No. 417.
Mr. Foster
to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Mexico, February 15, 1875.
(Received March 1.)
No. 243.]
Sir: I inclose herewith a copy of a communication
dated on the 3d instant, from Mr. Sutter, consul at Acapulco, with its
accompaniments, giving an account of events subsequent to the assault to
which my Nos. 237 and 241 relate, and of the state of public sentiment in
that community. Your attention is directed to the recommendation of the
consul, that a United States naval vessel be temporarily stationed at that
port. In view of the facts developed in the interview which I had with the
Mexican minister on the 11th instant, to which reference is hereinafter
made, I respectfully suggest that the presence of an American man-of-war
would have a salutary influence upon the community and encourage the local
authorities to greater firmness and activity in punishing the assassins. I
also inclose a copy of my reply to the communication of the consul, dated
February 12.
On the 11th instant I called upon Mr. Lafragua, minister of foreign affairs,
and read to him a translation in Spanish of the greater part of
[Page 869]
Mr. Sutter’s communication, as
well as a translation of your dispatch, No. 178, of the 14th of January
last, in relation to the assassination at Ahualulco, of which latter I left
with him a copy.
After the reading was concluded, Mr. Lafragua said to me that the character
of the people in the State of Guerrero made it very difficult for the
government to deal properly with the affair at Acapulco; that it was very
different from other parts of the republic, such, for instance, as
Guanajuato or Puebla, where the laws and authority of the government were
respected; but that in the south of Mexico the people were ignorant and
fanatical; that the statements of the consul just read, which were
confirmatory of the information received by the executive, showed the
embarrassment of the authorities; neither the governor nor judges having
sufficient power to inflict the full measure of punishment demanded; and
that it would require a whole division of the federal army to do it. Mr.
Lafragua asked me not to forget the present politico-religious condition of
the country, the long struggle which the liberal party had carried on for
years against the political power of the Catholic Churchy and that the
government was now contending against three hundred years of prejudice and
intolerance. He acknowledged the justice of my demand for the punishment of
the criminals and for the protection of the lives and property of Americans
in Acapulco, and said that the government was doing all it could to secure
these ends, and hoped to fully vindicate the law and secure full religious
toleration.
In reference to the judicial proceedings growing out of the Ahualulco affair,
the cases were before the federal supreme court on appeal, and not under the
control of the executive department of the government; that he (Mr.
Lafragua) had three times asked for an early decision, and that he would
again address the court upon the subject.
I answered the minister that I was far from forgetting the peculiar political
situation of the country; that I had no disposition to embarrass this
government by any factious or unnecessary demands, but was anxious to do all
I properly could to strengthen it in its efforts to establish and maintain a
liberal republican government, and that in this course I was satisfied I was
representing the wishes of my Government; but that these religious
massacres, in which American citizens were being murdered, could not be
passed over in silence; that I was thoroughly convinced that it was an
imperative necessity of the present liberal administration of Mexico, for
its own safety and permanence, to repress and punish these outbreaks with a
prompt and vigorous use of power 5 and that the lives and property of
American citizens and companies at Acapulco, according to the report of the
consul, confirmed by those of the local authorities, were exposed to the
fury of a fanatical community, and it was for his government to decide
whether Mexico or the United States would protect them.
I am just in receipt of a communication from the consul at Acapulco, a copy
of which I inclose, from which it will be seen that, up to the 7th instant,
the only culprits discovered by the judicial authorities were the two
wounded assailants left in possession of the officials, who have since died.
Twelve days have elapsed without any arrests, and it appears that the
consul’s prediction, that no one would ever be convicted and punished, is in
a fair way to be realized.
I am, &c.,
[Page 870]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 243.]
Mr. Sutter to Mr.
Foster.
United
States Consulate, Acapulco,
February 3, 1875.
No. 27.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your communication of January 27th ultimo. I presume that Mr.
Skilton has communicated to you the contents of my letters to him of
January 27 and 1st instant, Nos. 3, 4, 5.
Rev. M. N. Hutchinson left Acapulco on the evening of the 1st instant,
per steamer “Montana” for San Francisco, in good health. His servant and
his horse I have still here.
