Mr. Otterbourg to Mr. F. W. Seward
No. 18.]
Legation of the United States,
Mexico,
September 20, 1867.
Sir: Enclosed I have the honor to transmit, for
the information of the department, copies of communications received
from the minister of foreign relations of the government of Mexico
previous to my departure.
Enclosure No. 1 is a copy of a communication in reference to the
applications made to me, by the foreign representatives of France and
Belgium, that the protection of the United States flag be extended to
the subjects of those countries resident in Mexico in the absence of
their representatives.
Enclosure No. 2 is a copy of a communication from the minister of foreign
relations on the occasion of my retirement from Mexico.
Enclosure No. 3, copy of a communication from the same source
transmitting passports, &c.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. F. W. Seward,
Assistant Secretary of State, Washington.
[Page 459]
[Translation.]
Señor Lerdo de Tejada to
Mr, Otterbourg
Department of Relations,
Mexico,
September 7, 1867.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your note which you were pleased to address to me on the
20th July last, relating to the fact that Mr. Dano and M. Hooricks,
before leaving for Europe, had asked of you the protection of the
flag of the United States to the subjects of France and Belgium
resident in Mexico.
You stated in your note that in consideration of the cordial
relations existing between the United States, France, and Belgium,
and the assurances derived from various conversations that you had
held with the Mexican authorities that the persons and property of
foreigners would be respected, you did not feel any impropriety in
accepting the office of mediator between said authorities and the
French and Belgian subjects who may invoke such mediation, under the
same circumstances in which it could be exercised in favor of
citizens of the United States.
As I have before had the honor to manifest to you verbally, the
government of Mexico, desiring to avoid all danger of disturbance of
its friendly relations with the United States, feels that it would
be better that you should not interpose any mediation of an official
character in the instances in which the subjects of France and
Belgium might desire to promote their interests. But should you wish
to interpose your good offices privately, the government will attend
to them with all possible consideration.
In short, foreigners resident in Mexico who have no representatives
of their governments have been and are under the protection of the
Mexican authorities, and to them they can recur with the confidence
they have enjoyed, and they will enjoy the guarantees that the laws
of the republic concede.
I avail myself of this opportunity to repeat to you the assurances of
my most distinguished consideration.
His Excellency Marcus Otterbourg,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States in Mexico.
[Translation.]
Señor Lerdo de Tejada to
Mr. Otterbourg
Department oF Relations,
Mexico,
September 7, 1867.
Sir: I have had the honor of receiving the
note which you were pleased to direct to me, bearing date of the
28th of August last, relative to your having had notice of the
closure of the session of the Senate of the United States on the
21st of July last, and of your receiving no notification of the
action of that body in respect to your nomination as envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States near
the government of Mexico; and that you think that you can consider
your mission terminated, and propose to leave this capital within a
few days to present yourself at the State Department at the city of
Washington.
In announcing your approaching separation from this capital, it is
gratifying to me to make known to you the just appreciation of the
government of the republic of Mexico of the sentiments that have
been manifested by you as envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary of the United States, in preserving and
strengthening the friendly relations which happily exist between the
two countries.
I avail myself of this opportunity to repeat to you the assurances of
my most distinguished consideration.
His Excellency Marcus Otterbourg,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States in Mexico,
[Translation.]
Señor Lerdo de Tejada to
Mr, Otterbourg
Department oF Relations,
Mexico,
September 9, 1867.
Sir: I have the honor to send you the
passport which you were pleased to ask for, to facilitate your
journey, to embark at Vera Cruz. I also send you duplicates of the
communications
[Page 460]
directed by
this ministry to the authorities at the points on the road, and the
order from the minister of hacienda to the custom-houses of this
city and of Vera Cruz, in view of your journey to embark from that
port.
I avail myself of this opportunity to repeat to you the assurances of
my most distinguished consideration.
His Excellency Marcus Otterbourg,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States in Mexico,
