Ambassador Thompson
to the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
Mexico, March 9,
1906.
No. 2.]
Sir: As you were informed in my telegram of the
2d instant, I arrived here on that day. The 4th being Sunday, on the 5th
I caused to be delivered to the minister for foreign affairs office
copies of my letter of credence as ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary and my predecessor’s letter of recall; also copy of the
remarks which I proposed to make to the President on the occasion of my
formal presentation. This was done by means of my note of that date to
the minister.
On the same day the minister for foreign affairs informed me in a note,
received the 7th instant, which I acknowledged at once, that the
President would formally receive me on Thursday, the 8th, at noon, and
that the “introducer of ambassadors “would visit me on Wednesday to
inform me of the programme for the following day, the day of the
reception.
This programme consisted of two of the President’s carriages, accompanied
by the “introducer of ambassadors,” two of the President’s personal
aides, and a mounted escort of about 25 men, coming to my place of
residence a few minutes before 12 o’clock on the day of the reception,
receiving there myself, Secretary McCreery, and Major Paxton, military
attaché, and conducting us to the National Palace. The ride from my
house to the Palace was through the principal street of the city and the
entrance to the Palace grounds was between two lines of soldiers.
The entrance to the hall of ambassadors, where the President, his
cabinet, chief military officers, and Palace guards were stationed, was
through a series of splendid halls and rooms, the sides of some of which
were lined with soldiers. The hall of ambassadors in which the reception
occurred was crowded with spectators, both Americans and Mexicans, all
of the spectators standing back of two lines of Palace guards, the two
lines of guards making the way through which myself and those attending
me approached the President and his cabinet. The salutations on entering
and approaching the President and his cabinet were as usual, as was the
reading of my address, followed by the President’s response, and as also
were the introductions to the members of the cabinet after the reading
of the addresses.
My talk with the President after the formal ceremony was most cordial, he
expressing very great satisfaction at having me in Mexico
[Page 1132]
as the chief accredited
representative of our country. Again in the evening, on the occasion of
a call paid by Mrs. Thompson and myself on the President’s wife, on our
entering her receiving room the President at once came to us and in a
somewhat protracted conversation again expressed his gratification at
having me here, and Mrs. Diaz said to Mrs. Thompson on this occasion
that the President had been really anxious to have me come to Mexico as
our chief representative, feeling that he in a way knew me, but that his
feelings in the matter had been accentuated by the many things Minister
of Fomento Bias Escontreia, deceased in January, had said to him of me,
Mr. Escontreia and I having been personal friends covering over a period
of more than eight years, the friendship commencing before he was
appointed governor of the State of San Luis Potosi, and afterwards a
member of the President’s cabinet. In this connection I am pleased to
say that my reception in Mexico, commenced in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez,
has been everything the good will of Mexican officials, Mexicans, and
Americans generally could make it.
For the further information of the Department of State I inclose herewith
copies of all the notes I have mentioned, with translation of that of
Foreign Minister Mariscal, and clippings in duplicate from the Daily
Record (printed in English) of the 8th instant, and the Mexican Herald
(also in English) of the 9th, the former being an evening and the latter
a morning newspaper. I also inclose duplicate clippings from the Diario
Oficial, which is the official publication of the Mexican Government,
and in which will be found the original text, in the Spanish language,
of the President’s response to my address accompanied by
translation.
Immediately after the completion of the ceremony of my reception by the
President, I sent the following telegram to the Department of State,
which this confirms:
Mexico, March 8, 1906.
Secretary of State,
Washington, D. C:
Officially received at noon to-day. Reception was all Government
or individual could wish for.
David E. Thompson.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Remarks made by Ambassador Thompson on the occasion of his presentation to
President Diaz.
Mr. President: After a long and
distinguished career in representing his country abroad, my honored
predecessor, Mr. Edwin H. Conger, having seen St to retire to
private life, my President has done me the honor to appoint me to
succeed him as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the
United States of America to the United Mexican States.
