Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-13
NOT A FOOT OF SOIL
Will the Mexican Government Yield
to the United States.
A POSSIBILITY OF RETALIATION
If the Talk of Annexation is Persisted In
bv Americans.
MIR, BLAINE CONSOLES THE GREASERs

WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator Sher-
man to-day, in asking the Senate to dis
charge the Committee on Foreign Relations
from further consideration of, and to lay on
the table, memorial of the Fifteenth Leg
islatiye Assembly of the Territory of Ari-
zona, praying the President and Congress
to enter into negotiation with the Repub-
lie of Mexico for the cession of sufficient
territory joining Arizona on the southern
side to secure water port upon the Gulf of
California, which would afford an outlet for
the products of the Territory, laid before the
Senate some very interesting documents of a
diplomatic character.
Senator Sherman, as Chairman Of the COM
mittee, referred the memorial to Secretary
Blaine with a request for his opinion with re-
gard to it, and this is the Secretary's reply:
BLAINE'S IDEAS.
Responding to your personal request for my
Tiews in regard to this petition, beg leave TO
say that can discern hopeful prospect OF
any negotiation being successfully conducted
with Mexico at the present time, even toward
the limited object in view. The temper OF the
statesmen and people of Mexico has been only
recently manifested with regard to the alena-
ton of any part of the national territory oy the
prominence given in certain circles on the
Pacific coast to a movement for the acquisition
of all or part of Lower California by purchases
For the information of your committee.
transmit herewith copy OF memorandum
prepared by the Mexican Minister OF conuer-
sation which he had with me on this SUBJECT on
the 9th of June last together with Senior Marls-
calls memorandum Of May y, lSoS Oh Wnlch
Mr.. Romero gave me copy. mold unhesltat
ingly that the Government of the United states
is precluded by obligations of traditional good
faith from approaching the Government OF
Mexico with view to acquiring any part OF
Mexican territory, and l equally believe that
no administration of Mexico could face the ma
tional sentiment that would certainly attend
any indication of disposition to infringe the
provisions of the Mexican Constitution, which
withholGs from the Government the power to
cede Mexican soil
NOT CLEAR PROPOSITION,
Moreover even did the subject promise
favorable negotiation the petition fails to set
forth the proposition in sufficient detail. The
northern and eastern shore of the Gulf of Cali
fornia does not appear to offer deep water
port until Libertad is reached, some 200 miles
from the Delta of the Colorado and the coun-
try between that coast and the present SOUTH
ern limit of Arizona is broken, and appears IN
adapted to be highway of intercourse.
Guayamas and the Sonora Railroad runring
thence TO Nogaes constitutes the present
channel of outlet from Arizona to the Gulf Of
California
The following is a translation of the memo
randum which Senor Mariscal, the Mexican
minister 1Or fOrelgn uOQer QaU6 OF
May 20. 1889, sent to Senor Romero, the Mexl-
can Minister TO the United States, and which
the latter, under instructions, laid before Sec
retary Blaine as stated in the Secretarys letter
to Senator Sherman:
This department (the Mexican Department
of Foreign Affairs) approved the article, which,
in compliance with its instructions. you wrote
and published IN the North american Review
eutitled The Annexation of Mexico because
1t is convinced that the total or partial acquisi
tion of Mexican territory, whether by force or
by means Of lntrigues does not enter into the
combination OF the American statesmen, to
whatever political party they may belong.
CONFIDENT OF FAIRNESS.
"As to the gentlemen who at present form
the United States Government. and direct its
foreign policy, we are sufficiently acquainted
with their high character and political ante
cedents not to entertain the least doubt about |
their sense of justice and fairness, not only on
this point, bat any other subject. We have, |
therefore, complete belief that absurd plans of |
hlibusterisn, which are fortunately looked |
upon by the enlightened majority of the Amer |
ican people as disreputable. will not be ap- |
proved by them, nor that they will lend any |
support whatever to the machination of badly |
informed persons with view of changing the |
decided opposition of our people to any aliena- |
ton of Mexican territory.
1--WE do not attach much importance to the |
revelations. more or less vague, and afterward |
contradIcted, which hav, lately appeared in |
the American newspapers concerning organiza- |
tions whose aim is to procure, at all hazards, |
the annexation of some part of Mexico, and |
especially of Lower California. But though !
we treat with contempt the boasts of idle and |
evil disposed people who dream of wars of /
conquest or of revolutionary movements /
plotted on our border, with view of the an 1
nexatlon of a part of our country, it is not so |
with other manifestations of a respectable |
source though they may have their origin in
opinions equally destitute of foundation.
AN OBJECTIONABLE MOVE.
81 refer to a proposition originated in the
Chamber of Commerce at Los Angeles Cal,
and presented to the House of Representatives
at Washington, authorizing the Executive to
negotiate with Mexico for the purchase of
Lower California. l refer, also to the opinion
which, without any reservation, the Governor
OF California expressed about the great conve-
nience of Spanish acquisition. and above all
the purchase of our States of Sonora and Siua-
loa, about which no mention had before been |
made No matter how much the Mexican |
Government might te inclined to overlook this
double expression of an erroneous judg1nentas
10 our patriotic sentiments and our entire con-
formity with the opinion Of our country in this
regard, it cannot do SO. considering the express
sion of views by the present officials of the
State Of California, which is coterminous with |
our territory, and interested in some of those
annexations.
"We cannot look with indifference upon any,
thing coming from respectable authorities and
IL anyone should tell us that no serious and we'll
formed plans on the subject is entertained by
them, but that it is rather the influence of COM
/
which restrained them to express such ideas |
we should be worried even though sharing in
this belief, to deeply lament that there were
persons in California, with such misguided juds-
ments respecting us, who have influence enough
TO induce Governor Waterman to make public
utterances, without thinking of rhe effect
which they might afterward produce in the re-
lations with the neighboring nations.
UNANIMOUS DIsAPPRovAL.
''You are aware that the Mexican Govern
ment, in being always opposed to anything
looking to the alienation of national territory.
although it is disguised under the name of a
friendly negotiation. does nothing more than |
reflect the opinion of the Mexican people. who |
are entirely unanimous this point, without |
distinction of parties. On the other hand orr |
political constitution does not authorize the |
public power to make such an alienation: it
could not be carried out in a constitutional
manner, even supposing that the opinion of the |
Government and of the people of this republic |
were favorable to such a step.
1T is well known chat the administration of |
General Diaz has done all within its power to |
strengthen the friendly relations between the |
two countries, by attracting the capital the |
industry and the commerce Of our neighbors |
and by erasing even, the last vestiges of the |