No. 276.
Mr. Silas A. Hudson to Mr. Fish.
No. 24.]
Legation of the United
States, Guatemala,
Aug. 31, 1870. (Received Sept. 26,
1870.)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt, by the steamer of the 18th instant, of your dispatch No. 17,
dated July 7, ultimo.
I have just been informed by an American gentleman, who came direct from
that town, that Don Miguel Garcia Granados and Mendez Cruz are at
Comitan, just across the border, and that they have recruited about 500
men, are daily expecting arms from Vera Cruz, and that when received
they propose to invade the territory of and revolutionize this
government.
The government have received the same information through departmental
officers, and there now remains not a doubt as to the presence there and
the purposes of these arch-rebels.
Granados is the party to whom the British minister granted asylum, and
afterward surrendered his person upon demand made by this government.
The ministry here believed that Granados has purchased the coöperation
of the principal departmental officials of Chiapas and Socomesco, and
the late reported invasion of Mexican territory by Guatemalians was
started by these Mexican officials in the interest of Granados, and the
government have sent a strong force to the border to engage the
insurgents should they cross the boundary line. The Mexican State of
Chiapas has allowed Guatemalian insurgents to recruit their forces on
its frontier again and again since my residence here, and, in many ways,
has given evidence of a most implacable enmity toward this government,
as personally constituted.
With a purpose to end these unfriendly acts, and to come to a good
understanding with Mexico, the minister of state of this republic has
addressed two notes to that of Mexico bringing these matters to his
attention. He called at this legation and made a personal request that I
inclose them to our minister at Mexico for safe delivery, and that we
jointly urge their favorable consideration.
[Page 447]
Regarding it to be for our own better interests that peace should be
preserved between these two republics, I have addressed a note to Mr.
Nelson, as requested by him, and herewith inclose a copy marked A. I
also inclose a copy of a memorandum, furnished by the state department,
for the private information of Mr. Nelson, and which is marked B.
The allegations contained in the memorandum are undoubtedly true, known
to me to be so, and just as related by parties to me, who came seeking
the influence of this legation for Granados, and by that consummate
villian and arch-traitor himself.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant,
A.
Legation of the United
States,
Guatemala, August 31,
1870.
Sir: Herewith I inclose a dispatch from the
minister of foreign affairs of this republic to the minister of
foreign affairs of Mexico on the subject of border difficulties, and
which I have been requested to transmit to you for delivery.
I also inclose a statement of the particular acts complained of by
this government, made out and furnished by the state department, and
from which it will be seen the Mexican officials of the departments
of Chiapas and Socomesco are mainly responsible for the unfriendly
conduct and hostile acts recited.
I regret to state that my information sustains each allegation as is
charged by this government.
The object sought by the Guatemalian government in thus addressing
the Mexican government is, to ascertain if their differences cannot
be settled by peaceful negotiations, and our friendly offices in
that behalf are solicited by this government.
I believe it to be her true policy, and I am fully convinced this
government earnestly desires amity with Mexico.
Señor Don Pedro de Aycinena, the secretary for foreign affairs of
this republic, assures me his government is entirely willing to
submit to friendly arbitration all questions of disagreement, or to
settle them by friendly discussion, as Mexico may prefer.
If, then, the Mexican government be equally inclined to peace and
friendly disposed, a speedy adjustment can be reached, and, as it is
equally important to our Government as to these that their
controversy finds a peaceful solution, we should aid in that
behalf.
Therefore I beg you to call upon the President of Mexico and his
secretary of state, and to urge them to an acceptance of the
proposals of this government.
That is certainly the first duty of the Mexican government, and the
most politic and certain way to secure undisturbed possession of her
own border territory, and the friendship of Guatemala when needed;
and, in the constantly changing condition of her own domestic
relations, it is not difficult to forsee that the occurrences of a
single day may make the friendship of Guatemala of the first
importance to Mexico.
But your larger, experience in dealing with these questions will
suggest the correct line of conduct, and the arguments most fitting
to be urged to gain a favorable hearing and result; therefore I
intrust to your better judgment the management of our joint
commission.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient
servant.
Hon. Thomas H. Nelson,
United States Minister, &c., &c.,
&c.
memorandum.
The authorities of the State of Chiapas, near neighbor of Guatemala,
have shown during the last few years, and especially since 1867,
very little benevolence toward this republic. Giving asylum in its
territory, indiscriminately, not only to fugitives for political
causes, but also to criminals who have fled on account of common
crimes; thus, it has been formed in the frontier towns of Chiapas
and Socomesco a center of hostilities against Guatemala, from which
expeditionary parties of armed men have come to molest and disturb
the peace of our tranquil populations.
The revolution headed by General Cruz, which did so much mischief to
the country, [Page 448] came from
Chiapas; and if that disorder lasted so long, it was due to the fact
that as many times as the rebels were beaten by the regular forces
of the government they went to seek refuge in the neighboring
territory, where they recruited themselves and prepared to repeat
their aggressions. That rebellion had not in reality any political
character, and its principal means of action was to encourage the
hatred of the Indian race against the other races inhabiting the
country. It was, in fact, a regular war of castes.
This very day, a new invasion of Guatemala is being organized
publicly in Chiapas, promoted by Don Miguel Garcia Granados, a
Guatemalan citizen who left the country in March last, under the
compromise backed by a bail, of not trying to disturb public order,
and not to return without special permission of the government. This
individual is now busy enlisting soldiers in Comitan, a frontier
town, in making other preparations, and it is said that he is
expecting some arms from the United States, by way of Vera Cruz and
Tabasco. These facts have been officially denounced to the governor
of Chiapas, but he has given no answer to these remonstrances.
For a longtime there has existed in Guatemala a number of emigrants
or exiles from Chiapas, larger perhaps than the number of
Guatemalians who are there; and not only they are not allowed to
commit hostilities against the authorities of that State to which
they seem always disposed, but they are obliged to reside peacefully
in the interior of the country.
This government does not pretend to expect that the authorities of
Chiapas should deny the asylum to the emigrants, nor asks for the
delivery of the criminals, although it could do so in virtue of an
ancient treaty of extradition; it has only demanded of them to do
with the Guatemala emigrants who have taken asylum in Chiapas as it
is done here with the Chiapans residing in Guatemala—that is, not to
permit them to live in the frontier places nor hostilize this
republic.
There is no motive whatever of discord between Guatemala and Mexico,
nor contrary interests between the two people; it being entirely
false the report of aggressive intentions on the part of this
republic, with the object of occupying the territory of Socomesco.
The prefect of that department is the person who has authorized the
occupation of a part of Guatemala, arbitrarily altering the
recognized limits from time immemorial, and intimating to the
inhabitants of those places that they must recognize the Mexican
authorities or abandon the localities where they have always lived.
To give to this so irregular and arbitrary proceeding a semblance of
legitimacy, the prefect has supposed an invasion of Guatemalians,
and has given upon this incident a false report to the federal
government of Mexico. The minister of foreign affairs of Guatemala
has addressed two notes to that of Mexico, stating the truth of
these facts, giving the most ample assurances that on the part of
Guatemala there has not taken place any act of hostility, and
demanding that orders be given to the authorities of Chiapas to
fulfil the duties imposed on them by the international law in the
relations between two neighboring states who are at peace.
Guatemala,
August 26, 1870.
