Señor Allan A. Burton to Señor Perez, January 8, 1866

Mr. Burton to Señor Perez

The undersigned, minister resident of the United States of America, has received the communication which his excellency Señor Santiago Perez, secretary of the interior and foreign relations of the United States of Colombia, did him the honor to write him under date of the 4th instant, concerning the alleged misconduct of United States troops on their passage over the isthmus of Panama in August and November last, in connection with which his excellency has been pleased to announce certain views of his government touching the reciprocal rights and duties of the two nations as regulated by article 35 of the treaty concluded between them in 1846, and also certain measures deemed necessary to be adopted to insure the pacific transit of the isthmus by troops of the United States. Before receiving his excellencys communication some account of the affair referred to, of August, 1865, had been repeated to the undersigned by Mr. Robinson, United States vice-consul at Aspinwall, Colon, which, in November last, he sent to his government for its consideration and instructions, and he will now lose no time in adding the communication of his excellency, with its accompanying documents.

The undersigned would lament as sincerely as his excellency could, any want of respect or other irregularity on the part of his countrymen towards Colombia, and, while he trusts it is unnecessary for him to do so, he feels perfectly safe in assuring the Colombian government that an investigation of the alleged abuses, if not already made, will be speedily made, and such action taken by the government of the United States as may comport with the justice and the intimate friendship and respect happily existing between the two countries.

The importance of the matter involved considered, his excellency will doubtless see the propriety of its reference at once by the undersigned to his government, which renders at present premature any expression of opinion as to the construction put by the government of Colombia upon the article of the treaty in question.

The undersigned embraces this opportunity to repeat to his excellency the assurances of his very distinguished consideration.