In so doing and with the desire ever in mind of strenghtening the
bond of friendship and mutual good will which happily subsists and
has long subsisted between our respective Governments, he directs me
to make an expression to your excellency of his sincere regard for
you and your great and historic country and of his wish for the
continued glory and prosperity of the Mexican Republic. He hopes
that the sisterhood of American Republics shall each year grow
stronger and especially that every relation between my country and
yours
[Page 1133]
may ever be more
cordial, if, indeed, there is room for greater good will than now
exists.
I may assure your excellency that the great advancement shown by the
Mexican Government and people in every branch of human activity, but
notably in the science of good government, the perhaps noblest of
all sciences, under your wise direction and guidance, has not been
unnoticed by my Government and people. They are perfectly aware
to-day of the proud eminence occupied by the Mexican Republic in the
constellation of nations making it an example of good government to
all the world. The increasing commerce between my country and yours
is, too, a source of great gratification to my countrymen, and my
hope is that the good relations existing between the United States
of America and the United Mexican States will serve as a constant
and ever forceful promoter of our mutual commerce.
My first visit to Mexico was in the years of 1876 and 1877, years
that will to the end of time live in Your Excellency’s memory, the
memories of your countrymen and of the whole world who follow the
destinies of nations; years known and better understood as time
progresses as having been the beginning of a truly great
administration of government. Since then I have paid many visits to
Your Excellency’s country, each time noting a change, and that
change always for the better. Now to be designated for the lofty
honor of coming as the chief representative of my Government and
people gives me personally the keenest satisfaction and pleasure. I
may say sincerely, and do say, that next to my own country Mexico is
and long has been nearest and dearest to my heart, and during my
stay here as the chosen representative of my Government my official
and personal aim shall be to maintain and if possible add to the
good fellowship between the peoples of the two sister republics.
As my President has directed me to do, I now have the honor to place
in Your Excellency’s hands this letter accrediting me as ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of America,
as well as the letter of recall of my distinguished predecessor, he
by reason of having resigned while in the United States being unable
to present it in person; and in conclusion, Mr. President, permit me
to express to you my earnest desire for your continued well-being
and happiness; that your Government and people may long enjoy the
inestimable benefit of your wise guidance and direction, and that
unbroken peace and boundless prosperity may be their lot always.
[Enclosure
2.—Translation.]
President Diaz’s reply to Ambassador Thompson’s address.
Mr. Ambassador: With the greatest
gratification I receive from your hands the letters whereby the
President of the United States of America accredits you as his
representative with the rank of ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary. You also apprise me of the resignation of your
worthy predecessor, whose letters of recall you have placed in my
hands and in regard to whom I can assure you that during his brief
stay in our midst he succeeded in winning the esteem of this
Government and of Mexico’s society.
The sentiments of sincere friendship which your illustrious President
has charged you to convey to me, and his desires that the fraternal
relations which happily exist between our two republics may be drawn
still closer, afford the best guaranty that the cordial
understanding between them will continue—nay, will become more and
more solid and less and less liable to untoward changes, seeing that
those sentiments are fully reciprocated by Mexico—and we desire
nothing so much as their perpetuation for the good of both
nations.
The large and ever-increasing interests created in this country by
the enterprise, capital, and industry of your countrymen constitute
a very powerful bond between the two nations and are at the same
time a source of legitimate profit to the peoples of the sister
republics. We may, indeed, look for a constant increment in the
volume of commerce and international traffic between them, thanks to
their proximity and to their conviction that such relations afford
to modern communities the most adequate basis for peaceful and
mutually advantageous intercourse.
Your generous and cordial expressions in regard to the progress of
Mexico, under the aegis of peace, law, and order, fill me with
satisfaction and gratitude, for they furnish the measure of your own
friendliness and of the good will
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which animates your Government toward the
Mexican nation. With respect to my own person I regard your eulogies
as the expression of a kindliness for which I am sincerely grateful.
The fact that you have visited this Republic on several occasions
and have observed its recent development gives greater weight and
significance to your words and marks you out as a diplomat in every
way equipped to cultivate between the two nations such relations as
may inure to the advantage of both.
In conclusion, Mr. Ambassador, I desire you a happy and pleasant stay
in Mexico, and I entreat you to convey to the President of the
United States of America my best wishes for his personal felicity
and for the ever-increasing prosperity of the great people who have
wisely selected him as their Chief Magistrate.
