NEW CLAIMS ADVANCED AGAINST MEXICO.
It will be recollected that President Jackson, in his Mes- sage of the 6th Februar}'-, ISSV, proposed that he should be authorized to make reprisals against Mexico, and for that purpose to employ the naval force of the nation, pro- vided Mexico did not come " to an amicable adjustment of the matters in controversy between us, upon another demand thereof made on board one of our vessels of War."
Now, " the matters in controversy between us" were, in fact, no other than the eighteen grievances already spe- cified. It was stipulated by the existing treaty with JVIexico, that neither party shall " order or authorize any act of reprisal, nor declare war against the other on com- plaints of grievances or damages, until the said party considering itself offended shall first have presented to the other a statement of such injuries or damages, verified by competent proof, and demand justice and satisfaction, and the same shall have been either refused or unreasonably delayed." Whatever claims and grievances we might have against Mexico, they were not " matters in contro- versy'' until after they had been presented, and by the express terms of the treaty could not warrant either re- prisals or war, until they had been verified, and the Mexi- can Government had either refused or unreasonably de- layed justice.
Notwithstanding this treaty stipulation, the President laid before Congress a schedule of grievances amounting in number to forty-six.* Of the original eighteen claims, only one dated as far back as 1831, in the new schedule thirty-two are founded on acts alleged to have been com- mitted j^Wor to 1832. Having given the reader a specifi- fication of each of the original claims, we will not now trespass on his patience by