[Translation.], January 23, 1866

[Translation.]

Protest of the merchants and residents of the city of Matamoras against the acts of the government of the United States and its representatives.

We, the undersigned, merchants and residents of Matarnoras, Mexico, having been for over eight months the patient neutral spectators of many disgraceful occurrences on this frontier, and having suffered with resignation all the hardships and losses thereby produced, and finding our guarantees violated, and most vital interests every day more endangered by the most serious and arbitrary outside influence beyond the hope of amelioration, consider it our duty, as the representatives of large commercial interests, and as friends and supporters of order, law, and justice, publicly to denounce the acts of certain United States officials on this frontier, and to protest solemnly against the United States government and its officers, by adopting and publishing the following resolutions, viz:

First. That we have frequently read with disgust in certain American newspapers the grossest misrepresentations of the political state of affairs on this frontier, obviously made with the evil intent to mislead the sound judgment of the American people, and to prejudice them against the present de facto government of Mexico, in favor of a Juarez party, which at present has no more foothold or basis of operation on this frontier than that afforded by the United States military and civil authorities on the Texas side of the Bio Grande.

Second. That it is against the morality and dignity of the people and government of the United States that in Brownsville and along the frontier almost daily offences against the professed neutrality of the United States are committed and suffered under the eyes of the United States authorities; and that their repeated assurances in regard to their neutrality in Mexican affairs are plainly contradicted by the encouragement and aid they more or less openly and covertly lend to the Mexican partisans, whose headquarters are in Brownsville, in their armed invasions and raids from the territory of the United States in Mexico.

Third That the continuance of the armed opposition to the imperial government of Mexico on this northern frontier; the insecurity of the roads leading to the interior; the interruption of all trade; the depreciation and destruction of all kind of merchandise, values and property; the perpetration of every species of crime; the devastation and pillage of all the smaller towns, villages and farms in the valley of the Rio Grande and consequent ruin of innumerable people—that all these calamities are the lamentable results of that under hand and immoral policy enacted by some representatives of the United States government on this frontier.

Fourth. That the latest offence against the peace and the happiness of the people of Mexico, the surprise and pillage of the town of Bagdad by United States negro troops, under the command of their regular officers, during the night of the 4th to the 5th of January; the carrying off of the plunder publicly to the Texas side of the river, and the delivery of that important town to the so-called liberals, who came from the neutral soil of the United States in the track of the United States invading forces, we can only designate as an additional proof of the criminal neglect of the United States authorities on this frontier, if not of their connivance in an act of vandalism without parallel in modern history, which, as a shameful disregard of international law and obligation, will remain a disgrace to the national and military honor of the United States, and a stain of infamy to those of their officers implicated in this filibustering enterprise, which is not even mitigated by due investigation and the condign punishment of the criminals.

Fifth. That we apprehend that unless the government of the United States will take immediate and efficient steps to check the arbitrary interference of its officers in Mexican affairs, and prevent these offences against neutrality, as before mentioned, as well as the armed invasion of filibustering bands from United States territory into Mexico, entire ruin and destruction will be brought upon the whole population of this frontier, and upon the commercial community of Matamoras in particular; and we therefore protest solemnly and loudly before the whole world, and in the name of civilization and public morality, against the United States of America for the faithlessness of their officers and authorities, in harboring, aiding, and abetting organized bands of filibusters in their armed invasion into Mexico for the destruction of public peace, order, and security in this country, and for all the losses and injuries thereby done and caused, and yet to be caused, to the people of this frontier in general, and to us merchants and residents in particular, in our properties and bodies, we charge the government of the United States as directly responsible.

Sixth. That whilst we acknowledge with admiration and gratitude the indefatigable zeal of his excellency General Mejia, under the most critical circumstances and notwithstanding many provocations in maintaining peace and harmony in the daily intercourse of the people of both nations on this frontier, and order and security in this department under his immediate command and protection, we consider the personal and commercial interest at stake in Matamoras still sufficiently large to merit the serious consideration and prompt action of the imperial government for more ample protection and relief, as a continuance of the present deplorable state of affairs cannot fail to bring upon us complete ruin, as well as blame and responsibility on the government.

Seventh. That these resolutions be printed and submitted, through our consuls and legations, to our respective governments, and communicated to his excellency General Mejia, to General Weitzel, commanding United States forces at Brownsville, and published in the principal newspapers in the United States, Mexico, and Europe.

So resolved and subscribed at Matamoras, Mexico, on the 16th day of January, 1866. Santiago Iturria, José San Roman, Paul Zurn, Simon Celaya, Drœge Oetling & Co., Frco. Iturria, P. J. Garcia y Ho., Charles Culmell, I. Solis, Miguel J. Quin, Vtr. Pretat & Co., Hale & Co., O. Talamon, Dessommes & Co., Henry Graham, and 120 other names.

CONSUL’S CERTIFICATE.

We, the undersigned, vice-consuls of Spain, Prussia, France, and England, hereby certify that we have compared the preceding document with the original, and find it to be a true and correct copy of the same. We further certify that, from the best information we have been able to obtain, and from the solemn protests and declarations made before us by several of our countrymen, sufferers by the outrages at Bagdad, it is our belief that the contents of the foregoing resolutions are in every respect just and true.