Señor Diaz to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge due receipt of your communication of the 3d instant, which would have been sooner answered but for the fact that I was awaiting a fuller development of the schemes and combinations now on foot to foment anew a fratricidal strife in Mexico.
[Page 640]You have no doubt been already informed that through the zealous and active co-operation of the civil and military authorities of this city, two detachments of the expeditionary forces have been captured in this State, to wit: one on the 22d of June ultimo, in this city, and the other at Grande Terre, near Fort Livingston, on the 26th of the same month. The leaders of these illegal organizations were arrested and examined before Governor Weller, United States commissioner, and held to answer before the United States district court in November next. The testimony adduced at this examination, together with the voluntary declarations of several of the prisoners, left no doubt either of the object or illegality of the expedition.
The agents of General Santa Anna in this city, notwithstanding these arrests, continue their enlistments of adventurers, with the view of overthrowing the existing government, and of proclaiming young Iturbide Imperial Prince, and Santa Anna Regent of the empire during the minority of Iturbide.
These enlistments are now taking place on Common street, No. 104, in this city, where there is an agency for the contract of laborers on a railroad in Houston, Texas. The men are forwarded to Galveston, whence they are to embark for the coast of Florida, and land at a point in proximity to Key West, which is the general rendezvous, and at which place they are to receive their ammunition, arms, uniforms, transports, &c., from Havana.
In pursuance of this plan, a body of men, estimated at over two hundred, left the city this morning, via Opelousas railroad, for Texas. Many of the men have been identified as forming part of the expeditions above referred to, which were captured and broken up in this city in June last.
In view of the friendly offices and interest ever manifested by the government of the United States towards her sister republic, and for the purpose of more effectually and speedily crushing out and discountenancing the machinations of wicked and scheming adventurers in our midst, who, by means of specious pretexts and promises, are seducing and entrapping many ignorant and unsuspecting dupes into their illegal combinations, I respectfully commend to the President’s attention the fact whether the time has not now arrived when a proclamation issued by his excellency upon that subject would not tend in a great measure to put a stop to all filibustering expeditions against Mexico.
In conclusion, permit me to tender you, on behalf of the Mexican government, its warmest and sincere thanks for your interposition in defending the integrity of the Mexican territory, and maintaining intact the neutrality laws. The instructions which, with characteristic promptness, were issued from your department to the United States authorities in this city, I am happy to acknowledge, were carried out with alacrity and cordiality, and all necessary assistance required by myself has been at all times and on all occasions by them zealously furnished. I am indebted for many obligations to General R. C. Buchanan, the United States marshal, the collector of the customs, and particularly to Samuel H. Torrey, esq., the United States district attorney, who contributed very actively with me in making all needful arrests.
With many assurances of my profound consideration, I have the honor, sir, to be your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.