Page:The War with Mexico, Vol 1.djvu/103

74 attempted to justify Tornel's instructions, arguing that every government is authorized to protect itself against seditious aliens. This was an evasion, for the order had reference to all Americans, however law-abiding. The outcome was that now, after the order had been in force almost six months and after it had been executed in at least one department, directions were given to make it include all foreigners, and apply only to the seditious. Thompson, strongly disposed to please the Mexicans, accepted this as satisfactory; but his country did not, for the governors had authority still to decide What Americans were dangerous, and expel these without a trial. Besides, even the modified order required them to prevent our citizens from entering their jurisdictions, and thus plainly violated the treaty.

All of the grievances thus far mentioned bore directly upon the general government of Mexico, but there Were also many others, primarily chargeable to minor authorities, in which tour national rights were seriously attacked; and next we reach the question of "American claims"—that is to say, "private injuries for which damages were asked. At once the idea occurs to us that perhaps our citizens brought their troubles upon themselves by peculiarly obnoxious conduct. This does not appear likely to have been the rule, however, for the British, although the Mexicans felt anxious to have their goodwill and assistance, complained loudly and long, and their -government protested in the most emphatic and sweeping style. Indeed, said Ashburnham, the chargé of England: "There is scarcely one foreign power with whom they have had any relation, which has not had more or less cause to complain of the iniquity and persecution to which its subjects here have been exposed ;" and France, though her claims were much smaller than ours, took up arms on this account. Bearing in mind, then, how peculiarly inimical were the people and authorities of Mexico toward us, one can readily imagine What sort of treatment citizens of ours had to endure.

In the next place one desires to be sure Whether our actual claims were real or, as some American and Mexican writers have asserted, were simply "trumped-up," That a few of the less important ones had no basis is apparently true, but it must he remembered that our government was bound to