ULRICH, Consul to E. L. Plumb, United States Chargé d’Affaires, Mexico, April 24, 1868

Mr. Ulrich to Mr. Plumb.

Sir: A very disagreeable occurrence has taken place here, which will probably come to your notice through the newspapers, and I have thought it best to give the facts of the case, both to yourself and the State Department, that you may have a better idea as to what has happened than you could form from newspaper statements, which are always more or less highly colored.

A few nights ago, two Americans resident here, merchants, became slightly intoxicated, and were taken in charge by four other American citizens, their friends, (respect-able, well-behaved men,) to take them to their homes. While on the way the whole party were arrested by the police, and put into the common jail with the condemned criminals of the State, contrary to usage here, as temporary delinquents are usually placed in an outside room under guard. The next morning they were ordered to clean the movable privies of the jail and to perform other degrading duties, to do which some of them refused, when two of them were very severely beaten by the jailor, the marks of which are still upon their persons, and all this before they had been examined by the authorities as to their culpability.

When they were examined by the alcalde 1st, next morning, he, without any investigation of the case, ordered the whole party to pay a fine of ten dollars each, but on being remonstrated with by some of them that such a decision was very unjust, as four of them were entirely innocent of any offense, he remitted the fine as to the four, fining merely the two who admitted that they had been intoxicated, and afterwards remitted also the fine of these two, as, on examination of the case, he found it very doubtful if any of them had been guilty of creating disorder in the street.

The party who was most severely beaten was one of the four who were not drunk.

The case is creating considerable excitement here, and is now on the way for trial before the tribunal supreme of the State.

Above you have the facts, of which I am personally cognizant, and you, better than myself, can, from your knowledge of these people, decide how much of this treatment of these Americans arises from the general unkind feeling towards foreigners. The tone of the papers since the close of the intervention, and the legislation in congress as regards “estranjeros,” notwithstanding the fact that Americans are not intended to be included in them, still have the tendency to array anything but a kindly feeling towards us, as the great mass of ignorant Mexicans include in their animosity all classes of foreigners, Americans not excepted.

As I said before, I merely write to yourself and the department the facts above, that you may clearly understand the case. The persons maltreated are quite respectable men, and men, too, who will not let the matter rest. If anything further occurs, and the legal tribunals fail to do justice, I will write you again on the subject.

I think it is but justice to the people here to state, that they are generally indignant at the proceeding, a great deal of which feeling, however, I am satisfied arises from their hostility to some of the “oficiales” implicated, who are generally unpopular, more than from any regard for the persons injured.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,