When I received your communication yesterday I had already paid my
respects to the governor, General Alverez. This morning I addressed to
him a communication, of which please find inclosed copy, (inclosure 1,)
and delivered the same to him personally, before his departure for
Coyuga. He requested me to assure you that he would do all in his power
to bring the guilty parties to light, and would take measures to prevent
a repetition of the massacre, and that in a few days he would return to
Acapulco. He expressed already yesterday a hope to be able to discover
the instigator (meaning probably the Catholic priest) of the crime,
saying that the people, without any instigation, never would have
committed so atrocious a murder. At the same time the governor had a
fair opportunity yesterday afternoon to judge of the excitement existing
among the population. A demonstration was made publicly by a band of,
say, eighty women and about the same number of men, who, having
assembled at and marched from the church-door, went to accost him while
he was taking a walk with some friends, and asked him not to deprive
them of the priest, and to banish or exterminate all the
Protestants.
The governor spoke to the people, who then quietly disbanded: but, in my
opinion, this demonstration means as much as the rough words the foreman
of the Matricula of the port, on the night of the massacre, addressed to
the district judge, Mr. Bonilla; that is, that they would rise armed to
attack the federal troops should he dare touch the priest.
The State militia is not to be relied on; the parish priest has, in fact,
more power than the governor, who would render himself very unpopular
should he actively interfere.
These opinions of course cannot be expressed here with safety. The
district judge, whom I visited to-day and handed the communication
already mentioned, partakes of and concurs in them, however; but
candidly confesses that he can do absolutely nothing if the supreme
government does not station here a battalion of federal troops, for
which he says he has asked already. Nothing to inculpate any person has
been elucidated, and I fear ever will be discovered.
Threats against the Freemasons have also been uttered already; still it
would be impossible to prove it.
A United States vessel of war should remain stationed here for some time.
In case of a rising, the office of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
where everybody knows there is a good supply of money, and the bazar,
the mercantile establishment of Mr. A. Dempwolff, who, among his stock
of about $40,000, has rifles, guns, pistols, knives, powder, lead,
&c., would be attacked very quick, together with the United States
consulate, and the large German importing house of Oetling, Gericke
& Co., and our lives just then might be in danger.
As far as the legal technicalities of the case are concerned, it appears
that Mr. Procopio Diaz, the chief of the Protestants hero, probably for
the reason of his being the secretary of the prefect of the district,
carelessly neglected to give to the prefect due notice in writing of the
establishment of the Protestant place of worship. All what Mr.
Hutchinson says on the subject I have communicated to the district
judge, and in all the proceedings so far, the place of the massacre has
been called “el templo protestante,” whereby virtually the right to the
name is acknowledged, and the existence of the congregation granted.
In closures numbers 2 and 3 are the letters of Mr. Hutchinson on the
subject.
It is now frequently said, in extenuation of the massacre, that the
Protestants have often insulted the Catholics and the priest personally.
I doubt it, and as far as Mr. Hutchinson is concerned, I deny it in toto.
The antecedents of the priest are well known. He always has been, and is
now, one of the most fanatical, pure-blooded Indian priests, who already
in 1859 was found at the head of a revolution in Costa Chica, and when
taken prisoner by General Don Juan Alvarez, sent to the fort of
Acapulco, and sentenced to be shot. At the intercession of the people,
however, General Alvarez pardoned him with the condition that he must
leave the country. I was then in the office of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, and procured him a free cabin-passage to San
Francisco, whence he returned during the empire. You will perceive that
I know Mr. Justo Pastor Nava well.
[Page 871]
Another incident which shows the situation of Acapulco is this: last
Sunday two of the aggressors wounded were given up by the surgeons, and
expressed a desire to receive the sacraments of the Catholic Church,
which naturally was granted to them, but the authorities feared that,
should the priest be seen entering the prison, people might believe he
had been arrested and might rise at once against the garrison,
consequently, as a measure of prevention, the wounded men had to be
carried to the church, and after the ceremony back to the prison again.
One has since died, the other one is still lingering; he says he was
merely a spectator, looking on.
Should anything important take place I shall not fail to advice you of
it, either by telegraph or by mail, as the case may require it, and
remain,
Your obedient servant,
[Inclosure 1 in 1 in No.
243.]
Mr. Sutter to
Governor Alvarez and the district
judge.
Sir: In obedience to instructions received
yesterday from Hon. John W. Foster, envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary of the United States of America in Mexico, I have the
honor to request you, in his name, to promptly take the necessary
measures within your power to procure the speedy punishment, according
to the law, of the instigators and perpetrators of the atrocious
massacre of Protestants, which took place on the evening of Tuesday,
January 26th ultimo, whilst they were peaceably assembled in their
chapel for the purpose of religious worship.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
JOHN A. SUTTER,
United States
Consul.
Hon. J. W. Foster,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America, Mexico.
[Inclosure 2 in 1 in No.
243.]
Mr. Hutchinson to
Mr. Suite.
On
Board the Ida Lilly,
January 30, 1875.
