INJUSTICE TO AMERICANS. 133 



without a single resource with wliich to cover 

 their demands. As these losses were chiefly 

 experienced in consequence of a want of suf- 

 ficient protection froni the general govern- 

 "ment, the American merchants drew up a 

 memorial setting forth their claims, which, to- 

 gether with a schedule of the various accounts 

 due, was sent to the Hon. Powhattan Ellis, 

 American Minister at Mexico. These de- 

 mands were certainly of a far more equitable 

 character than many of those which some 

 time after occasioned the French blockade ; 

 yet our Government has given the unfortu- 

 nate claimants no hope of redress. Even Mexi- 

 co did not dispute the justness of these claims, 

 but, on the contrary, she promptly paid to the 

 order of General Armijo, a note given by the 

 late Governor Perez to Mr. Sutton, an Ameri- 

 can merchant, which Armijo had purchased 

 at a great discount. 



In the South, the Americans were every- 

 where accused of being the instigators of this 

 insurrection, which was openly pronounced 

 another Texas affair. Their goods were con- 

 fiscated or sequestered, upon the shghtest pre- 

 texts, or for some pretended irregularity in the 

 accompanying documents; although it was 

 endent that these and other indignities were 

 heaped upon tliem, as a punishment for the 

 occurrence of events wliich it had not been 

 in their power to prevent. Indeed, these ill- 

 used merchants were not only innocent of 

 any participation in the insurrectionary move- 

 ments, but had actually furnished means to 



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