treaty, and one more comprehensive than the last, for it was to provide for the settlement of all claims made by the Government of Mexico against the United States, as well as the claims of the Government and citizens of the United States against the Ilepubhc of Mexico. Here was at least the ajjpearance of fairness. The United States consented by this treaty, which was duly ratified, that the wrongs the Government and it citi- zens had done to Mexico should be submitted to a court of referees. What claims the citizens of Mexico had against the United States do not appear ; but the claims of the Government were numerous and important.
Vessels captured by Mexican ships of war for being en- gaged in contraband trade, had been forcibly seized and carried off by American armed vessels, and a Mexican na- tional vessel had been audaciously captured and brought to the United States by one of the vessels of our navy ; and frequent had been the insults which American functionaries had offered to the Mexican authorities. It must, therefore, have been a grateful reflection to the Mexicans, that the wrongs they had themselves suffered, were to be examined and redressed by a tribunal more impartial than the Cabi- net at Washington. Whether it was through inadvertence, or with a view of inducing Mexico to provide for the settlement of the vast amount of claims left undecided that the American Government accorded this unusual justiee to the sister Republic, is uncertain. The treaty stipulated for by the convention of 80th January, 1843, was concluded in Mexico on the 20th November of the same year. The respective claims of the citizens and Governments of the REVIEW OF THE MEXICAN WAR. "7 two countries were to be referred to a joint commission to sit in Mexico ; and where the commissioners should not agree, the award of an umpire, to be named by the king of Belgium, was to be final. This treaty was sent to Washington, accompanied by a letter from Thompson to the Secretary of State, in which he tells him " the place of meeting of the board, you will see, is in Mexico, and not in Washington. The Mexican plenipotentiaries said that the last