Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/331

Rh of citizens or denizens of the United States, the latter must be privileged to take action in the premises, demanding that those courts be ignored and their decisions set aside, mulcting the Mexican government in sums to satisfy the claimants. It so happened that before Forsyth's despatch reached the legation at Mexico, two of the fifteen claims, namely, the eleventh and fourteenth, had been settled by the Mexican government to the American minister's satisfaction.

On the 26th of September the remaining thirteen grievances were laid in writing by Ellis before the government, together with five others that his zeal had discovered. 1. The American consul at Tampico had been, on the 26th of May, 1836, summoned by the authorities to authenticate certain papers, and on his refusal had been threatened with imprisonment. To which the government had answered it was ignorant of the whole matter and would investigate it. 2. The American vessel Peter V. Vroom being wrecked on the coast in June 1836, the American consul had the cargo brought to Vera Cruz, where the consignees abandoned it to the underwriters. There being no agent of the latter in the place, the court appointed one, who sold the cargo, and the demand of the consul to have the proceeds turned over to him was refused. The Mexican government said to this that the court had acted right, and that the American consul had no authority in the premises. 3. Certain judicial proceedings concerning the American brig Aurora had been denied the consul. The government answered that the consul could have had an authenticated copy of all the papers, but he had refused to pay the legal fees charged for making it. 4. The American vessel Bethlehem was seized by a Mexican armed vessel on the 2d of September, 1836, the crew detained 20 days, and then landed, the vessel being confiscated, and the master refused a copy of the proceedings. The government in Mexico had not heard of the affair, and promised to investigate. 5. The American vessel Fourth of July had been taken charge of by Mexican soldiers. The facts of this case, as the Mexicans represented them, were that the vessel was built for the Mexican government. The agent hat contracted before a notary public for the sale, but a party of soldiers had been sent on board previous to the delivery of the bill of sale. The owner had been paid for his vessel and made no complaint. Forsyth on hearing of this case directed Ellis, Dec. 9, 1836, not to insist, of course, on the restoration of the vessel, but 'only to demand satisfaction for the insult offered to the American flag.' He was assured that the general government would have them investigated. But in less than four weeks from the date of his first note Ellis announced to the foreign office that if the wrongs complained of were not redressed without unnecessary delay, "his further residence in Mexico would be useless." To this a reply was returned the next day that delay in answering a note calling for an investigation was not a sufficient cause for breaking off friendly