Page:Difficulties Between Mexico and Guatemala.djvu/34

 far as is possible for a nation desirous of the closest harmony with her neighbors, without prejudice to her own dignity.

With respect to the question of limits, for example, Guatemala proposed in 1832 the arbitration of a friendly nation, which was declined by Mexico. Some years later, in 1854, Guatemala went to the extreme of renouncing her indisputable rights to Chiapas and Soconusco, without demanding any indemnification, and, if the negotiation was not carried out, it was because Mexico declined to recognize and pay the debt of those states to the ancient "Kingdom of Guatemala."

Nearly the same thing took place respecting the treaties of commerce and extradition of criminals, two of which were successively negotiated in 1831 and 1850, without having been ratified by the Mexican Government.

Guatemala has just given the latest proof of her sincere desire to terminate a question which has been pending for half a century between the two countries by sending the undersigned to this city. If on the part of Mexico, then, there exists the same desire, as Your Excellency has been pleased to intimate to me, nothing will be easier than to draw closer, by means of equitable conventions, the ties of friendship and fraternity which ought always to bind together two neighboring republics which have the same origin and identical interests.

As the first thing to be done is to agree upon a preliminary convention to fix the bases according to which should be traced the dividing line from the coasts of the Pacific to those of the Northern Sea, the undersigned sees no objection, respecting the question