No. 407.
Mr. Foster
to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Mexico, December 20, 1874.
(Received January 11, 1875.)
No. 224.]
Sir: With my dispatch No. 211, of the 27th ultimo,
I transmitted a translation of a note from the Mexican minister of foreign
affairs, in which he informed me that he had recommended the governor of the
State of Jalisco to take the measures which he might deem efficacious for
giving the security which the laws guarantee to Messrs. Watkins and Morgan,
Protestant missionaries at Guadalajara, friends and companions of the late
Rev. John L. Stephens.
I now transmit a translation of a note from the minister, Mr. Lafragua, and
its inclosures from the governor of Jalisco, stating that Messrs. Watkins
and Morgan are enjoying complete security in their persons and ample liberty
in the exercise of their worship. These declarations are based upon the
communication of the governor and the letter of Messrs. Watkins and Morgan,
to which latter your attention is specially directed.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure in No.
234.—Translation.]
Mr. Lafragua to Mr.
Foster.
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Mexico, December 18,
1874.
Sir: As a result, for the present, of the
communication which was made to the governor of the State of Jalisco, in
order that he might impart every kind of security to the gentlemen,
Watkins and Morgan, friends and associates of the deceased Rev. John L.
Stephens, who was assassinated at Ahualulco, of which I speak in my note
of the 26th ultimo in reply to that of your legation, under date of the
18th of the same month, I have the honor of inclosing herewith a copy of
the communication which I have received from the said governor of
Jalisco, and its inclosures, which consist of communications exchanged
between the said government and the before-mentioned gentlemen, Watkins
and Morgan, in which it may be seen that they are enjoying complete
security in their persons and ample liberty in the exercise of their
worship.
This I have the satisfaction of communicating to your excellency as a
result, for the
[Page 847]
present, of
your said note of the 18th of November last, and promising to give you
any other information which I may receive in relation to this case.
I reiterate to your excellency the assurances of my regard and attentive
consideration.
His Excellency John W. Foster,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
of the United States of America.
[Subinclosure 1 in No.
224.—Translation.]
The governor of Jalisco
to Mr. Lafragua.
Supreme
Government of the State of Jalisco, Section of
Justice,
Guadalajara, December 9,
1874.
No. 3478.]
To the Citizen Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Mexico:
In reply to the official communication of the section of America of your
department, which, under date of the 26th of November last, it was
pleased to direct to this government, inserting therein part of one from
the minister of the United States in Mexico, relative to the complaint
which the Pacific Theological Seminary of Oakland, California, had sent
up to the American Government, on account of the insecurity of the
Messrs. Watkins and Morgan, as also that the assassination at Ahualulco
de Mercado has remained unpunished, I have the honor to state to your
excellency, that on the part of this government all suitable and
efficacious measures have been ordered for the apprehension and
punishment of the murderers of Mr. Stephens. In numbers 21 and 27 of the
official paper, which I inclose to you, there appears what were its
measures and their result. This government thinks that it has done what
its duty demanded of it for the punishment of the criminals. As your
department will see from the “expediente” published in that periodical,
the government, since April last, denied the pardon and commanded the
penalty of death to be executed upon the condemned authors of the
murder, but the court of the district ordered the execution to be
suspended, on the 24th of the same April, which order the government
obeyed, as was its duty. Since that date these criminals have been at
the disposition of federal justice in virtue of an “amparo” which they
asked, without, up to the present, the matter being settled.
If the criminals have not suffered the punishment to which they have been
condemned, it is not through the fault or delay of the government of the
State, which can do nothing more in the matter, as, since April, it has
been under the jurisdiction of the federal tribunals, as in former
communications has been stated to your department.
As soon as this government received the present “excitative” that it
should take such efficient measures as would give to Messrs. Watkins and
Morgan the security which the laws guarantee to them, I addressed to
them the communication marked No. 1, to which the one marked No. 2 is a
reply.
By these communications your department will see that there have never
been wanting to those citizens the guarantees which the laws of the
republic grant them, and that always this government has caused these
guarantees to be given, even in the midst of the excitement which the
events of Ahualulco de Mercado caused, the executive having then
afforded the Protestants of the State the special protection which the
circumstances for preventing criminal attempts like that at Ahualulco
might make necessary. From the foregoing, your department will see that
Messrs. Watkins and Morgan, as well as all citizens who adhere to the
evangelical, or any other worship, live in Jalisco with full guarantees,
and that those who profess a religion different from the dominant one in
the country have no ground for complaint against this government.
Independence and liberty.
- T. Y. VALLARTA.
- F. G. REISTRA,
Secretary.
[Subinclosure 2 in No.
224.—Translation.]
The secretary of the State of
Jalisco to Messrs. Watkins and
Morgan.
Department of the Supreme Government of the State of
Jalisco,
Guadalajara, December 5,
1874.
No. 1.]
To Messrs. David F. Watkins
and G. F. G. Morgan:
By order of the supreme court, I have the honor to address you, through
the present communication, asking that you may be pleased to state if
you have and have had
[Page 848]
from the
government of the State all the necessary guarantees for your personal
safety and the practice of your worship, and if it is true that the same
government has afforded you all the protection which the laws grant to
foreigners and their worship.
Independence and liberty.
FERMIN G. RIESTRA,
Secretary.
[Subinclosure 3 in No. 224.]
Messrs. Watkins and
Morgan to the secretary of the State
of Jalisco.
Guadalajara, December 5,
1875.
No. 2.]
We are advised of your attentive communication, under date of to-day, in
which you ask that we state if we have had the necessary guarantees for
our personal security and the practice of our worship, and if it is true
that the supreme government has afforded us all the protection which the
laws concede to foreigners; and in reply we have the honor to state to
you, for the satisfaction of the citizen governor, whom we esteem, that
from the moment that we had the pleasure of setting foot upon the
territory of this State, we have had and at present enjoy all the
guarantees which the laws concede to foreigners, and very particularly
the security of our persons, by the protection which, without our
deserving it, the supreme government has afforded us. For what has been
said, and as now the occasion is offered, we beg you to so state to the
citizen governor, giving to him thanks for the attention which, thus
far, he has shown us, offering to him, at the same time, the assurances
of our regard for his person.
- G. F. G. MORGAN.
- DAVID F. WATKINS.
