Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/338

318 to nearly three and a half millions, were not presented in time to be examined, even after the most unwearied efforts of the United States government to swell the demand against Mexico. But adding for these one million, the outside estimate that they will bear with any degree of equity, Mexico was indebted to United States citizens about three millions, instead of nearly twelve millions as claimed. I give in a note a few samples of the claims. Orazio de Atellis Santangelo, a school-master, writer, and printer, of whose unjustifiable expulsion from Mexico I spoke in an early chapter of this work, after that act settled in New Orleans, and in due time became a naturalized citizen of the U. S. After a while he presented through the U. S. govt a demand against Mexico for $398,690 for damages. The Mexican commissioners denied that anything was due; the U. S. com. allowed $83,440; the umpire cut the sum down to $50,000. On what grounds the United States government demanded an award for a person who was not an American citizen at the time the claim originated was not made to appear. Santangelo afterward published several papers against the U. S. govt, in one of which he employs his terrible satire against President Polk for having 'defrauded the U. S. claimants on Mexico out of their money.' He also preferred before the president of the U. S. accusations against the Mexican members of the commission. There was also a memorial of his to the American congress in 1846. ''Mex. Treaties'', ii. no. 12. Rhoda McCrae claimed $6,694 for a pension for her son killed in the Mexican service. It was allowed by the American commissioners, disallowed by the Mexican, and rejected by the umpire. Sophia M. Robinson claimed for services rendered by her husband in Mexico, when a dependency of Spain in 1817, $16,000, and as much more for interest. Rejected bodily by the umpire. John Baldwin claimed for a trunk of wearing apparel seized by the Mexican custom-house officials, principal and interest, $1,481, allowed by the American commissioners; undecided by the umpire. There was one claim for 56 doz. bottles of porter, original cost and six years' interest, $8,260! Even Mr Pendleton, member of congress from Virginia, called such claims utterly ridiculous. A Texan land company wanted $2,154,604; a certain man demanded $690,000 for erroneous decisions against him in Mexican courts, etc. ''Jay's Rev. Mex. War, 72-3; U. S. Govt Doc''., Cong. 27, Ses. 2, H. Ex. Doc. 21.