No. 475.
Mr. Foster
to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Mexico, March 28, 1874.
(Received April 14.)
No. 124.]Sir: On the 22d instant I received from the
minister resident at this capital, of the German Empire, Count Enzenberg, a
communication, (inclosure 1,) with which he transmitted a note which he had
received
[Page 739]
from the Mexican minister
of foreign affairs, Mr. Lafragua, in reply to a note conveying the
information that on the 22d instant, the birthday of the Emperor of Germany,
the flag of that empire would be displayed from the house of the German
legation; in which reply Mr. Lafragua stated, that as the foreign ministers
had not raised their flags on the 21st instant, which was the anniversary of
the birth of the illustrious citizen, Benito Juarez, the government of
Mexico would limit itself to observing due reciprocity.
In view of the allusion to the conduct of all the foreign ministers, in the
note of Mr. Lafragua, and at the unanimous request of the diplomatic
representatives resident at this capital, I, as dean thereof, called a
meeting of the diplomatic corps at this legation, on the 23d instant, at
which a joint note to Mr. Lafragua was drawn up and “signed by all the
representatives at present in this capital, except the German minister,
Count Enzenberg, who desired to reply separately to Mr. Lafragua. This note,
of which a copy is inclosed herewith, (2,) expresses our surprise that the
Mexican government should have thought proper to address to a single member
of the diplomatic corps observations upon the conduct of the entire corps,
and states that the omission to raise the flags of our respective nations on
the anniversary of the birth of the late President Juarez ought not to have
been interpreted into an intentional discourtesy to either the Mexican
government or the memory of that illustrious statesman, in view of our
conduct on former similar occasions, and also of the fact that, although the
first legal observance of said anniversary took place this year, it was not
brought to our attention either by your excellency or by the official or
other journals of this capital; and, in conclusion, we express our regret
that said omission, which was neither intentional nor concerted by us, and
due solely to the circumstances above stated, should have been made the
occasion for the Mexican government to deliberately refuse to observe its
customary public mark of respect and courtesy to a sovereign and a
government which sustains friendly relations both with the republic of
Mexico and with the governments we have the honor to represent.
The note of Mr. Lafragua was construed by all the representatives as an
indication of the intention of the Mexican government to abstain from its
customary recognition of our national anniversaries, on account of our
single omission on the 21st instant, notwithstanding it was our well-known
practice to raise our flags on the frequent Mexican national days, and the
further fact that all of us had recently displayed our flags on the birthday
of President Lerdo; for which reason, in addition to those stated in our
joint note, we felt constrained to take the action above indicated.
It has been my practice, following the precedent of my predecessors, to raise
my flag over the legation on the days indicated and observed as national by
the Mexican government, which I find, in examining the calendar, are twelve
in number. I have never addressed to either the Mexican government or the
legations of foreign governments any note, directly or indirectly, inviting
them to display their flags on the days observed by the United States as
national holidays, but their usual practice is to honor the 22d of February
and the 4th of July, and I have always made acknowledgment of their courtesy
by a personal visit in an unofficial manner.
On the 27th instant, Mr. Lafragua sent to me (as also to the representatives
of Spain and Italy) a reply to our joint note of the 23d instant, (inclosure
3,) in which he states that it has not been the practice of the department
of foreign affairs to inform the foreign legations
[Page 740]
of the days when the Mexican government raises its
flag, as their observance by the legations is entirely voluntary; calls our
attention to the fact of the passage of the law of the 18th of April, 1873,
decreeing the observance of the birthday of Juarez, and expresses regret
that our omission should have occurred on the anniversary of the birthday of
this illustrious man.
The diplomatic representatives who joined in the first note (2) to Mr.
Lafragua to-day sent to him an acknowledgment of the receipt of his note of
the 27th instant, stating that while we regretted that it was not more
satisfactory in its character, and that as the object of our joint note was
not to provoke a controversy, we would content ourselves with reiterating
that our past conduct did not justify the allusion, in his note to Count
Enzenberg, to our omission on the 21st instant, or the course of his
government on the 22d instant, (inclosure 4.)
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 124.]
Count Enzenberg to
Mr. Foster.
Legation of the German Empire,
Mexico, March 22,
1874.
My Dear Colleague: I have the honor to inclose
herewith a copy made by myself of the communication addressed to me
yesterday by the minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Lafragua and forwarded
at a very late hour of the evening.
Committing to your prudent direction, as our dean, the question how to
answer such unusual language within the limits of official dignity and
indispensable conciliation, I for the present only beg leave to ask for
a speedy acknowledgment of receipt, and placing myself at your disposal
for any hour to-morrow, I am, dear colleague, with the highest
consideration, your very faithful and obedient servant,
COUNT ENZENBERG,
Minister-Resident of
His Majesty the Emperor of Germany.
[Inclosure in 1 in No.
124.—Translation.]
Mr. Lafragua to
Count Enzenberg.
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Mexico, March 21,
1874.
Mr. Minister: I have had the honor to receive
your note of to-day, in which you state that to-morrow, Sunday, the 22d
instant, being the birthday of your sovereign, the Emperor William the
First, the German flag will be hoisted above your legation. Having laid
the said note before the President, he has directed me to say to your
honor in reply, that the government of Mexico will be pleased to see
duly honored the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor, for whom he
desires all happiness and prosperity.
I remain aware that the German flag will to-morrow be raised above your
legation, but since the foreign ministers have not raised their flags
to-day, it being the anniversary of the illustrious citizen Benito
Juarez, the government of Mexico will limit itself to observe due
reciprocity.
I renew to your honor the assurances of my distinguished
consideration.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
124.—Translation.]
