The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-04-25
GEN. CARRANzA INTERFERS.
REBEL LEADER DEMANDS THAT
AMERICANS WITHDRAW.
Tclegraphs Secretary Bryan That
He Regards Occupation of Vera
Cruz as an Attack ON National Sow
creignty of Mexico.


ing to a telegram from Secretary
Bryan at Washington, Gen. Carranza
today telegraphed that the United
States is not justified in occupying
Mexican territory.
''The INVASION" says the letter,
will drag us (Mexico) into an un-
equal war with dignity, but which
until today we desired to avoid"
The unofficial translation of the
text of the letter which was di-
rected to United States Consul j. c.
Carothers to be transmitted 20 Secre-
tary Bryan and by him to President
Wilson, follows:
Awaiting the action of the Ameri-
can senate on your excellency's mes
sage directed to said body caused by
the lamentable incident which oc-
CURED between a crew in a whale
boat Of the cruiser Dolphin and the
soldiers Of the usurper, Huerta, GER
tain acts of hostility have been exc
cuted by the naval forces under COM
mand of Admiral Fletcher at the
port Of Vera Cruz and in the face of
this violation Of national sovereignty
which the constitutionalist govern
ment did not expect from govern
ment that had reiterated it's desire
to maintain peace with the Mexican
people. / comply with the duty Of
elevated patriotism in directing this
note to you with view Of exhausting
all honorable means before two
friendly nations sever the pacific re-
latOns that still unite them.
The real people Of Mexico have
not recognized as it's executive a man
who had pretended to launch a blem-
isl on its national integrity; drowning
in blood its free institutions; conse-
quently the acts OF the usurper HUI
erta and his accomplices do not
signify legitimate acts Of sovereignty,
and much less do they represent the
sentiments of the Mexican nation.
The lack Of representative char
acter Of Gen. N'ictoriano Huerta, as
concerning the relations Of Mexico
with the United States, as well as
with Argentine Republic, Chile, Brazil
and Cuba, had been clearly establish
cd with the justifable attitude of
these nations, who have refued to
recognize the usurper, in this way
lending a valuable moral support to
the noble cause / represent.
The usurped title of the president
OF tne republic can not invest Gen.
Huerta with the right to receive a
demand for reparation on the part of
the United States nor the right to
grant satisfaction as due.
"Victoriano Huerta is culprit
who is amenable to the constitution
alist government, today the only
one under the abnormal circum-
stances Of our nation, which repre-
sents the national sovereignty. The
illegal acts committed by the usurper
and his partisans and those which
they may yet perpetrate shall be tried
and punished with inflexibility and
promptncss by the tribunals Of the
constitutiOnalist government.
THE individual acts of Victoriano
Huerta never will be sufficient to in
volve the Mexican nation in a disas-
trous war with the United States be-
cause there is no solidarity whatso-
ever between the sOcalled govern
ment Of violence of Huerta and the
Mexican nation.
Moreover. the invasion of our ter
fitory and the permanency of your
forces in the port of Vera Cruz are
violation Of the rights that con-
stitute our existence as a free and in
dependent sovereignty and will drag
us into an unequal war, with dignity,
but which until today we desired to
avoid.
In the face OF the real situation
through which Mexico traverses--
weak-more so than ever after three
years Of bloody strife, and compared
with the formidable power Of the
American nation-in considering the
acts committed at Vera Cruz as acts
highly offensive to the dignity and
| independence Of Mexico and contrary
to your recent declaration Of not de-
| friendship with the Mexican nation
and contradict also the resolution
which the American senate, which has
just declared that the United States
does not assume against the MeXi-
can people; neither do they propose