Mr. Plumb to Mr.
Seward.
No. 171.]
Legation of the United States,
City of Mexico,
August 12, 1868.
Sir: Under the instruction contained in your
dispatch No. 75, of the 8th ultimo, relating to the outrage inflicted by
Mexican authorities upon a number of citizens of the United States, at
Monterey, I addressed a note on the 7th instant to this government,
embodying mainly the terms of that dispatch.
A copy of the same is inclosed herewith.
I have now to transmit to the department a copy of the reply of the
Mexican government, addressed to me on the 11th instant.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Plumb to Señor Azpiroz.
Legation of the United
States, Mexico.
August 7, 1868.
Sir: The Secretary of State of the United
States has received from the United States consul at Monterey the
depositions of the citizens of the United States who were the
subjects of the late indignity at that place.
A copy of the same is inclosed herewith.
[Page 568]
These depositions make a case in which the police and subordinate
officials of the city of Monterey, acting under the direction of the
secretary of the state government, committed great indignity and
inexcusable outrage against the persons, rights, and sensibilities
of the complainants.
While it is very manifest that the federal government of Mexico could
neither have authorized nor contemplated the possibility of such an
outrage, it is, at the same time equally manifest that the
authorities of the State were unrestrained by any consideration of
prudence or of respect for the United States.
The government and people of the United States cannot but feel deeply
grieved by the outrage, unless it shall be in a satisfactory manner
explained, and if not so explained, shall be properly rebuked by the
government of Mexico.
I am instructed to lose no time or occasion in soliciting such
redress.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. Manuel Azpiroz, Chief Clerk in charge of the Department of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Mexico.
[Translation.]
Señor Azpiroz to Mr.
Plumb.
Department of Foreign
Relations, Mexico,
August 11, 1868.
Sir: I have received your note of the 7th
instant, and the copies annexed, relating to the proceedings that
were employed in the city of Monterey, on the night of the 21st of
April last, with six American citizens, who were placed in the
prison of that city on account of having been accused of drunkenness
and disturbance.
You state in your note that the consul of the United States at
Monterey had remitted to the government of the United States the
depositions (copies of which are the annexes to which I have
referred) of the said citizens of that republic, and that both the
government and the people of the same cannot but feel deeply grieved
by those proceedings, unless they shall be explained in a
satisfactory manner, and if not so explained, shall be rebuked by
the government of Mexico.
These desires are very just, assuming the injuries of which the said
American citizens complain to have taken place, and the government
of Mexico under that supposition will not delay a moment in
satisfying them in conformity with the indications you make in the
name of your government, immediately that it receives the official
documents in this affair existing in Monterey, which it has lately
asked from the governor of Nuevo Leon, directing that the same be
punctually remitted by return of mail.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
MANUEL AZPIROZ, Chief
Clerk.
Mr. Edward Lee Plumb, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States of America in
Mexico.
