Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 2, 1878

No. 351.
Mr. Foster to Mr. Evarts .

Legation of the United States,
Mexico , August 6, 1878. (Received August 27.)

No. 750.]

Sir: For the past two weeks public attention in this city has been almost exclusively occupied in the discussion of the relations between the United States and Mexico. The last mail brought the accounts published in the American newspapers of the visit of General Ord to Washington to confer about the condition of affairs on the Rio Grande, and the reports as to the results of that visit, among which were that the instructions to that officer of June 1, 1877, were to be more vigorously enforced, and that to enable the American troops to more effectually suppress the Indian and cattle raids, several strategic points on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande would be occupied. These and various other reports as to the hostile intentions of the Government of the United States have been reproduced and commented upon by the Mexican press, and have caused the utmost excitement.

In addition to this, reports have been current in Mexican official circles of the correspondence which took place between Mr. Mata and myself in relation to the crossing of Colonel Mackenzie into Mexican territory, transmitted in my No. 740, of the 15th ultimo. These reports having attained a wider circulation, have been greatly exaggerated, and it began to be believed by the public that the correspondence indicated an early rupture of diplomatic relations and the probable inauguration of hostilities on the Rio Grande. The rumors became so alarming that the official journal of the government found it necessary to indicate something of the tenor of Mr. Mata’s note to me, and to assure the public that the correspondence gave no foundation for the alarm which prevailed.

The government has been subjected to severe attacks by the opposition press, because, as they allege, it has not protested in proper spirit against the invasion of Mexican territory by American troops, nor has it adopted appropriate measures to protect and maintain the national dignity and honor. The government official journal, the Diario Oficial, has several times replied with spirit to the attacks; and, as indicating the temper of the government, I inclose an extract from one of its editorials.

I am, &c.,

JOHN W. FOSTER.

[Inclosure in No. 750.—Translation.]

Mexico and the United States.

[From the Diario Oficial, August 5, 1878.]

* * * * * * *

Neither is it true that this is the first time that the present administration has made use of energy in treating this international question. However much our colleague may state to the contrary, and daily repeat it, formerly, as to-day, and since General Diaz has been chief of the executive power, our foreign relations, and principally those with the neighboring Republic of the North, have borne the seal of dignity, of decorum, of prudence without weakness, and of energy without arrogance.

The country and the Federalista itself may recover the composure which has been altered without reason during the past few days; since, without being permitted at present to publish the note of Mr. Mata, we can again give assurances that its contents are as we stated on Friday. We will even add more: if true that the questions being treated through diplomatic channels are difficult, due more perhaps to circumstances foreign to their merits than to the questions themselves, there is the encouraging hope that they wll be adjusted in a pacific manner in the interests of the two countries. If unfortunately these hopes should prove futile, and war should he inevitable, the President of the republic, whose valor, abnegation, and patriotism not even his enemies can doubt, will address himself to the Mexican people, calling them to his side, in order to defend, as they have always done, the honor, the integrity of territory, and the independence of Mexico.

In the mean time, and this eventually being still very remote, the Federalista may well repeat with all assurance, “The country may then, be tranquil, as we are, with the statement of the Diario.”

Would not this be the occasion to make a call to the patriotism of the opposition, either in the press or in the camp of revolution, to the end that, laying aside its hostile attitude, it should permit the executive and the country itself to prepare without obstacles and with calmness for all the hazards of the crisis through which we are passing?