No. 27.] [Translation.] MEXICAN REpublic, DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND FOREIGN RELATIONS, As the consequence of your note relative to the permission that government asks from the government of this republic for the passage of American troops through its territory, I send you the annexed copy, containing the sovereign assent which has been given in the matter, in order that you may transmit it to the Department of State of the United States, and on the occasion I repeat to you the assurances of my consideration. LUCAS DE PALACIO Y MAGAROLA. The CHARGE D'AFFAIRES of the Republic at Washington. True copy: WASHINGTON, August 26, 1861. ROMERO. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNION. The sovereign congress to which we made report of your note of the thirtyfirst last past, relative to the permission sought by the government at Washington for the passage of federal troops from Guyamas to Arizona, has pleased, at its secret session yesterday, to approve the following proposition: First. The executive shall have power to grant the permission which the government of the United States has asked, to disembark at this time, at the port of Guaymas, a body of troops, under the assurance it has proffered that they shall march, by the most direct route, to the Territory of Arizona, and that in their transit they will observe the strictest regard for the rights and authority of the government of Mexico, and for the persons, property, and interests of the citizens of the republic. Second. The executive will issue suitable instructions to the government of the State of Sonora, and to the federal functionaries therein, that at the disembarcation and on the passage of that body of troops no hindrance be in their way, We send this to you for your information, and consequent effects, and as the result of the note referred to, to which we respond. God and liberty. MEXICO, June 21, 1861. G. VALLE. E. ROBLES. To the CHIEF CLERK in charge of the Department of Foreign Affairs. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of yesterday, communicating a copy of a despatch just received from the Mexican government, transmitting to you the assent of the sovereign congress of the republic to the application of this government for permission to pass troops of the United States across the Mexican territory of Guaymas to Arizona, under certain pledges of security and non-interference with the persons or property of the territory to be traversed. I beg you to convey to your government assurances of the high appreciation entertained by this government of the liberal, prompt, and magnanimous response which Mexico has made to the United States in this emergency. We are profoundly sensible that such a policy could be adopted only under the most exalted confidence in the integrity and good faith of this government, which will endeavor by every means so to exercise the privilege conceded, that neither the authorities nor people of Mexico will have cause to regret the marked courtesy they have extended to a friendly power. I avail myself of this occasion to renew to you, sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, with the papers referred to in them. * * * * Congress has within the last week granted us the privilege of marching troops from Guaymas, through Sonora, to our possessions in Arizona. A leading member of congress has kindly furnished me with a memorandum of what occurred when this question was up and acted on in secret session, a copy of which—with the decree I send you, marked D. This memorandum discloses the grounds upon which this concession was made, and the prevailing tone of public feeling here towards us at this time. Memorandum of proceedings in the Mexican congress with reference to the per-· mission for transit of United States troops from Guaymas to Arizona, asked for by the Department of State, through the chargé d'affaires of Mexico in Washington. The note from the chargé d'affaires of Mexico in Washington, accompanying a copy of the note from the Department of State, in which permission was asked to land a body of United States troops at Guaymas and march them by the most direct road to the Territory of Arizona, was communicated to congress by the minister of foreign relations for the action of congress thereon. On the reception of these notes by congress they were passed to the committee on foreign affairs. This committee reported unanimously in favor of conceding the permission referred to in the terms asked for by the Secretary of State of the United States. On the presentation of the report application was ordered to be made to the minister of foreign affairs that he state to congress what was the opinion of the executive in the premises. This was stated to be favorable to the permission solicited. Several members then spoke upon the subject of the concession, setting forth that this permission which they were disposed to concede, although innocent in itself, might be taken by the States of the south as an offence, or used as a pretext to open hostilities against Mexico for the purpose of acquiring a part of her territory for the extension of slavery, and that the subject should therefore be treated as one of importance, but that they were, under all the circumstances, in favor of placing themselves on the side of the north. One of the prominent deputies entered largely into a history of the causes. which have produced the present struggle between the north and the south, and stated that from the knowledge he had of the tendencies and projects of the leading men of the south, he believed it inevitable, if the south separated from the north, that Mexico would find herself under the necessity of sustaining a war with the States of the confederation, and that while slavery existed there, no security could be felt that the territory of Mexico would not be invaded, either by means of open war or of fillibuster expeditions. That in view of these circumstances it was clearly for the interest of Mexico to draw more closely its relations with the north by means of friendly acts and by a commercial treaty that would favor the interests of both countries, and even to celebrate a