No. 377.
Señor Ubico to Mr. Blaine.
Washington, D. C., June 15, 1881.
Sir: As soon as the Central American republics had shaken off the sway of Spain, Mexico, constituted then as an empire by Iturbide, began to show its tendency to an increase of territory towards the south by encroaching on the boundaries of the said republics. With that object the armies of the Mexican Empire passed through the whole of Guatemala, and were only stopped by the patriots of Salvador, who defeated them at a place which, in remembrance of such an event, bears to this day the name of Mejicanos. Guatemala lost, nevertheless, the two important provinces of Soconusco and Chiapas.
Many years later the Central American territory was once more invaded by 400 men of the regular Mexican federal army, who were luckily driven from it. However, the slow and partial annexation of territory has not ceased one single day, showing well that if the form of government in Mexieco has changed from the empire to the republic the tendency to enlarge the territory and to overstep the boundaries towards the south has remained the same.
The Government of Guatemala, desirous of settling this affair in a manner in accordance with the international law of nations, and with the established practice of civilized countries, has employed all possible means within its reach to obtain this favorable result, and unhappily without the least success up to the present day; far from it. Neither have the claims of our diplomatic agents been attended to, nor have the partial annexations of territory ceased, nor even the vexations from the Mexican authorities. An instance of this was the arbitrary imprisonment by said authorities, of the Guatemalan agents sent, in accordance with the Mexican Government, to make a preliminary study, which was to serve as a basis for the settlement of a definite boundary line between the two countries; also the imprisonment of agents of Guatemala who were making the census of the population of that country, and that of many local authorities of political and local jurisdiction, instead of which Mexican authorities have been substituted.
All peaceful means of conciliation appearing to be exhausted, my government sees no resource left but to appeal to that of the United States as the natural protector of the integrity of the Central American territory.
The Government of Guatemala, from which I have special instructions on the subject, and the people of Central America will see with profound gratitude any demonstration that the Government of the United States may find fit to make to that of the Mexican Republic, that may induce the latter to respect the integrity of Central American territory, and also lead to the cessation of an abnormal state of affairs which unfortunately has lasted too long already.
Accept, &c.,