Joint note of the diplomatic
corps to Mr. Lafragua.
City of
Mexico, March 23,
1874.
Sir: The minister-resident at this capital of
His Majesty the Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, His Excellency
Count Enzenberg, has sent to each of the undersigned a copy of your
excellency’s note to him of the 21st instant, in which you were
[Page 741]
pleased to inform him that
“since the foreign ministers have not raised their flags today, it being
the anniversary of the birth of the illustrious citizen Benito Juarez,
the government of Mexico will limit itself to observe due
reciprocity.”
We are under the necessity of expressing to your excellency our surprise
that the Mexican government should have thought proper to address to a
single member only of the diplomatic corps resident in this capital,
observations upon the conduct of the entire corps, and we deem it
indispensably due to ourselves to state to your excellency that the
omission to raise our flags on the anniversary of the birth of the late
President Benito Juarez ought not to have been interpreted by your
excellency into an intentional discourtesy to either the Mexican
government or the memory of that illustrious statesman, in view of our
conduct on former similar occasions, and also of the fact that, although
the first legal observance of said anniversary took place this year, it
was not brought to our attention, either by your excellency or by the
official or other journals of this capital.
We are constrained also to express our regret that said omission, which
was neither intentional nor concerted by us and was due solely to the
circumstances above stated, to raise our nags on the 21st instant,
should have been made the occasion for the Mexican government to
deliberately refuse to observe its customary public mark of respect and
courtesy to a sovereign and a government which sustain friendly
relations both with the republic of Mexico and with the governments
which we have the honor to represent.
We renew to your excellency the assurances of our high consideration.
- JOHN W. FOSTER,
Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America. - G. BIAGI,
Consul-General. Chargé
d’Affaires of His Majesty the King of Italy. - J. PEREZ RUANO,
Chargé d’Affaires of
Spain ad interim.
His Excellency José Maria Lafragua,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
124.—Translation.]
Mr. Lafragua to Mr.
Foster.
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Mexico, March 27,
1874.
Sir: On the 24th instant, at 2 p.m., I had the
honor to receive the note signed by your excellency and by the
representatives of Italy and Spain, in which they are pleased to
manifest that his honor Count Enzenberg, minister resident of the German
Empire, has communicated to them a copy of the note which I addressed
him on the 21st instant, on account of which your excellency and the
chargés d’affaires of Italy and of Spain express surprise that the
Mexican government should have thought proper to address to a single
member only of the diplomatic corps resident in this capital
observations upon the conduct of the entire corps.
From this point of view your excellency sets forth certain considerations
tending to explain the omission to raise the flags of the respective
legations, and concludes by manifesting regret that the national flag
was not raised on the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of
Germany.
I have laid this note before the President, and by his direction reply
separately to each one of the representatives who thought proper to sign
it.
In my note of the 21st instant I did not make observations upon the
conduct of the entire diplomatic corps, in which case I would have
addressed them to your excellency as the dean thereof. I merely cited an
indoubted fact, without interpreting it, or passing judgment upon any
one’s intention, but which it was necessary to mention in the reply
which I made in my said note to his honor Count Enzenberg, as a basis
for the rule of reciprocity which the government of Mexico duly
observes.
The government does not inform the legations of the days upon which it
raises its flag nor the cause of so doing. Since the act of raising
their flags being entirely voluntary on the part of the foreign
ministers, it is prudent to avoid giving any hint on the subject, so
that the legation which may have reasons for not participating in some
celebration may not consider itself bound to do so. That of the 21st
instant was decreed by law of the 18th of April of last year, enacted in
the presence of the existing legations; and, both from its recent date
and on account of its objects, it is well known and has been punctually
obeyed on the 18th of July of last year, the anniversary of the death of
President Juarez, as is also the case respecting another
[Page 742]
law of the same date upon the 8th of May
and 30th of July of last year, anniversaries of the birth and death of
the illustrious Hidalgo.
The government of Mexico has not charged that the omission to raise the
flags of foreign legations was intentional or concerted; but it cannot
but express its regret at this omission on the day of celebrating the
birth of one of the most illustrious citizens of the republic; which
circumstance obliged it to decline to raise the national flag on the
following day, without this fact detracting at all from the sincere
affection and high esteem which it professes to His Majesty the Emperor
of Germany, with whom it desires to preserve and increase the most
cordial relations.
I renew to your excellency the assurances of my high consideration.
[Inclosure 4 in No.
124.—Translation.]
Joint note of diplomatic
corps to Mr. Lafragua.
Mr. Minister: Under this date we have had the
honor to receive, separately, the reply which your excellency has been
pleased to make to our joint note of the 23d instant upon the incident
relating to the anniversaries of the preceding days. Regretting that
your excellency has not thought proper to make a more satisfactory
answer to the remarks found in our joint note, since it was not intended
to give occasion to any controversy, we will content ourselves with
acknowledging the receipt of the separate notes addressed to each of the
undersigned, maintaining all that we have already expressed to your
excellency, and insisting especially that, in view of the repeated
occasions on which we have taken part in the numerous national
anniversaries and other holidays celebrated by the Mexican government,
and of our recent observance of the festival of the birthday of His
Excellency the President of the Republic, there has been no sufficient
cause, in the single and accidental omission of the 21st instant, for
the government of Mexico to decline to observe reciprocity.
We renew to your excellency the assurances of our highest
consideration.
- JOHN W. FOSTER,
Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America. - G. BÉOG,
Consul-General and Chargé
d’Affaires of His Majesty the King of Italy. - J. PEREZ RUANO,
Chargé d’Affaires of
Spain ad interim.
