No. 288.
Mr. Maury
to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Bogotá
,
August 1, 1888.
(Received September 1.)
No. 133.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose copies and
translations of my correspondence with the minister of foreign affairs
relating to a passage in President Nuñez’s late message to the Colombian
Congress.
All the foreign legations in this city sent notes similar to those addressed
by me, and all received an identical reply.
Hoping to obtain your approbation of my action on this important subject,
I have, etc.,
[Page 426]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 133.—Translation of the
extract of President Nunez’s message to the Colombian
Congress.]
At the present time we are running the danger of sacrificing our
sovereignty, in the inmost sense of this word, as, on more than one
occasion, our impatience has decided to try the expedient of prodigal
concessions, which being in reality beyond our means, open a wide avenue
to the cupidity of foreign speculators, supported by governments which
are often not inspired by the wholesome principles of justice.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 133.]
Mr. Maury to Mr.
Restrepo.
Legation of the United States,
Bogotá
,
July 24,
1888.
Sir: I have just seen the following passage
which occurs in the message published in the Diario Oficial, No. 7457,
from the most excellent President of Colombia to the National Congress
which assembled on the 20th instant:
“Hoy corremos hasta el peligro de sacrificios de soberania, en el sentido
intimo de esta palabra, porque, en mas de una oeasion, la impaciencia se
decide á tentar el ex-pedientede prodigas concesiones que, siendo en
realidad impraeticables, abren ancha avenida á la codicia de
especuladores extraños, amparados por Gobiernos que no á menndo se
inspiran en los sanos consejos de la justicia.”
I respectfully request that your excellency will inform me if the
Government of the United States of America, which I have the honor to
represent, is included in this censure expressed by the most excellent
President of Colombia, and if yes, will not your excellency cite the
instance in which it is felt that the action of my Government has not
been inspired by justice.
Awaiting your excellency’s reply with deep anxiety,
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 133.]
Mr. Restrepo to Mr.
Maury.
Republic of Colombia,
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs,
Bogotá
,
July 30, 1888.
Monsieur le Ministre: Referring to the note of
the 24th instant, with which your excellency has honored me, I must
inform you that I fail to find in the late message of the President of
the Republic to the congress any passage from which it can be logically
inferred that that high magistrate imputes to the Government of the
United States, or to any other government in special, intentions or acts
of an unjust nature. The words quoted by your excellency do not suggest
any reason for such a supposition, as they do not state whether they
refer to native or foreign governments whether to governments existing
past, or to come; these words do no more than state an existing and
undeniable fact, namely, that as amongst human beings there are
individuals who are often not inspired by the wholesome principles of
justice, so there are governments which act in a similar manner. It is
clear that the statement of such a fact gives no grounds for any special
persons to consider that reference is made to themselves in words,
which, besides, since they refer entirely to home politics, could bear
no international character, even if they were less abstract than they
actually are.
And if to all this is added the solemn, spontaneous, and frequent proofs
of friendship which the most excellent’Rafael Nunez, President of
Colombia, has given to your excellency’s Government, and the very high
appreciation in which he holds this friendship, such a supposition must,
I think, be considered as absolutely groundless.
I avail, etc.,
[Page 427]
[Incloaure 4 in No. 133.]
Mr. Maury to Mr.
Restrepo.
Legation of the United States,
Bogotá
,
July 31,
1888.
Sir: I thank your excellency for your courteous
note of the 30th instant, received just now.
I am relieved to understand from it that when the most excellent
President of Colombia, Señor Doctor D. Rafael Nuñez, said in his late
message to the national congress that a wide avenue had been opened to
the cupidity of foreign speculators, supported by governments which are
often not inspired by the wholesome principles of justice, the most
excellent President intended no reference to that of the United States
as one of those misguided governments.
I avail, etc.,