political treaty that would result in guaranteeing to Mexico in an absolute manner the integrity of her territory, or at least guarantee her against the introduction of slavery. These views were well received by the congress, and the permission for the transit of the United States troops through Mexican territory was approved without opposition being offered by a single one of the members. MEXICO, June 21, 1861. Confidential.] EXHIBIT. E. [Translation.] NATIONAL PALACE, Mexico, June 27, 1861. MR. MINISTER: For the due information of your excellency I have the honor to enclose herewith the decree issued by the sovereign congress on the 21st instant, in which the executive is authorized to permit the transit of the troops of the United States across the territory of the Mexican republic. By the steamer which will next sail the said decree will be communicated to the legation of Mexico in Washington, in order that it may be made known to that government. While so informing you, it gives me great pleasure to repeat to you that, I am your very obedient servant, LUCAS DE PALACIO Y MAGAROLA. His Excellency THOMAS CORWIN, &c. No. 2. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure). CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN MEXICO, 1864, 1865, and 1866. List of papers. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with two enclosures). July 9, 1864. July 15, 1864. July 12, 1864. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure). July 15, 1864. July 27, 1864. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure) July 16, 1864. July 27, 1864. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure). Aug. 20, 1864. Aug. 23, 1864. Sept. 9, 1864. Sept. 19, 1864. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure). Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with three enclosures) Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure).. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with five enclosures) Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with three enclosures). Mr. Romero to Mr. Hunter, (with one enclosure) Mr. Hunter to Mr. Romero. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with two enclosures). Mr. Seward to Mr. Romero. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with thirteen enclosures) Mr. Seward to Mr. Romero... Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with two enclosures)... Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with seventeen enclosures). Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with two enclosures). Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with twenty-nine enclosures).... July 28, 1865. Oct. 2, 1865. Feb. 6, 1866. Oct. 10, 1865. Nov. 20, 1865. Νον. 29, 1865. Nov. 30, 1865. Dec. 7, 1865. Dec. 15, 1865. Dec. 24, 1865. Feb. 12, 1866. Feb. 20, 1866. Feb. 20, 1866. Feb. 14, 1866. Feb. 21, 1866. Feb. 22, 1866. Feb. 27, 1866. Mar. 9, 1866. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure).... Mr. Seward to Mr. Romero. Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with one enclosure). Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward, (with two enclosures). Mar. 14, 1866. Mar. 12, 1866. Mar. 17, 1866 1 Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] MEXICAN LEGATION TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Washington, July 9, 1864. MR. SECRETARY: At the interview with which, on my return from Mexico, you had the kindness to favor me on the 20th of November of the last year, you were pleased to communicate to me, while referring to what had occurred in relation to Mexico near this government during my absence from the United States, that ex-General D. José Domingo Cortes had presented himself at your department, calling himself the representative of the Mexican States of Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Durango, and the territory of Lower California, and had solicited the annexation of those States to the United States. As was my duty, I communicated such intelligence without loss of time to the Mexican government, and fearing that through the irregularity of the communications my correspondence containing it might miscarry, and desirous that those immediately interested should at once have notice of the steps which were taken in their name, I made the same communication directly to the governors of those States of which Cortes called himself the representative. For reasons which I cannot understand, I have not yet received the instructions which I expected from my government on this important business, but I am sure that they can only come of the import which I had the honor to express to you at the interview referred to-that is, denying absolutely that Cortes represents, in whole or in part, the said States, and showing that the States themselves have no right, with reference to the constitution, to enter upon agreements of any kind with any foreign government, and that none are further than the people of the States mentioned (in view of the repeated proofs they have given of the purest patriotism through this period cf trial) from desiring to annex themselves to any foreign country. There have come to my hands, however, answers to my respective communications from the governors of the States of Chihuahua and Sinaloa, which corroborate in everything what I have verbally stated to the department. I was intending to transmit them to you, in conformity with the recommendations contained in them, when I should receive the instructions on this subject that I am awaiting from the federal government of Mexico; but having learned this morning that D. José Domingo Cortes has returned to the United States and is now in Washington, and has addressed your department in writing. I think it my duty, with the reservation of returning to occupy myself with this incident when I receive the instructions referred to, to transmit to you a copy of the communications which are in this legation from the governors of Chihuahua and Sinaloa, and which show that Cortes is not in any manner authorized to speak in the name of those States, nor of any other in the Mexican republic, because they cannot be represented abroad except through the agents of the federal gov |