Friend Sutter: I am surprised to hear that Don
Procopio Diaz did not give the proper notice respecting the place of
worship. He came with Don Catarino Franco to speak of it, and it was
understood that they should go at once and give the required notice,
both that we were holding services in the house of Don Procopio, for the
time being, and that San José had been taken for the same purpose,
&c.
I was told that this notice had been given. I am sure the authorities
took notice of this to the extent of putting another lamp at the upper
corner of the church. I was therewith the chief of police in person to
indicate what seemed to us the proper place to locate it. It was one of
the first things I called attention to when I came, and, from what I saw
and learned, concluded that the proper parties had given the necessary
notice to the proper authorities. I was also told that there would be
nine soldiers in readiness, &c.
The spirit of the law was practically complied with, I am confident. I am
very sorry it was not to the very letter. * * * * * * *
Yours, most cordially,
[Inclosure 3 in 1 in No.
243.]
Mr. Hutchinson to
Mr. Sutter.
On
Board the “Ida Lilly,”
Off
Acapulco, February 1,
1875.
Friend Sutter: * * * * * *
I am very sorry about the notice not being sufficiently formal. My
relation to the church being a general one, it seemed more proper for
those who had been in charge of
[Page 872]
the congregation for a year to give the notice in their name; hut I
said, “If more is needed, rind out exactly what, and we will give it.”
It certainly is the duty of the officer to whom this should be reported
to indicate the legal form of the notice. It is a strong point, it seems
to me, that the authorities did actually take notice of Don Procopio’s
notice. I was in his house when the authorities (I speak of the
authorities in general, not knowing each one in particular) sent to know
where we thought another lamp would afford the most protection. We went,
according to appointment, at 4 o’clock p.m. the same day, to consult,
and the lamp was placed at the upper corner of the church, so as to give
light behind and in front of the church. The chief of police was there
in person. This was, it seems to me, a virtual acknowledgment of notice,
and I did not think there was any question. If more details, &c.,
were required to fill up his report to be forwarded to the government,
these could have been given at any time. I am not sure that all such
details as a full report would call for are absolutely necessary before
protection can be claimed under the law. I believe the case would stand
the test of law for the purposes of protection. Of course it is to be
regretted that there is any question about it. A contract may not be
drawn in exact legal form, but if, with a knowledge of this, work is
done or payments made, the contract takes a binding form, and so it
seems to me in this case. The authorities took notice of pur opening a
new place of worship by placing another lamp for special protection.
Yours, very truly,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 243.]
Mr. Foster to Mr.
Sutter.
Legation of the United States,
Mexico, February 12,
1875.
Sir: I thank you for your full and interesting
report of the assault upon the Protestant church at Acapulco, No. 27, of
February 3, with a statement of the subsequent events. I will transmit a
copy of it to the Department of State for its information and action. I
have called the attention of the government here to the condition of
affairs as represented by you, and I am assured that the federal
government is doing and will do all within its power to punish the
criminals and preserve the peace.
Permit me to call your attention to a point which does not sufficiently
appear in your letter to the governor. You will notice that in my letter
I referred only to the murder of Americans, and not to Protestants in
general. While we desire to see full enjoyment of religious worship for
all, we can only officially interfere in behalf of American
citizens.
Mr. Skilton has not yet returned.
Very truly,
John A. Sutter, Esq.,
Consul, Acapulco.
[Inclosure 3 in No. 243.]
Mr. Sutter to Mr.
Foster.
Consulate of the United States,
Acapulco, February 7,
1875.
No. 28.]
Sir: Confirming to you my communication (No.
27) of the 3d instant, I have the honor to report to-day that on the
afternoon of the 3d, just as General Alvarez was ready to leave, a
second demonstration, similar to the one of the day before, was made;
otherwise the town is quiet, although in case of need I fear the State
militia now here could not be relied on, and although menaces against
the lives of the wounded Protestants, who are being taken care of
together in the house of Mr. Procopio Diaz and guarded every night by
some twenty resolute and well-armed brethren, (Mr. Hutchinson’s servant
among them,) are repeatedly and openly uttered. The wounded men, I am
happy to say, are all out of danger.
Yesterday afternoon I called upon the district judge to inquire if
anything relative to the massacre had been elicited. He replied that
everything remained in statu quo,
[Page 873]
the only culprits discovered so far being,
singularly enough, the two aggressors who lost their lives in the
affray, the second one having died on last Sunday, the 31st, from a
pistol-shot received during the affray of the 26th.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN A. SUTTEE, Jr.,
United States Consul.
Hon. John W. Foster,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America, Mexico.
