and property of citizens of the United States through a long series of years.  Mexico has admitted these injuries, but has neglected and refused to repair them.  Such was the character of the wrongs and such the insults repeatedly offered to American citizens and the American flag by Mexico, in palpable violation of the laws of nations and the treaty between the two countries of the 5th of April, 1831, that they have been repeatedly brought to the notice of Congress by my predecessors.  As early as the 6th of February, 1837, the President of the United States declared in a message to Congress that—­

The length of time since some of the injuries have been committed, the repeated and unavailing applications for redress, the wanton character of some of the outrages upon the property and persons of our citizens, upon the officers and flag of the United States, independent of recent insults to this Government and people by the late extraordinary Mexican minister, would justify in the eyes of all nations immediate war.

He did not, however, recommend an immediate resort to this extreme measure, which, he declared, “should not be used by just and generous nations, confiding in their strength for injuries committed, if it can be honorably avoided,” but, in a spirit of forbearance, proposed that another demand be made on Mexico for that redress which had been so long and unjustly withheld.  In these views committees of the two Houses of Congress, in reports made to their respective bodies, concurred.  Since these proceedings more than eight years have elapsed, during which, in addition to the wrongs then complained of, others of an aggravated character have been committed on the persons and property of our citizens.  A special agent was sent to Mexico in the summer of 1838 with full authority to make another and final demand for redress.  The demand was made; the Mexican Government promised to repair the wrongs of which we complained, and after much delay a treaty of indemnity with that view was concluded between the two powers on the 11th of April, 1839, and was duly ratified by both Governments.  By this treaty a joint commission was created to adjudicate and decide on the claims of American citizens on the Government of Mexico.  The commission was organized at Washington on the 25th day of August, 1840.  Their time was limited to eighteen months, at the expiration of which they had adjudicated and decided claims amounting to $2,026,139.68 in favor of citizens of the United States against the Mexican Government, leaving a large amount of claims undecided.  Of the latter the American commissioners had decided in favor of our citizens claims amounting to $928,627.88, which were left unacted on by the umpire authorized by the treaty.  Still further claims, amounting to between three and four millions of dollars, were submitted to the board too late to be considered, and were left undisposed of.  The sum of $2,026,139.68,