
formed of the conduct of the invaders of Mexico he
now call your attention to the inconsistency
| of treating MexcanS as belligerents by the French
agent of MaXimilan after having denied all rights
of belligerents to the soldiers of the Repuhc whom
he proclaimed IS bandits in his decree of the 3rd of
October last and shot without trial in conformity to
his Decree even though they belonged to regularly
! organized forces. Now the commander-ip- chief of
| the invaders negotiates formal exchange of prison
and atters VI tn courteous language for his humanity
| 10 French prisoners To say the least this signifies
! the forces of the Republican army.
The evident object of this inconsistency is to gain
the release OF the FRENCH prisoners and it open
that the forces defending the independence of their
country not disOrganiZed bands of highway roh-
bers they assert. and it is unjust and absurd to
deny them the consideration usually extended to ali
biligerents throughout the civilized world On the
! 1Gth of March MIR. Romero addressed Mr.. Seward as
| follows:
| Mr., SacreGTy-hs 4 specimen of the manner in
| which the so-caled decree OF the usurper Maximil-
ism, issued the Sd Of October last ordering the execu
ton Of all Mexicans who defend the independence Of
their country, carried out have the honor to en-
close to you, with this note the death sentence pro
nounced AGAINST Colonel Carlos Garcia Cano and the
mode ofis execution, contained in an extract from
Lg ZnJriG paper published in the City of Mexico.
The colonial was young man of 25 who had once
served in the ranks Of the ntervenonists but after
wards rejecting on his duty as Mexican he Joined
the defenders of independence. lie was subsequent
ly taken prisoner, condemned and executed in the
! Irregular manner shown by the annexed document.
| refrain from commenting on what is here improp-
| erly called trial and which is nothing but real as
sasSnatl0n. as II was done in accordance with the
! so-called decree: which is already known to the
GOvernment of tho United States.
The following is MIR. Stewards reply:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, |
WASHINGTON, March H. 1866 I
SIT-1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt
of your communications of January 9Th and 22d
February ID. and March, lOth 1865, with their en-
called Emperor of Mexico. and in which the penalty
of death is declared against Ill Mexcans found in
arms and defending the integrity and independence
France in that republic. You further inform me
that this penalty has actually been visited upon
Major General Jose Maria Orego and several of his
French.
Ii reply II Is scarcely necessary Tor me TO assure
you that the Government of the United States deep
ly regrets the untimely fate which has overtaken
these brave champions of the cause of liberty and
republican institutions in Mexico, and fully depre
Gates the practice of system of warfare little con-
sstent with the usages Of enlightened States. beg
in answer state that the subject will receive the
attention to which it so justly entitled by this Gov
ernment, and meanwhile have the honor to renew
ton. WM. II. SEWARD
Senor MATIAs ROMERO, &C., Washington, D. c.
The following correspondence took place between
Gten. " ethel and Gen. Mejia:
HDQRs. DISTRICT RIO GRANDE,l
BRowysyIiLE, Texas. JanI'y ,, 1866. !
6enerdt.I understand that you have taken II
prisoners from the Liberal forces, and that you in
tend to execute them. In the name Of the entire
civilized world protest against such horrible act
of barbarty | believe it will stamp the Power Won
represent with nfamy forever. To execute Mexicans
fighting in their country, and for the freedom of
their country against foreign power, is act which,
cannot permit this to be done under the eye of my
Government, without its behalf entering this SOL
scrv't, G. WEITzEL,
Major General, Commanding.
To Major General TOMAS MEJIA, commanding line
IMPERIAL Army, MEXICAN DIVISION,
MEJIA HEADQ's, MATAM0RAs, Jan. 2, 1866. !
General Il acknowledge reeeiptof your communi-
cessity Of repeing theoretically the participation
which you pretend to take in the internal concerns Of
this countFg. The business to which the protest in
your refers mas been brought before competent
tribunals and no one nag right to suspend the pro-
ceedi9gS for your individual cogniton, will add
that the persons In question accused of taking by
force OF arms thirteen wagons twenty-sL mules aad
horses. and robbed thirteen persons.
ItWou!d be very strange, General if in the middle
OF this nineteenth century the bandits and fighting
robbers to receive help and protection from the
civilized world BY the same OCCASION see myself
obligated to remind you of the contents of the letter
] had the honor to address you the 2lst of last
Decembef. shall return without answer, any com
runeatlon OF like Gnaraeter and couched in the Ian
suage in the one now before me.
Accept. General. my esteem and consideration,
General Commanding Line of tho Rio Grnnde.
To MAJoR-GENERAL WEITzEL. Commanding West
ern District of Texas Brownsville
Inc folioWing orders and changes have recently
been announced in the Marine Corps Captain D.
NJ. Cohen, relieved from Pacific squadron, and re-
ported at New York barracks First Lieutenant
Bartlett, detached from marine barracks. Boston.
and ordered to proceed to Chicago and establish
recruiting rendezvous for the Western States. The
last named appointment will extend to the able
bodied men of the West, and afford an excellent op
p9nrtunity of entering the regular navy.
The Senators elect from Colorado emphatically
deny the lmputation thrown upon them and mem
bers of Congress to the effect that there poti
of the bill for the admission of the State They
further say that the call upon the President, to
which allusiOn has been made by some newspapers,
was simply TO present such facts and documents as
show the population and substantial wealth, re-
sources and permanent property of Colorado, and
had no reference whatever to politics.
The Washington Wolf Tone and Red Hand circles
of the District Of Columbia haye Joined in appeal
to the Fenian Brotherhood, whose zeal had oOnsd-
erably abated, announcing crisis and eXhorting
union in grand struggle for the independence Of
ireland. Thsy formally declare in favor of Roberts
and Sweeney. The promise is thrown out apart from
this appeal, that real Fenian army will soon take
the field, and contributions accordingly solicited
for the support of the soldiers.
Gen. Henry A. Wise delivered lecture last night
at the Orphan ASYLUM at Alexandria. 1t is repre-
sented that he spoke of the simply conflict
OF sOvereigne saying he not responsible for his
acts as individual in Obeying the voice of his
State Be had made no concessions and taken test
OATH and there was no power to make him take one;
ne was nc traitor, nor were they VINO had fought for
the South: nor had he taken an oath of allegiance,
for he foreigner. At the conclusion of the
lecture Senator Salisbury of Delaware, made a
speech in opposition to those whom he characterized
as Radicals.
General Santa Anna was as is known, professedly
strong adherent of Maximian several years ago. but
subsequently deserted his Imperial Highness. What
his business is in the United States at this time has
not yet transpired in Washington. Mr.. Romero the
Mexican Minister, has received no communication
concerning him. and there is no reason to believe
that he has come to this country in an official char.