Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-24
GENERAL GRANT.
He Makes Statement In Regard to the
Mexican Treaty.

New York, Jan. %.
Gen. Grant has sent the following letter to
the Washington Evening Star relative to the
pending Mexican treaty:
To tie Editor of the Washington Erening
Star:
In your issue of Saturday, headed "The
Mexican treaty the Senate declines to ratify
at present." find the following paragraph
WHY SOME SENATORS VOTED AGAINST 1T.
member of Congress said to Star re.
porter today: "There were some votes, sew.
eral of them at least, cast against the Mexi.
can treaty in the Senate for this reason: You
see Grant and Romero were partners in Mex.
leo, and they obtained some large concessions
from that government in relation to steam
boat and railroad lines. Now Grant is the
United States commissioner and Romero he
Mexican commissioner, and both of them
we're exceedingly anxious to have the treaty
ratified. II was suspected-and really cant
say it was more than q suspicion-that these
two men, partners in business, had big pri-
vate interests in that treaty that it would aid
them in developing the monopolies they want,
and as no real good could be discovered in
the treaty, nothing patent enough to outw Weigh
this suspicion, why several senators whom
know of concluded that the safest plan would
be to vote against it."
The statement that "Grant and Romero
were partners in Mexico, and that they Oh
tanned some large concessions from that gov
eminent in relation to railroad and steamboat
lines" is wholly without foundation. Romero
and myself never had in our lives any pecun.
iary transactions or business transactions OF
any kind Since our rebellion and the ex-
pulson of Maximillan from M Sico. there
has been q warm sympathy betw cen Romero
and myself, our views being CO Incident as to
the relations that ought to exist between
Mexico and the United States. We have
both devoted much time to bringing about
more intimate relations between the two re-
publics, and entirely gratuitously on our own
part. I. myself, have no pecvniary interes,
in any of the improvements which are taking
place IN Mexico with American capital.
Mr.. Romero and myself are not partners in
anything. We have neither of Us any inter-
est, certainly not any more interest, in the
rati \ ion of that treaty than any other pri-
vate zen of an country. believe its rati-
fcation would be great step toward estab-
lIshing those relations between the two con-
tigueus republics which ought to exist and
which would be of mutual advantage.
In reply to the argument which has been
advanced against the treaty that Cuba sugar
could be shipped to Mexico and re-shipped
free Of duty to this country, Grant says:
There are two answers to that objection to
the treaty, either of which il itself conclusive
~ against that objection. First, Mexico has
higher tariff on sugar than the United States
and they have no provision in their laws for
the rebate of duties where imported articles
are re-exported. Second, . conclusive an
svsr is that it 10 only crude sugar which 10
admitted free under the treaty, and the di6-
erence between Cuban raw sugar and Mexi.
can raw sugar 10 90 great that is would not
even require IN expert to tell the difference
between them by ''feel" alone if he was
blindfolded.
In conclusion Gen. Grant says:
While have spent Thousands of dollars Of
my own money and . great deal Of time to
advance the development of Mexico BY United
States capital and American influence, have
not one dollars interest in al that has been
done, and no pecuniary interest vhatevss In
the country except that an enc Of the sub-
scribers to . railroad which lies wholly to the
south Of the city of Mexico, and the success
Of which d very doubtful in these times vhsn
10 dimcult 10 raise capital for such ensss-