won, in later years, people will remember me as a coward, and call useless dying an Acl of glory. We will be home year next, and will write more soon. your loving boy- Tom Turner [4172] [ELLIS to MONESTERIO] Legation of the United States of America, Mexico, September 9, 1836. The undersigned, charge d'affaires of the United Stales of America, has the honor to represent to your excellency, that, on the 17th of February last, William Hallett and Zalmon Hull, (the step-son of the consul of the United States at Matamoras,) citizens of the United Slates, were arrested in the street, near the habitation of the consul of said States, by a party of armed soldiers, who brutally struck Hull in the face with a sword, and forcibly look them to the principal barrack in the city of l\fatamoras, where they. were confined as prisoners. A short time after this occurrence, sentinels were placed at the doors of the residence of the consul of the United States, and all communication therewith prohibited. Armed soldiers broke open his gate during his absence, and forcibly took out of the enclosure of his private properly one mare and two mules; and afterwards entered the house with drawn swords, to the great terror of the females of his family, and searched every room in the building, with the avowed intention of finding the father of Mr. Hull. From these facts, it is apparent the outrage committed has been attended with circumstances of injury and insult wholly inconsistent with those laws and regulations which govern the commercial intercourse between nations, and which have heretofore been the protection of consuls in all countries. Your excellency must be too well acquainted with these laws not to be aware of the irregularity of the proceedings of the local authoriti~s at Matamoras, in the instance alluded to, and they they are 111 violation of the rights of a Government on terms of amity with the United Mexican Stales.
416
Powered by FlippingBook