Mr. Plumb to Mr.
Seward.
No. 212.]
Legation of the United States,
City of Mexico,
October 29, 1868.
Sir: In an interview with Mr. Lerdo de Tejada
at the department of foreign affairs on the 20th instant, I read to him
your dispatch No. 99, of the 17th ultimo, according to the instruction
therein contained, and at his request left with him a copy of the
same.
Mr. Lerdo, in that interview, confined himself to remarking that with
reference to the case of the murder of Mr. Braniff, referred to, he
would at once himself make an investigation to see that all was being
done that could be done to bring the guilty parties to justice.
An expression, however, was added of his sense that the course of the
government of the United States towards Mexico certainly had been marked
by great consideration.
A note from Mr. Lerdo de Tejada upon the subject of that dispatch reached
me this morning, of which copy and translation are inclosed
herewith.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Translation.]
Señor Lerdo de Tejada to
Mr. Plumb.
Mexico,
October 28, 1868.
Sir: In our interview of the 20th of this
month, you were pleased to leave with me a copy of the note
addressed to you by the Hon. Secretary of State of the United States
of America, on the 17th of September last, with reference to the
death of Mr. John Braniff, a citizen of the United States, in
consequence of wounds inflicted by malefactors who assaulted the
house where he was, belonging to Mr. Pablo Guarneros, in the village
of Santa Cruz, of the State of Tlaxcala, about 9 o’clock of the
night of the 6th of April of this year.
As I said to you in our interview, the object of the note of this
department of the 18th of August was to express all the zeal of the
government for the better administration of justice. Esteeming
highly, therefore, what in the note of the 17th of September the
Hon. Secretary of State has been pleased to state with reference to
the constant efforts of the government after the prolonged civil and
foreign war that Mexico has sustained, to re-establish order and
peace in all the republic, after our interview I addressed the same
day, the 20th, a communication to the governor of Tlaxcala, asking
from him a new report as to whether any information had been
obtained of the malefactors and their apprehension had been
effected.
The governor has answered me under date of the 24th, referring to the
reports of the judge who has had charge of the affair, in which it
is explained that as the assault took place at night, and the
malefactors were immediately repulsed without being recognized by
those who were in the house, and without its being known that they
were seen by other persons outside of it, in the small village of
Santa Cruz, all the efforts made to ascertain who the criminals were
have thus far unfortunately proved inefficacious.
The judge adds that he continues endeavoring with especial care to
obtain some indication with reference to said criminals, and that he
is observant of every occasion or circumstance that may serve for
their discovery.
The government regrets that this has not yet been attained, and
desiring that no means shall be omitted to secure, if possible, the
punishment of the guilty parties, it now repeats to the governor of
Tlaxcala the special charge that for this purpose has been made to
him.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
Mr. Edward Lee Plumb, Chargé d’ Affaires of the United States of America in
Mexico.
